Tinnitus refers to the perception of sound in the ear or head, without the presence of an external source. Tinnitus is usually a ringing sound, but can come in the form of a whooshing, roaring, whistling, humming, or chirping sound.

Tinnitus can affect one ear, both, or feel as if it is coming from the middle of the person’s head. It can be constant or intermittent, and of varying pitches.

Most people have been exposed to some form of tinnitus in their life, resulting from exposure to loud noises (e.g, attending a rock concert), or due to stress or certain medications. When tinnitus affects the individual for more than six months, it is referred to as chronic tinnitus. A hearing test is strongly recommended at this stage as tinnitus can be a symptom of permanent hearing loss.

Why

  • Normal hearing ears pick up sound waves that pass through the outer and middle ear and are picked up by hair cells in the inner ear.
  • The sound waves are then transformed into electrical signals and passed to the brain through the auditory nerve.
  • When the hair cells become damaged, the brain does not receive the signal it is expecting, which can result in “an illusion of sound”, or tinnitus.
  • This “illusion of sound” can be compared to the phantom limb syndrome in individuals with missing limbs.
  • When the brain does not receive the sound it is expecting, it compensates by producing abnormal nerve signals, which in turn causes the individual to experience tinnitus
  • The pitch of the tinnitus usually correlates with the pitch where the hearing loss is present. For example, patients with high-pitched hearing loss will usually experience high-pitched tinnitus.

Statistics

  • The U.S Centers for Disease Control reports 15% of Americans (over 50 milllion!) have experienced tinnitus.
  • According to a study released in March 2019 by Statistics Canada, 37% (9.2 million) Canadians had experienced tinnitus in the past year.
  • The study also showed 60% of Canadian adults (18 and over) had either hearing loss or tinnitus in the past year.
    *see references below

Treatment

Treatment options for tinnitus vary per individual, and depends on how severely the ringing is affecting quality of life and emotional health. While it is important to treat the associated issue, like insomnia, there are solutions to help manage the tinnitus directly as well.

  1. Hearing Aids

    If hearing loss exists with the tinnitus, hearing aids often offer a wonderful relief from the ringing sounds experienced by the patient. This is because other sounds the patient is missing are amplified instead, masking the tinnitus while the hearing aids are worn.

  2. Hearing Aids with Maskers

    Some hearing aids have masking programs available. This means in addition to the hearing aid amplifying sounds that are missing, they can also emit a sound (such as white noise or ocean sounds), into the patient’s ears at a barely audible volume. This soft level masking sound can distract the patient from the tinnitus and act as an effective form of relief while the sound is being played and the hearing aids are on.

  3. Reducing Caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol

    There is evidence to suggest that when used in excess, these substances can cause tinnitus. Reducing consumption can help with the perception of tinnitus.

  4. Turn Down the Volume

    Loud noises can contribute to tinnitus. Ensuring music is listened to at safe volume through headphones, or ear protection is worn at concerts or while using heavy machinery, can prevent the tinnitus or prevent it from worsening.

References

  1. American Tinnitus Association – Understanding Facts
  2. Statistics Canada- Tinnitus in Canada

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