I don't see someone complaining of a phantom sound in one of their ears for a week or two. The noise is frightening and distracts you.
The sound of patients varies from buzzing, blowing, hissing, ringing, roaring, whooshing or a combination. The condition is called ringing in the ears. Tinnitus patients have one thing in common, the sound is not an outside one. The noise is within their head.
During my 20-year career as a neurotologist, I have seen over 2500 patients. It shouldn't be a surprise that up to 15% of the US population experiences some kind of ringing in the ears. It's more than 50 million people.
Roughly 20 million of those have some kind of ringing in the ears, and another 2 million are struggling with it. Middle-aged people seem to be the most affected by the condition, but I have seen younger patients as well.
The noise is caused by something. Tinnitus can be created in the ear. Some people think it happens in the brain. Nobody is sure. There is no cure right now.
Many patients have told me that a lot of doctors don't like the sound of ringing in the ears. They tell patients to live with it and bid them farewell. Patients are disappointed and angry.
Tinnitus can't be cured. Hearing specialists have a lot of ways to help patients. A lot can be done to make the experience less uncomfortable.
Many clinicians and researchers don't know much about this condition, but they do know that loud noise can cause ringing in the ears. Guns, power tools, heavy machinery and music from a rock concert are some of the culprits. A single loud noise exposure can cause acoustic trauma, which can lead to tinnitus.
Many people in the military have tinnitus because of exposure to loud gunfire. More than 2.5 million veterans get disability benefits for hearing loss.
Other factors that can cause or contribute to infections are nicotine, alcohol, aspirin, and other anti- inflammatory drugs. When people stop drinking or taking drugs, the noise in their ears is usually reduced.
Simple causes of tinnitus can be ruled out by having an ear exam. They should get a hearing test to check their hearing.
Many patients are already caught in a cycle of stress when they see a doctor.
That's why it's important for the doctor to assure them that the noise in their ears is not a sign of a bigger problem.
Most people can manage their tinnitus with this reassurance. The goal is to keep patients awake at night or distract them as they go about their day.
Many external sources will help drown out background noise. Some of the videos on the site have black screens that will run all night to help cancel out the uncomfortable sound.
For some people, air conditioners, fans, sound machines, television and radio can be used to mask the ringing in the ears.
There are devices in the ear that produce sound. The sound maskers emit a tone at the same pitch as the user's ringing in the ears. Insurance carriers and Medicare don't usually cover these devices.
Hearing aids can camouflage hearing loss by helping patients hear, but they can also bring in background noise.
There are some types of drugs that work.
Talk therapy is a method of cognitive behavioral therapy. Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, a history of concussion and other traumatic brain injury are some of the conditions that this helps. People can learn to live with stress instead of fighting it.
Tinnitus retraining therapy can work for some people. Cognitive behavioral therapy is combined with a noise-canceling device that plays pleasant music to help patients with their tinnitus.
The theory is that because the patient associates the noise with pleasant music, the stress is gone. 80% of patients derive some benefit from the therapy according to research.
There are a lot of supplements on the market that claim to cure or decrease tinnitus. This condition has never been shown to be cured by these supplements.
If you hear your pulse in one or both ears, it's time to seek medical attention. Tinnitus may be caused by an abnormality in one of the blood vessels near the ears. It is possible to reduce or even eliminate the pulsatile tinnitus.
Those who complain of a clicking or thumping type of ringing in the ears should have a more thorough evaluation along with those who are awakened by the noise.
Additional good news is here. Time can make a huge difference in the treatment of tinnitus. It may take several months, or even a few years, but at some point the condition resolves itself and the impact is greatly diminished.
The University of Virginia has a Professor of Otology and Neuroscience.
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