Tinnitus - Sounds in your ears

Tinnitus is a condition when a person hears sounds such as clicking, ringing, buzzing, hissing or beeping in one or both ears continuously or with interruptions. Nearly 7% of the population suffer from this condition of which most of them are unaware of it. In other cases, it causes distress and disturbance in one's life due to the unusual nature of the condition. Common causes include exposure to loud noises, old age hearing deterioration, ear wax, damage to the eardrum, damage to the nerves in the inner ear, ear infection, diabetes, head injury, heart problem, hormonal imbalance and so on. 

Tinnitus is of two types - Subjective and Objective. Subjective Tinnitus is when the sounds are audible only to the person. It is a common type of Tinnitus widely seen in many. Objective Tinnitus is when the sounds are audible to others while listening through a stethoscope for example. An ENT specialist would be able to examine if a person is affected by going through a series of checks such as hearing loss check, ear wax check and thoroughly examining the past medical history. 

Treatment for Tinnitus is easier when the cause of the condition is identified. When the cause is taken care of, Tinnitus subsides gradually. Specialists usually recommend hearing aids if the condition is caused by hearing loss. This will maximise the surrounding sounds and minimise the Tinnitus sounds. Other advanced solutions are also available to minimise the sounds due to Tinnitus. The ENT specialist will also be able to advise on the prevention measures during the early onset of the conditions.