Ringing in the Ears and Tinnitus

For the millions of people suffering from tinnitus, some measure of relief can be had as long as what causes ringing in the ears is diagnosed accurately and in a timely manner.   It should be kept in mind that tinnitus is a symptom of several underlying medical conditions.  Treat the underlying medical condition and some relief for tinnitus can be had.

A common trigger of tinnitus is presbycusis or age related hearing loss.  This medical condition is marked by progressive sensorineural hearing loss and is most noticed at higher frequencies.  Although medical specialists are unsure as to what exactly causes tinnitus, it is the most popular speculation that tinnitus brought about by presbycusis and exposure to loud noise is caused by the dying off or the damage to the microscopic hairs found inside the inner ear.  These microscopic hairs are responsible for turning sound waves received by the ear into electric impulses.  These electric impulses travel to the brain via the auditory nerve which it then interprets as sound.  Because of the damage to these hairs, electric impulses are no longer properly sent to the brain, causing the whistling, roaring, or chirping heard by those with tinnitus.

Treatment for tinnitus relief for these types of cases is usually done by prescribing a hearing aid to these patients who have some degree of hearing loss.  Hearing aids not only help the wearer perceive outside sounds better but also helps relieve the tinnitus he or she experiences.  What happens is that the hearing aid amplifies external sound.  This increased awareness of external sounds masks the sound tinnitus makes allowing the patient to go about his normal everyday routine.  However, the problem with tinnitus comes back when the hearing aid is removed.

Devices such as white noise generators and maskers help provide relief from tinnitus for those times when a hearing aid is not worn or required.  The principle behind these devices is the noises made by these devices masks the sound tinnitus makes making the person less aware of the annoying ringing sound.  There are specially made devices which are used as maskers but some simple everyday things can be used for the same purpose.  For instance, a recording of waves crashing against the shore played on a continuous loop, a radio tuned to interstation static or the whirring of an electric fan have been employed as maskers for those suffering from tinnitus.

Those with extreme hearing loss or tinnitus eardrum may be given the option to undergo a procedure to install a cochlear implant.  A cochlear implant also referred to as a bionic ear is a surgically implanted electronic  device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.  It works by directly stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea of the ear with an electric field.