What You Need to Know About Tinnitus

Do you hear sounds that no one else does?

If you suffer from a constant ringing in the ears or a whooshing, whistling, or buzzing then it’s likely you are suffering from tinnitus.

The intriguing thing about tinnitus is that it’s a ‘phantom’ sound, or the ears equivalent of the eyes seeing a ghost. Sound is not generated by vibrations in the air (in other words ‘sound waves’), but is within the head or brain.

What does tinnitus sound like?

Tinnitus affects different people in various ways. For some the noise can be so convincing that they go searching for the cause of the constant whining. For others, it seems located deep inside the head, or affects just one ear, or both.

Some people hear whistles or buzzing, whilst for some their tinnitus has an almost musical note. The common factor is an intrusive constant background noise that is not generated by actual sound.

How common is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is common, with approximately 30 percent of the population affected by this condition at some stage in their life. For some the problem goes away, but for around 10 percent of sufferers the background buzz of tinnitus is constant.

What causes tinnitus?

Anyone can suffer from tinnitus, although those who also have hearing loss seem to be over represented. Those with an ear infection, poor health, or experiencing stress are also more likely to experience tinnitus, which often resolves over time.

Indeed, the underlying mechanism behind those phantom noises isn’t necessarily connected to the ear, but more so the brain and how it processes information sent to it by the ear. Think of it this way. When you switch on a radio that’s not tuned to a specific station, you hear a lot of static noise and interference. As you turn the dial and tune in, the music pops into auditory focus. The radio has processed the signal sent over the air and filtered out the bits it doesn’t want and sharpened up the parts it does.

For those with tinnitus it’s most likely that the brain has forgotten how to tell the difference between noise pollution, music, and spoken words. It sets the wrong priorities so that a common sound, such as the blood swooshing through your ears, is not flagged up as unhelpful and ignored

How is tinnitus treated?

Get checked by a hearing care provider who can treat underlying problems such as an ear infection. Many people either recover or become accustomed to the ringing in their ears such that it stops bothering them. This is similar to what happens when you enter an air-conditioned room and become so used to the sound of the fan that you stop noticing the whir.

If the tinnitus is intrusive and interfering with sleep, speak to your hearing specialist. They can suggest strategies and teach you techniques to make the noise more tolerable.