Have you ever come across a ringing sound in your ear, and when you ask someone what the sound is, they tell you that there is no sound? But there is nothing to get panic or think otherwise. This condition is called tinnitus. An underlying ailment, such as hearing loss due to ageing, an ear injury or a circulatory system problem, is typically the cause.It affects 15% to 20% of the population in Australia with older folks being the most affected.
Treatments that diminish or hide the noise, making tinnitus less visible, can help many people with their tinnitus. But before that, you must learn its symptoms as well as the causes. We’ve listed down both to help you get the correct treatment.
Symptoms Of Tinnitus:
Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that occurs when there is no external sound present. Tinnitus, on the other hand, can generate a variety of phantom noises in your ears, including buzzing sound, roaring sound, clicking sound, hissing sound and humming sound.
Tinnitus noises can be heard in one or both ears and range from a low roar to a high screech. The sound might be so loud that in rare situations, your ability to focus or hear external sounds may be impaired. Tinnitus might be present all of the time or it can come and go.
Tinnitus can occasionally seem like a pulsing or whooshing sound that is synchronized with your heartbeat. Pulsatile tinnitus is the name for this type of tinnitus.Your doctor may be able to detect your pulsatile tinnitus during an examination.
Now that we know the symptoms, let us understand the causes as well.
Causes Of Tinnitus:
You might think so why do I have a ringing in my ears? Although we experience tinnitus in our ears, the source is actually in the networks of brain cells (called neural circuits by scientists) that process the sounds we hear. Tinnitus generally originates in the ear but continues in the brain, according to one theory.
Scientists are still baffled as to how the brain creates the sensation of sound when there is none. Tinnitus has been compared to chronic pain syndrome, in which discomfort lingers even after a wound or broken bone has healed.
Tinnitus may be induced by the brain's neural circuits boosting sound sensitivity to compensate for the loss of sensory hair cells.This could explain why certain tinnitus sufferers are hypersensitive to loud noise.
Let us see the obvious cause of sound in the ear:
- Hearing Loss:
When your inner ear (cochlea) receives sound waves, it contains small, fragile hair cells that move. This movement sends electrical messages from your ear to your brain via the cranial nerve (auditory nerve). These signals are translated into sound by your brain.
When the hairs inside your inner ear become bent or damaged, which can happen as you age or if you're regularly exposed to loud noises, you may experience hearing loss. Tinnitus is caused by the "leakage" of random electrical impulses into your brain.
- An Ear Infection Or Obstruction In The Ear Canal:
An accumulation of fluid (ear infection), earwax, debris or other foreign things might clog your ear canals. Tinnitus is caused by a shift in the pressure in your ear caused by a blockage.
- Injuries To The Head Or Neck:
Head or neck trauma can harm the inner ear, hearing nerves or hearing-related brain function. Tinnitus is frequently only present in one ear as a result of such accidents.
Conclusion:
Now that you know what is tinnitus and how can it emerge. There is no problem that should be taken for granted if your tinnitus in Melbourne or any part of the country goes out of hand you should visit the doctor as soon as possible.
