What type of sound is Tinnitus
People suffering from tinnitus have various sounds appearing in their ears, although often described as in the head and hard to locate. These sounds may appear as whooshing, ringing, buzzing, grinding, sizzling, hissing, static sounding or deep throbbing. Levels often vary, with some suffering all the time while others have the sound come and go or vary in levels. Tiredness and stress can also make the sound more intense.
Often linked to hearing loss and sometimes at specific frequencies, it is not simple to diagnose what the root cause is.
Symptoms of Tinnitus
Those suffering other symptoms alongside the ringing in the ears such as loss of balance, jaw pain, pain deep in the ear or sickness may be suffering from a recognisable disease such as Ménière's disease, which is a rare inner ear condition that can not be cured but treatment can help symptoms. Another condition may be thyroid disorder or multiple sclerosis.
Go to A&E if you have tinnitus following a head injury or you have tinnitus alongside sudden hearing loss, weakness in the muscles of your face, or a spinning sensation (vertigo).
The NHS recommends that you visit your GP if you have tinnitus regularly or constantly, if you tinnitus gets worse over time. If you are feeling anxious or depressed, losing concentration or having difficulty sleeping book yourself in with your GP. NHS tells us that if your tinnitus beats in time with your pulse this would suggest an URGENT appointment is needed to evaluate your health and condition.
In some cases tinnitus can be caused by something treatable such as an ear infection or build up of wax in the ears, which of course may be treated, always seek professional advice from a GP or ENT specialist.
Source of Information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/
There are two types of tinnitus known, one being subjective, where you can only hear the sound. In 1 in 100 cases, objective tinnitus is something that a doctor may also hear by holding a stethoscope placed near your ear and may indicate a physical problem such as pulsatile tinnitus, problems with veins or circulation, problems with jaw joint and surrounding muscles.
Source of Information: https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/ears-nose-throat/tinnitus
Causes of Tinnitus
In some cases tinnitus can be caused by something such as an ear infection or build up of wax in the ears, which of course can be treated, always seek professional advice from a GP or ENT specialist.
If not identified as a specific disease or recognised problem, tinnitus is often spontaneous activity within the hearing system which is reacted to by the brain.
Triggers for tinnitus include exposure over long periods to loud music, reaction to medicine, head or neck injuries, psychological problems such as anxiety or depression, diabetes or thyroid problems.
What can help with Tinnitus
Exercise, slow, deep breathing, a decent sleep routine, avoiding loud noisy environments can help reduce tinnitus in some cases.
There are a variety of treatments available that may include sound therapy, medicine (if your problem is depression/stress related). Also, psychological treatment to help cope with the condition, CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Sometimes just hooking up with other people who suffer from tinnitus can give you hope and also discussing your issues with others and sharing methods of treatment can be rewarding. Often living with and accepting the condition is the hardest hurdle to overcome.
Sound Therapy - Audio Masking
Some have found audio masking (an option within sound therapy) helps cancel out the sound of tinnitus and for this purpose, although not a treatment which will end the tinnitus, sound files at specific frequencies can give relief and help to train your brain to be less aware of your ringing or hissing, humming sound. AudioMan created our sound therapy tinnitus audio masking library for this purpose.
Playing loud sound may well make tinnitus worse and also affect your hearing, so it is recommended that if you try sound therapy such as audio masking you should always proceed with caution, with the audio at low volume. You will find there is a ‘mix-point’ (a particular volume) where the correct frequency and type of sound may help to cancel the noise you are suffering. Consult your GP prior to using sound therapy, audio masking.