Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. It affects about 1 in 5 people over the age of 65. It could be temporary or permanent. It may occur because of several different conditions affecting the inner ear.

In some cases, tinnitus could be heard by other people. In other cases, the sound is heard only by the patient in the ears. If the patient has a vascular disease around the neck or ears, the patient may hear a thumping sound of blood flow.

The patients could describe the noise as buzzing, humming, ringing etc. but all of them are tinnitus.

Causes of Tinnitus

There are a lot of causes of tinnitus which affect the inner ear. Sometimes, there may be more than one cause. Tinnitus is common among people living in industrialized and noisy areas. Moreover, it’s common among old people. Tinnitus could be seen among people who are exposed to noise, who have vitamin deficiency, who have high level of cholesterol and who have instability problems with their thyroid hormones. High blood pressure and drugs may also cause tinnitus. It may occur if there is a mass in the inner ear. Anybody can suffer temporary or permanent tinnitus after exposure to excessive or loud noise.

Treatment for Tinnitus

The treatment is planned according to the underlying condition. If the underlying condition is metabolic or because of blood pressure problems, tinnitus would end after the treatment of these conditions.

Death of nerve cells in the inner ear may cause tinnitus, especially among people over the age of 65. In this case, tinnitus could not be totally treated because of permanent neurodegeneration.

If tinnitus occur because of drugs, it would go away after stopping the use of these drugs. If there is tumor in the inner ear or a vascular anomaly, surgery could be applied.