Buzzing or Ringing in Ears- TINNITUS

What is TInnitus? Hearing any noise in the ears when there is no external sound is called TINNITUS. This is a symptom and NOT a disease. Most people experience it for a short time occasionally, especially after exposure to a loud noise. However in some people, it can be continuous and bothersome, so much that it can lead to depression and severely affect their quality of life. In some patients these sounds can be heard by the doctor or others close by, when it is called as Objective Tinnitus and it has to be investigated thoroughly.

What causes Tinnitus? To understand Tinnitus, it is important to know that sound energy travels to the inner ear where it gets converted into an electrical signal which then goes to the hearing areas in the brain. when the inner ear cells are damaged or bruised for any reason, the signals from these cells are perceived as sound otherwise called TINNITUS

What worsens or relieves Tinnitus? When one is stressed, the brain becomes very sensitive and notices every thing more acutely. So Tinnitus is worse when one is stressed. Conversely when relaxed, one can ignore/ tolerate things more easily and therefore relaxation exercises play a significant role in managing Tinnitus.

When must it be investigated? Tinnitus that is associated with any other symptom, eg vertigo, hearing loss etc, and especially if it is affecting only one side, then it needs to be investigated to rule out ant underlying cause. A hearing test, and an MRI scan are the initial tests before considering any other special tests.

How to treat it? Although there are some medications available, they may not be effective and one may have to trial various medications to see if any of them would be effective for them. Therefore, managing Tinnitus is mostly a multidisciplinary approach and relaxation techniques are the corner stone of treatment in the absence of any identifiable cause. Tinnitus maskers and or hearing aids are the next most effective form of treatment.