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Tinnitus. Candace Whitten Sara Ross Emalyn Phillips. What is tinnitus?. Perception of sound in the head when no outside sound is present. Referred to as “ringing in the ears”. Can occur in one or both ears. Can be perceived to be occurring inside or outside the ear.
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Tinnitus Candace Whitten Sara Ross Emalyn Phillips
What is tinnitus? • Perception of sound in the head when no outside sound is present. • Referred to as “ringing in the ears”. • Can occur in one or both ears. • Can be perceived to be occurring inside or outside the ear. • Can cause hearing loss.
Is this a common problem? • YES! • Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced brief periods of mild ring or other sound in the ear. • 1/3 of all adults report experiencing tinnitus sometime in their lives.
Is tinnitus a disease? • NO! • Tinnitus is a symptom common to many problems, both physiological and psychological.
What are the causes? • Causes remain a mystery. • Possible causes • Blows to the head • Noise exposure • Hypertension • Stress • Tumors • Impacted ear wax
What produces the sound? • The exact process is not known. • Tinnitus IS NOT imaginary.
Why is it worse at night? • Distractions during the day make tinnitus less obvious. • At night, when surroundings are quiet, tinnitus is more obvious. • Fatigue can also make tinnitus worse.
What should be done? • Try to diagnose the underlying cause. • Hearing should be evaluated by an audiologist to determine if there is hearing loss. • Have a medical examination with special attention towards: • Blood pressure • Kidney function • Drug intake • Diet and allergies
What are some treatments? • Eliminate the underlying cause. • Unfortunately, the cause often cannot be identified so, in some cases, the tinnitus itself made need to be treated. • Types of treatment: • Drug therapy • Vitamin therapy • Biofeedback • Hypnosis • Tinnitus maskers
What is a tinnitus masker? • Looks like a hearing aid. • Produces sound that “masks” or covers up tinnitus. • Useful for some, but not for all people.
Will a hearing aid help tinnitus? • If there is hearing loss, there is a good chance that a hearing aid will both relieve tinnitus and help hearing.
Overview • Tinnitus is a common problem, many people experience this sometime in their life. • It is not a disease, it’s a symptom. • It should be treated and not ignored.