What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a subjective sound in the ears where no external sound is present. Only the person who has tinnitus can hear the noises that range from ringing sounds, hissing to more complex sounds.
What Causes Tinnitus?
The exact physiological causes of tinnitus are not known. However, there are several likely sources known to trigger or worsen tinnitus:
- Noise-induced hearing loss: Many tinnitus patients have some level of noise-induced hearing loss.
- Other sources include: Excess wax in the ear canal, ototoxic medications, ear or sinus infections, acoustic nerve tumour, cardiovascular diseases.
What Cures Tinnitus?
- If caused by one of the mentioned sources, tinnitus might be reduced when the condition is treated appropriately.
- For hard of hearing people, a hearing aid often helps in improving hearing and "masking" the tinnitus noise.
- People with chronic tinnitus may be helped by special programmes, called tinnitus retraining therapy, which include counselling and masking which help sufferers to actively concentrate on things other than the tinnitus sound.
