Tinnitus

About Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source, affecting an estimated 10 to 15 percent of people. It is commonly described as ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or clicking in one or both ears. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, and has many causes. The most common cause is noise induced hearing damage. Other causes include age related hearing loss presbycusis, ear wax impaction, ear infections, Meniere disease, otosclerosis, TMJ disorders, head injury, certain medications ototoxic drugs including high dose aspirin, aminoglycoside antibiotics, certain chemotherapy agents, and rarely tumors acoustic neuroma. Tinnitus is classified as subjective perceived only by the patient, over 95 percent of cases or objective audible to an examiner, caused by vascular or muscular abnormalities. Diagnosis requires audiometry, otoscopic examination, and in some cases imaging MRI for unilateral tinnitus. Treatment addresses underlying causes when possible. Wax removal, medication adjustment, or treating vascular issues may resolve tinnitus. For chronic tinnitus, management strategies include sound therapy white noise, masking devices, hearing aids for hearing loss, tinnitus retraining therapy TRT, and cognitive behavioral therapy CBT, which helps patients habituate to the perception. No medications have been proven effective for tinnitus itself. Tinnitus in one ear, pulsing tinnitus, or tinnitus with sudden hearing loss or neurological symptoms needs prompt medical assessment.