Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears.
A common problem, tinnitus affects about 15 to 20 percent of people.
Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.
Although bothersome, tinnitus usually isn't a sign of something serious.
Although it can worsen with age, for many people, tinnitus can improve with treatment.
Treating an identified underlying cause sometimes helps. Other treatments reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.
Tinnitus forms:
There are two kinds of tinnitus: subjective and objective
Subjective tinnitus
This type of tinnitus is tinnitus only you can hear. This is the most common type of tinnitus. It can be caused by ear problems in your outer, middle or inner ear. It can also be caused by problems with the hearing (auditory) nerves or the part of your brain that interprets nerve signals as sound (auditory pathways).
Objective tinnitus
This type of tinnitus your doctor can hear when he or she does an examination. This rare type of tinnitus may be caused by a blood vessel problem, a middle ear bone condition or muscle contractions.
Symptoms
Tinnitus involves the sensation of hearing sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus symptoms may include these types of phantom noises in your ears:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Roaring
- Clicking
- Hissing
- Humming
The phantom noise may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal, and you may hear it in one or both ears. In some cases, the sound can be so loud it can interfere with your ability to concentrate or hear external sound. Tinnitus may be present all the time, or it may come and go.
When to see a doctor
If you have tinnitus that bothers you, see your doctor.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you develop tinnitus after an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold, and your tinnitus doesn't improve within a week.
See your doctor as soon as possible if:
- You have tinnitus that occurs suddenly or without an apparent cause
- You have hearing loss or dizziness with the tinnitus
Causes
A number of health conditions can cause or worsen tinnitus. In many cases, an exact cause is never found.
Due to the health condition, the risk of developing tinnitus and aggravation of noise levels in the ears increases.
A common cause of tinnitus is inner ear hair cell damage.
Causes of tinnitus include other ear problems.
Chronic health conditions, and injuries or conditions that affect the nerves in your ear or the hearing center in your brain.
Noise in the ears may be caused by a certain condition, for example, tinnitus may develop with age-related hearing loss.
The risk factors include loud noise, as well as excessive suffocation of the ear with sulfur.
Changes in the ear bone should also be considered.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156
