Tinnitus
-
DEFINITION: perception of sound when no external stimulus is present
-
"ringing in the ears" - may also be described as water rushing, buzzing, pulsing
-
Pulsatile tinnitus is a rhythmic sound most often in time with the heartbeat. It can usually -– but not always -- be heard objectively through a stethoscope on the patient's neck or through a microphone placed inside the ear canal. It has some well-known causes: hypertension, a heart murmur, Eustachian tube disorder, a glomus tumor, an abnormality of a vein or artery, and others. This kind of tinnitus can be treated.
-
-
affects ~35 million people in the US
-
may be intermittent or constant
-
may be extremely debilitating (esp. in patients predisposed to depression)
-
may be of peripheral (cochlea) or central origin (i.e., we don't know - probably many different causes)
- things that make it worse:
- loud noises
- alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, high sugar foods
- medications: anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, sedatives, antidepressants, and aspirin (high doses)
- high blood pressure
-
stress/fatigue
- no one treatment works:
- amplification (hearing aids)/masking/tinnitus retraining therapy
- biofeedback (reduced stress)
- cochlear implant (masking; electrical stimulation suppresses random auditory nerve activity?)
- drug therapy (anti-anxiety, antidepressants, antihistamines, anaesthetics and, ironically, aspirin)
- TMJ/dental treatment