Constant Ringing – Tinnitus Types and Treatment Options
What Is Constant Ringing in Ears – Tinnitus Definition
It should be known that tinnitus known for its constant ringing in ears is not a sickness or disease. It is only a health problem that eventually may disappear or be cured. However, it can be pretty annoying. When one hears a ringing, swishing, buzzing or another type of noise that seems to come from inside the ear or the head, medical practitioners diagnose this as tinnitus. The word tinnitus comes from the Latin word tinnire which means “to ring”.
A study made employing 1630 patients at a tinnitus clinic revealed several interesting facts. For the males, tinnitus occurs between the age of 40 go 59. For the females, it was later, from the age of 50 to 69. For these patients, the ringing stopped and restarted several times and in most cases the annoying sounds only increased in volume. The rise and fall of the sounds also happen daily for most of the respondents.
Constant Ringing and Tinnitus Types
There are generally four kinds of tinnitus: subjective or objective and pulsative or non-pulsatile. When it is only the patient who can hear the sound, this is subjective tinnitus. It is mostly caused by exposing one’s self to loud or excessive noises. A number of medications and some diseases of the inner ear can also result to tinnitus. One is more likely to hear the sound when placed in a low-volume or quiet place.
Non-pulstile tinnitus can make a person irritable and moody, especially when one cannot focus on a job or activity because of the ringing he hears. Although not necessarily the case, this kind of tinnitus can result to hearing loss.
Objective tinnitus happens when a doctor, using a stethoscope placed over the head or base of the skull near the ear, can actually hear the sound that is coming from the patient’s ear(s). The sound may come from muscle spasms which results to clicks or crackling in the middle ear.
Pulsatile tinnitus, on the other hand, may cause a bit of an alarm. This kind of tinnitus is associated with physical problems like vascular abnormalities, congenital heart malformations, head trauma, surgery, etc.
Tinnitus Treatment
As with other kinds of common illnesses, tinnitus can be treated. It is best to remember, however, that the treatment does not get rid of tinnitus but helps lessen the symptoms. As to what treatment to give, this is dependent on the cause of the tinnitus and how much it affects the patient. Lessening the intake of caffeine and salt is one of the remedies. Drugs and nutrients such as melatonin, lidocaine, small doses of tricyclics and zinc to name a few are also helpful. Therapies for the mind and body are also an option. Masking techniques like using the fan, radio or sound generator, can make the ringing in one’s ear less noticeable. Hearing aids are used when the tinnitus is related to hearing loss.
People with tinnitus
About 50 million Americans experience varying degrees of tinnitus. It can happen mostly to middle-aged to senior individuals but is more common for men. Some of the personalities that have tinnitus include Adolf Hitler, Ronald Reagan, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gerard Butler, David Letterman, Huey Lewis, Steve Martin, Barba Streisand, Phil Collins Will.i.am and Vincent van Gogh.