Ringing In the Ears

By Kathy Mellott, AuD

Do you ever hear ringing, buzzing, or chirping? This is a common side effect of listening to loud noise or of natural aging. Whether it is temporary or persistent, noises in the ears is called tinnitus. Some 30 million adults suffer from persistent tinnitus in the United States, but many of them don't know what causes it or what kind of treatment is out there. Audiologists are sharing some facts and breaking myths about tinnitus to prove that there is nothing to fear.

Causes of serious tinnitus vary. Loud noises, aging, head injury, and medications can cause tinnitus and increase in intensity. Tinnitus occurs as a series of buzzing or humming noises, which stem from real neural activity in the brain. People with tinnitus may hear the noise because of either muscle spasms or abnormal blood flow. These abnormalities may be signs of hearing loss, future hearing loss or other inner ear injuries.

But tinnitus is not in itself a life-threatening illness. It is a psychoacoustic phenomenon. Most people with tinnitus fear how it will affect the way they live or sleep. While there are no treatments to eradicate tinnitus, there are resources available to help people cope.

Most times, tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss. It does not have to be a severe hearing loss to have tinnitus. A complete hearing evaluation can determine the degree and source of the hearing loss. A hearing aid can usually relieve this type of tinnitus and many of the newer hearing aids come with a tinnitus masking program.

The best way to cope with tinnitus is to seek the expertise of an audiologist. They will give you the answers you need to live with your tinnitus, and if necessary provide you with hearing aid options.