What to do if you hear a ringing sound in your ear? Causes and treatment methods for tinnitus

<Causes of Tinnitus>

 

Tinnitus refers to the phenomenon of perceiving sounds in the ears or head even in the absence of external auditory stimuli. It is divided into auditory tinnitus, which originates from the auditory system itself, and non-auditory tinnitus, which arises from surrounding structures of the auditory system and is perceived through the auditory pathway.

 

Auditory Tinnitus

 

Tinnitus is mostly caused by auditory system damage. The causes of damage to the auditory system are as follows.

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• Age-related hearing loss: A phenomenon of aging-related degeneration of the auditory system, referring to gradually occurring hearing decline.
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• Noise-induced hearing loss: refers to hearing impairment caused by exposure to loud sounds.
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• • Others: Causes may include sensorineural hearing loss, chronic otitis media, and drug-induced hearing damage.
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Deafness-related tinnitus

 

Causes of pre-hearing tinnitus may include hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, vascular malformations, vascular tumors, anemia, thyroid disorders, diabetes, muscle spasms, blockage of the external auditory canal, and abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint or cervical spine.

 

Tinnitus symptoms

 

Most tinnitus patients experience high-frequency metallic sounds. They may hear simple sounds such as beeping, humming, mechanical noises, or wind sounds. In some cases, these sounds combine to form complex sounds.

 

Tinnitus can occur in one ear or both ears, and the loudness and frequency of the sound vary from person to person. This can lead to decreased concentration, insomnia, dizziness, and other symptoms.

 

Tinnitus Treatment

The treatment for tinnitus varies depending on the underlying condition.

 

Medication treatment

 

• • Treatment of underlying conditions: If there are conditions such as ear inflammation, sudden hearing loss, or Meniere's disease, appropriate medications for those conditions can be prescribed.
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• • Anxiolytics/Sedatives: Anxiolytics and sedatives may be used to alleviate tinnitus by improving blood circulation in the microvasculature of the ear and to address secondary symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia caused by tinnitus.
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Tinnitus retraining therapy

 

Tinnitus retraining therapy is known to be the most effective treatment method for tinnitus. This technique involves using tools such as sound generators or hearing aids tailored to the patient's tinnitus severity and hearing condition to habituate to the tinnitus and gradually make it unnoticeable.