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Tinnitus and its symptoms
Many people experience an occasional ringing in the ears or you may hear a sound such as roaring, buzzing, hissing, or whizzing noise. These constant internal sounds are the symptoms of tinnitus.
Tinnitus is an awareness of a sound in the ears or head that is not due to external noise.
Does everyone ‘hear’ tinnitus the same way?
Every individual has their own very personal tinnitus tone. It can be a high or low frequency sound and its volume can vary over time. An estimated seven million people in the UK have experienced tinnitus at one time or another.
Does tinnitus impact on your mental health?
A significant number of people who experience tinnitus symptoms do become severely distressed by the sounds. If you are distressed, visit your GP or audiologist to get help.
Tinnitus is generally divided into two types:
Tinnitus is generally divided into two types: Subjective tinnitus – noises that can only be heard by the patient Objective tinnitus – noises that can be heard by somebody examining the patient
This is the most common type of tinnitus. Everyone, if sitting in a soundproof room, hears noises in their heads.
Usually these noises are masked in everyday life by all the noise going on in the world around us. if we have some hearing loss, and cannot hear sounds in the outside world so well, the natural noises inside your head become more distinct. They are not being masked by the environmental noises.
Is tinnitus caused by hearing loss?
Tinnitus is often linked to a hearing loss. The tiny hair cells of the cochlea might become damaged, for example through certain drugs, noise exposure or as part of the aging process. Then the cochlea inside the ear becomes less good at discriminating sounds, and your hearing is affected.
This type of tinnitus is uncommon.
Ringing noises in the ears may be caused by spasms of small muscles in the middle ear (often heard as a clicking sound) or by abnormalities of the blood vessels in and around the ear.
What is causing the sound in the head?
The sound is being caused by blood flow that is heard directly by the inner ear. It usually occurs in time with the heart beat (pulsatile tinnitus).
Pulsatile tinnitus can occur when there is an increased blood flow to the ear, such as during an infection and inflammation, but also because of anatomical abnormalities of the blood vessels.
Your assessment will include a comprehensive range of diagnostic tests to measure your tinnitus and a recommendation of the best treatment options for you.
Your tinnitus is personal to you and we offer a range of devices and therapy programmes which aim to significantly reduce your particular symptoms.
We aim to help you break free from the constant noise, so that you can sleep better, increase energy, improve concentration and reduce anxiety.
An important part of my mission at The Tinnitus & Hearing Clinic is to share our knowledge of tinnitus; its causes, how to prevent it and what to do if you are suffering from the condition. This blog will go some way in achieving this aim.
