| What Is Tinnitus? | | | | an audiogram. |
| Tinnitus is marked by ringing or buzzing noises in the | | | | Other important tests: |
| ear without any clear reason for it, and can indicate a | | | | Auditory brain stem response (ABR) to test the |
| more serious underlying condition, such as tumors or | | | | hearing nerves and brain pathways |
| an infection. Tinnitus can be constant, intermittent, or | | | | CT scan |
| pulsating. It is most always a chronic condition, but can | | | | MRI scan to rule out a tumor |
| be managed successfully to reduce it's irritating | | | | Treatment: |
| effects. Tinnitus can be unilateral (one ear) or bilateral | | | | There is no specific treatment for tinnitus. You may |
| (both ears). The word is derived from the Latin tinnitus, | | | | have it for life or it could leave on it's own, but you can |
| or "ringing." It has been a bone of contention for | | | | introduce other noises into your environment that will |
| thousands of years, and treatments have varied | | | | allow you to not focus on the ringing in your ears. |
| throughout the ages. There exists two kinds of tinnitus. | | | | Prevention: |
| In subjective tinnitus, only the person can hear it. In | | | | Also if you have a chronic disease such as |
| objective tinnitus, your physician can hear it upon | | | | hypertension, make sure to keep your blood pressure |
| examination. Both types have different causes. | | | | within normal limits. You can reduce your risks of |
| Objective tinnitus can most often be easily treated, but | | | | getting tinnitus by avoiding loud noises, keeping blood |
| subjective tinnitus, the type only the person can hear, | | | | pressure within normal limits, reducing stress and |
| the treatment can be more of a challenge. | | | | fatigue, and taking no more than the recommended |
| Tinnitus is caused by: | | | | dosage of medications that can cause tinnitus, such as |
| Obstruction due to fluid or wax buildup | | | | aspirin. The noise of tinnitus can also be lessened by |
| Ear infections | | | | not concentrating on it. The more you think about it the |
| Damage to the eardrum or the little bones in the middle | | | | more you hear it and the louder it gets. It can be |
| ear | | | | masked by having some other some other sound in |
| Aspirin overdose | | | | the room such as a fan, or anything that will cause |
| Meniere's disease | | | | another sound in the room other than that incessant |
| Brain tumor | | | | ringing or buzzing you hear. This "white noise" is very |
| Aneurysm | | | | effective in decreasing the sound of ringing in your |
| Traumatic head injury, such as a severe blow to the | | | | ears. |
| head. | | | | Consult with your health care provider to rule out other |
| Tinnitus is diagnosed by your health care professional | | | | causes for this condition. Adding a little white noise to |
| who will get your medical history, perform a physical | | | | your surroundings can make you forget about your |
| examination, and conduct special hearing tests, such as | | | | tinnitus in a beautiful way. |