"So is it tinnitus or tin-nitus? Frankly speaking , it's like saying tomatoes or tomatoes, one is American English and the later is British English.
Here's a question that really matters: how would you describe hearing a sound of an unknown source in your ears over and over again?
People tend to describe different sounds like hissing, buzzing , crickets, white noise , ocean sounds, that can be constant or periodic.
Different type of sounds can represent different etiology. But lets talk about one of the more common type, the high pitch ringing in the ears. Most of my patient do not realize that hearing a high pitch ringing in both ears , especially only when it is quiet, might indicate that your hearing is diminished. Our brains, tries to do its best in compensating in "filling out the blanks" when there is a limited sensory input, in this case hearing, and the end result would be that high pitch sound.
What can cause tinnitus? Tinnitus can be triggered by a variety of causes, but is commonly linked to exposure to loud sounds, which can damage the delicate sensory cells of the inner ear. This condition has also been associated with ear infections, ageing, stress, excessive earwax, high blood pressure, and sensory nerve disorders. Activities such as smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeine, and taking excessive amounts of aspirin or antibiotics may exacerbate tinnitus. Amplified sound from hearing aids, environmental influences, music or sound from noise generators can help minimise the contrast between the buzzing or ringing of tinnitus and the surrounding sound environment.
Neuro plasticity, sound therapy with hearing devices can help rewire your brain not to notice the ringing anymore!
Interested to do a hearing test? Click the link in the bio for contact information
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