What is That Ringin, Buzzing, Hissing, Clicking Sound?

Do you hear a buzzing or ringing sound in your ears but there is nothing around you making that sound? Do you hear a chirping noise but there are no birds or insects around? Do you hear a clicking noise but no one else around you can hear it? You are not the only one. You may be one of the 2 in 3 people in Australia who notice tinnitus in one or both ears.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing, buzzing or other type of sound in the ear. This can occur in one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). There are two types of tinnitus known as subjective tinnitus, meaning only the person who has the tinnitus can hear the noise and objective tinnitus, where both the individual and other people such as an audiologist, can hear the sound. This sound can be different for every person ranging from high pitched ringing to a low pitched hum. The sound can vary in level from loud to very faint. Tinnitus can come and go or it can be continuously heard.

Why Do I Have Tinnitus?

Approximately 20% of the population is affected by tinnitus in some way. Tinnitus can be caused by lifestyle choices or can start suddenly due to a health condition.

Many people with hearing loss may also experience tinnitus. This is because there is a problem with the auditory (hearing) system which affects the function of the ears and how the brain perceives sound. Tinnitus can also occur however, when a person has normal hearing.

Tinnitus can cause feelings of isolation, depression, emotional distress and pure frustration due to the inability to ignore the sound. Many people express feelings of worry and helplessness as they worry about the permanence of tinnitus and the possibility of the sound worsening over time.

Research has discovered that tinnitus can occur with stress, noise exposure and a lack of sleep. Tinnitus can also occur with ear wax blockage, medication, blocked sinuses and other pathological causes that may be temporary.

This means, if you have suddenly started experiencing tinnitus in one or both of your ears, it is essential you have your hearing tested by an audiologist. This allows the audiologists to check if there is anything blocking your ears to cause tinnitus, such as ear wax. The audiologist will also assess to see if there is any underlying hearing loss occurring with the sound in your ears. These results may offer clues into the cause and potential treatment options available to you. Depending on these results, your audiologist may refer you to a medical practitioner to further investigate your auditory system.

How to Treat Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is unique to every person and therefore treatment and management of tinnitus is different for every individual. For some individuals with tinnitus, it may be as simple as counselling and adjusting lifestyle factors, whilst other individuals may require long term solutions to reduce the impact of their tinnitus.

There are a number of solutions that can help to reduce the impact of tinnitus, or alleviate tinnitus. This can be through strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist or the use of masking noise or amplification. The technological advancements in hearing aids can provide much needed reprieve for some people with tinnitus.

What do I do next?

For people with tinnitus, Hearing Innovations recommends a comprehensive hearing assessment with one of our qualified and trusted audiologists. Call 02 9327 6611 to book an appointment or click the link to request an appointment.

Link: https://www.hearinginnovations.com.au/request-appointment