 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
Tinnitus, or noises in the ears
or head, is a common condition experienced by roughly 17% of the general population
and is a significant problem for approximately 5% of the population.
Tinnitus is most commonly perceived as a high pitched ringing sound, although
buzzing, hissing and "cricket sounds" are common as well.
There are two main sub-types of tinnitus; The first is subjective tinnitus,
which is a sound that only the patient can hear. The second is objective tinnitus,
which is a sound that might be caused by the patients heart beat, TMJ or other
medical conditions.
There are many different causes of tinnitus, it is commonly associated with hearing loss and exposure to loud noise. It can also be a side effect of some medications. Tinnitus can also be caused by something as simple as earwax resting against the eardrum or middle ear infection. Rarely it can be a symptom of an underlying condition such as sudden sensory-neural hearing loss or an acoustic nerve tumor that needs to be treated as soon as possible.
The first step in diagnosis is an examination by the Otolaryngologist, after this, a series of hearing tests is performed by the Audiologist to help determine the underlying cause of the tinnitus.
Once the underlying cause of
the tinnitus is determined, the appropriate treatment can be recommended.
Treatment will vary depending on the cause of the tinnitus. For some types
of tinnitus medical treatment is appropriate, for example, antibiotic therapy
for middle ear infection or removal of ear wax. For other cases, one of several
types of rehabilitation therapy may be recommended.