What Is This Ringing in My Ears?

At Quality Hearing and Audiology Center, we speak with many individuals who report the presence of sounds in their ears.  The sounds range in frequency from occasional to constant and vary to include many different sounds including ringing, chirping and buzzing. Do you ever wonder what those sounds are?  The technical term is Tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

The perception of noises within the ears or head (e.g., ringing, buzzing, whooshing, roaring, crickets, etc.) in the absence of an external sound.

What Causes Tinnitus?

There are many causes of tinnitus including medications, hearing loss, cerumen (wax) impaction, and noise exposure.  Tinnitus is also associated with several medical conditions.

How Many People Have Tinnitus?

Approximately 30 million Americans experience tinnitus on a regular basis. However, approximately 1-2% of the population have tinnitus severe enough that may lead to the following: anxiety, depression, problems with family and friends, an inability to concentrate and lack of sleep.

Can Tinnitus be Treated?

There is no cure for tinnitus.  However, tinnitus symptoms can be managed and often reduced with appropriate treatment.  Once contributing medical conditions have been ruled out, Audiologists work with individuals with debilitating or bothersome tinnitus for management of their symptoms. There is no one-size-fits-all program for tinnitus management.  In general, most programs run by audiologists address some or all the following areas:

Initial Tinnitus Evaluation

The audiologist will take a case history in order to obtain specific information regarding the patient’s tinnitus as well as administer a hearing evaluation. Often, questionnaires are administrated to obtain additional information about how the tinnitus may be affecting the patient’s quality of life. Additional audiologic testing, such as measuring the loudness and/or pitch of a patient’s tinnitus, may be completed as well.

Medical Follow-up

A medical evaluation may be recommended when a patient reports differences in the volume of the tinnitus between ears as well as tinnitus in only one ear.  Pulsatile tinnitus or roaring tinnitus associated with dizziness also warrant a medical evaluation.

Hearing Aids or Tinnitus Masking Devices

Tinnitus is common in patients with hearing loss. For patients with hearing loss, the audiologist can help to determine whether a hearing aid will help to reduce tinnitus as well as improve hearing. Most hearing devices also include tinnitus maskers (steady-state sounds presented to the ears) which generate a noise to help provide relief from tinnitus.  Tinnitus maskers can be used for patients with and without hearing loss.

Counseling 

There are numerous techniques for tinnitus, including behavioral, medical, prosthetic or pharmacological treatments. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the only treatment that has been thoroughly researched.  CBT is based on the perception of tinnitus and determines the impact on the patient’s well-being and lifestyle. CBT does not eliminate tinnitus but restructures the patient’s reaction to it.

Want More Information?

American Academy of Audiology Consumer Site:  www.howsyourhearing.org American Tinnitus Association:  https://www.ata.org/ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/behavioral-therapies

References

Henry, J. L., & Wilson, P. H.  (2001).  The Psychological Management of Chronic Tinnitus: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Kochkin S, Tyler R, Born J. (2011) MarkeTrak VIII: The Prevalence of Tinnitus in the United States and the Self-Reported Efficacy of Various Treatments. Hearing Review18(12):10-26. American Academy of Audiology. “What is Tinnitus.” Fact Sheet.  American Academy of Audiology.  Reston, VA. n.d. Web.