What is Tinnitus?

One of the main symptoms that you are having issues with your hearing is tinnitus. Tinnitus is among the most common forms of ear problems that people experience and it can occur for several reasons. Your age may be a factor as well as the way you take care of your hearing. Tinnitus often shows up as a warning that there is a more serious underlying problem. Here is a closer look at tinnitus.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is characterized by a ringing sound in the ears. While ringing is the most common way the sound is described there are other sounds as well. These may include a buzzing, clicking, humming or hissing.

This noise may vary in pitch. It can be anywhere from a high squealing sound to a very low roar. This sound can make it difficult to concentrate and hear external sounds. Tinnitus is not ongoing it often comes and goes.

The different types of tinnitus

There are two main types of tinnitus. These are subjective tinnitus and objective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can only be heard by you. It will cause issues in your middle, inner and outer ear. In more severe cases it causes problems with the auditory nerves. Tinnitus can also interfere with how the brain interprets nerve signals as sound.

Objective tinnitus can be heard when your audiologist does an ear examination. This is a very rare type of tinnitus and may be the result of a problem with your blood vessels. It may also be the result of muscle contraction in the ear or an ear bone problem.

Medications that can cause tinnitus

Some medications can cause tinnitus. If you are having cancer treatments, taking diuretics, antidepressants and aspirin in high doses you can start to experience tinnitus. If you experience tinnitus while on these medications you should report this to your physician as soon as possible. It may be that you need to switch medication or take it in a lower dosage. You may also experience tinnitus if you are taking herbal supplements. 

In addition to medication, smoking can also cause you to experience noises in the ear. Drinking too many caffeinated beverages may lead to tinnitus as well.

Knowledge is power

Now that you know what tinnitus is, there is no need to panic should you experience it. The best way to cope is to get help especially before it starts interfering in your everyday activities. 

It is not fun having to deal with ringing, hissing and other sounds in the ear. It can affect your productivity and spill off into problems in other areas of your life. You may find yourself unable to communicate effectively on the job or hear what your boss is telling you. This can lead to repercussions at work.

Tinnitus may also affect your relationships as well, making it difficult for you to hear and communicate. The best way to offset these issues is to get tinnitus treatment as soon as the problem starts.