Tinnitus
If you sometimes hear a ringing in your ears, you're not alone. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this condition, which is called tinnitus. Here's Dr. Firstname M. Lastname, an Otolaryngologist with Medical Center/Hospital, to tell us more.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a ringing sound in the ear. It may come and go, or it may be continuous. It can vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal or whine, and you may hear it in one or both ears. ore than seven million people are afflicted so severely that they cannot lead normal lives.
What causes tinnitus?
Most tinnitus comes from damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear. The health of these nerve endings is important for acute hearing, and injury brings on hearing loss and often tinnitus. If you are older advancing age is often accompanied by a certain amount of hearing nerve impairment and tinnitus. There are many causes for "subjective tinnitus," the noise only you can hear. Some causes are not serious (a small plug of wax in the ear canal might cause temporary tinnitus). Tinnitus can also be a symptom of stiffening of the middle ear bones (otosclerosis). Tinnitus may also be caused by allergy, hih or low blood pressure, a tumor, diabetes, thyroid problems, head or neck injury, and a variety of other causes, including medications (anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, sedatives, antidepressants, and aspirin). If you take aspirin and your ears ring, talk to your doctor about dosage.
What is the treatment?
Treatment will be quite different in each case of tinnitus. It is important to see an otolaryngologist to investigate the cause of your tinnitus so that the best treatment can be determined.