Tinnitus: Can Somebody Stop the Ringing in My Ears?

Tinnitus is a common subjective ailment that has many underlying causes. Its name, tinnitus, is derived from Latin and is defined as a ringing sound heard in the ear in absence of a corresponding external sound. However, not everyone who suffers from ear tinnitus hears ringing. There are multiple forms of tinnitus that can be caused by a variety of different factors, making tinnitus not so much an illness as a symptom.

Tinnitus can be subjective or objective. Subjective tinnitus has too many causative factors to begin to list but the common thread is that there is no measurable cause and no objective test to measure the degree of tinnitus suffered by the patient. Because we sometimes are able to sharpen our hearing in certain ranges by concentrating on those sounds, tinnitus can become very bothersome if a person focuses on that sound to the exclusion of external sounds. In these cases, the tinnitus can have a serious effect on daily activities and become debilitating.

Pulsatile tinnitus is one example of objective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus can actually be measured and the cause can normally be found. Pulsatile tinnitus is the name for the experience when one is literally able to hear the blood flow inside the ears, usually in time to the pulse. Extreme cases can even sense the ebb and flow of the blood between pulse beats. Causative factors for pulsatile tinnitus are usually not life life threatening, however, there are some exceptions. Certain tumors, an aneurysm in the carotid artery, or other serious conditions in the head and neck can cause pulsatile tinnitus. These conditions are serious and require immediate treatment. Less serious causes include a simple rise in blood pressure, usually following a fright that triggers a fight or flight response.

While there is no single tinnitus cure, there are a wide variety of treatments designed to help reduce this to a manageable level. Tinnitus treatment can be as simple as removing excess wax from the ears or treating a cold that causes a buildup of fluid in the eustachion tubes between the neck and the ears. Overexposure to loud noises is a leading cause of subjective tinnitus. Reducing the exposure to such sounds can reduce the effects of tinnitus. Certain medications have been shown to have tinnitus as a side effect. Removing these medications usually reduces or eliminates the effects of tinnitus.

Because subjective tinnitus does not normally have a physical cause that can be treated, psychotherapy is often prescribed to treat the problem. In rare cases, mental illness can be diagnosed and treated with medications and therapy sessions that will also reduce or eliminate the ear tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a common problem. The number of factors that can cause it is huge. Tinnitus can vary from a minor distraction that is a little annoying to severe enough to have a negative effect on daily life. Work is ongoing to find a true cure, but with so many causes, treatment is the only solution at this time.