The 4 Different Types of Tinnitus

Hearing Things? No, You’re Not Crazy.

People experience tinnitus in a variety of ways: in some, a simple head shake will make the annoyance vanish; others, however, describe the condition as debilitating. Though research is ongoing, currently there is no cure. But relief can comes from a variety of treatments.

Common, Constant, Treatable, and Manageable

Tinnitus sounds different to everyone, so it makes sense that there are four different types: subjective, objective, neurological, and somatic.

Tinnitus is a fairly common medical malady that presents in a variety of ways. Simply defined, it is a phantom ringing, whooshing, or buzzing noise in your ear that only you can hear.

The Four Different Types of Tinnitus:

1. Subjective tinnitus: The most common form of tinnitus. Subjective symptoms can only be heard by the affected individual are usually caused by exposure to excessive noise. This type of tinnitus can appear and disappear suddenly, and may last 3–12 months at a time. In some severe cases, it may never stop.
2. Neurological tinnitus: Usually caused by a disorder, such as Meniere’s disease, that primarily affects the brain’s auditory functions.
3. Somatic tinnitus: Related to the sensory system. This form is caused, worsened, or otherwise related to the sensory system.
4. Objective tinnitus: A rare form of tinnitus that may be caused by involuntary muscle contractions or vascular deformities. When the cause is treated, the tinnitus usually stops entirely. This is the only form of tinnitus that can be heard by an outside observer, and the only type that has the potential for a permanent fix.

Some Subtypes of Tinnitus:

• Musical tinnitus: Also called musical hallucinations or auditory imagery, this type is less common. Simple tones or layers of tones come together to recreate a melody or composition. Musical tinnitus tends to occur in people who have had hearing loss and tinnitus for some time, though people with normal hearing or increased sensitivity to sound can also have musical hallucinations.
• Pulsatile tinnitus: A rhythmic tinnitus that aligns with the beat of the heart. It usually indicates a change of blood flow to the vessels near the ear or an increase in awareness of the blood flow to the ear.
• Low-frequency tinnitus: Perhaps the most confusing type of tinnitus because sufferers aren’t sure whether the sound is being produced internally or externally. Often, the tones correspond to the two lowest octaves on a piano and are described as a humming, murmuring, rumbling, or deep droning. This type of noise seems to affect people most strongly.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Typically the cause of tinnitus is uncertain. If there is no damage to the auditory system, your provider will look into these possible causes:

• Jaw joint dysfunction (TMJ)
• Chronic neck muscle strain
• Excessive noise exposure
• Certain medications
• Wax buildup
• Cardiovascular disease
• A (generally benign) tumor that creates a strain on the arteries in the neck and head

Tinnitus can be managed through strategies that make it less bothersome. No single approach works for everyone, and there is no FDA-approved drug treatment, supplement, or herb proven to be any more effective than a placebo. Behavioral strategies and sound-generating devices often offer the best treatment results — this is partially why distracting the individual’s attention from these sounds can prevent a chronic manifestation.

Some of the most effective methods of tinnitus management are:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Tinnitus retraining therapy
• Masking
• Biofeedback

There are countless treatment options, but they vary in effectiveness depending upon the type of tinnitus. More than 50 percent of those who experience tinnitus have an inner-ear hearing impairment, meaning that a connection between tinnitus and hearing loss is likely. Though wearing hearing aids helps ease tinnitus (they amplify the sounds outside, making the “inside” sounds less frequent), they are not the only method: careful diagnosis by a professional with years of experience creating solutions for tinnitus sufferers is essential.

Learn more about tinnitus.

What’s That Weird Noise in Your Head

Do you hear that ringing in your ears and wonder where it comes from? You’re not alone. It is estimated by the Hearing Health Foundation that 20 percent of Americans hear that same ringing sound, or ones similar to it, each day. Only around 16 percent of those with tinnitus will discuss the problem with a physician even though it disrupts their lives. Of that 20 percent, 90 percent of them also live with hearing loss even if they realize it. It is a growing concern throughout the country, but what does all the noise mean?

About Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the medical name for the phantom sound in your ears. There is no one source for this noise – it’s actually a symptom of another problem, one usually associated with loss of hearing. Tinnitus is more of a sensation than an actual sound, too. This is why no one else hears the noise that’s keeping you awake at night. There are no sound waves causes this phenomenon, instead, it relates directly to tiny hairs inside the inner ear that produce an electrical signal telling the brain there is a sound. These cells are misfiring, sending random electrical impulses not based on any true noise.

There is More to Tinnitus Than Just Ringing

Tinnitus is usually described as a high-pitched ringing, but not everyone hears the same thing. Some report:

• Buzzing
• Roaring
• Clicking
• Hissing

Others say it sounds like you are pressing your ear up against a seashell to hear the waves. The diversity of sounds is one thing that makes this condition confusing, especially for some who fails to get medical treatment or a hearing test.

What is Behind Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is basically a mechanical breakdown of a critical element in the inners ear. For most people with it, the answer is presbycusis, an age-related cause of hearing loss.It’s a problem that gets worse after age 60. Other possible causes of tinnitus include:

• Exposure to loud noises – This could be a one-time bang or daily hearing abuse from machines, headphones or loud music
• Earwax – Build up of earwax causes temporary hearing loss that triggers the ringing
• Changes in the ear bones – This is a hereditary condition caused by abnormal bone growth in the ear

There are other possible, but less common, triggers for tinnitus, too, such as Ménière’s disease, a condition that leads to abnormal fluid pressure in the inner ear. TMJ disorders may also be at the heart of that phantom sound. For some, the noise is a consequence of a head injury that damaged the nerves in the ear. It might also be a sign of high blood pressure, a rare tumor in the ear or a side effect of a medication.

What Can You Do About Tinnitus?

The first step is to get a hearing test and ear examination to find the root cause of the problem. Once you treat the underlying condition, like getting hearing aids, the tinnitus may become less prevalent or disappear completely. Tinnitus is usually a sign of hearing loss that may be affecting your life in other ways, too, like isolating you during conversations or leaving you feeling like you are missing things. Once you identify your hearing loss, then getting hearing aids increases real sounds so the phantom ones are less of an issue. There are other things you can do at home, too, to help deal with what can be an annoying and distracting problem. White noise machines produce environmental sounds that sooth your mind, especially if tinnitus is keeping you awake. You can fall asleep listening to the rain, for example, instead of that buzzing in your head. You can create your own background noise, too, to deflect some of the tinnitus chaos. A fan blowing in the room might help or a humidifier – anything that produces a soft, but persistent sound to keep the hair cells in the ear busy so they don’t misfire. It’s important to remember, though, that the ringing is trying to tell you something. Most likely the message is about hearing loss, so it’s worth a trip to the doctor to get a hearing test and find out more about your ear health.

Ear Sounds – Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

The ear canal is lined with tiny hairs (cilia) that sense movement and vibration conveyed to the brain as sound. When stimulated, regardless of cause, these cilia communicate sound signals. Ear sounds may occur when these cells in your ear that respond to sound waves malfunction and transmit electrical impulses that your brain misinterprets as sound.

Ear sounds can be idiopathic, which means that they have no known cause. Alternatively, they may result from various causes, including underlying ear infections, earwax accumulation, medications, foreign objects in the ear, allergies, high blood pressure, anemia, or Meniere’s disease (swelling in part of the inner ear canal, causing dizziness and hearing loss).

Common causes of ear sounds

Ear sounds may result from a number of causes including:

• Acoustic neuroma (benign tumor of the vestibulocochlear nerve)

• Blood vessel disorders (vascular malformations)

• Ear infections

• Ear wax buildup

• Eustachian tube obstruction

• Exposure to loud noises

• Hearing aids

• Meniere’s disease (swelling in part of the inner ear canal, causing dizziness and hearing loss)

• Otosclerosis (hardening of the bones in the ear)

• Stress

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain

• Thyroid disease

• Trauma

Medications that can cause ear sounds

Certain drugs may lead to ear sounds as a side effect including:

• Antibiotics
• Antidepressants
• Antimalaria drugs
• Aspirin (high doses)
• Cancer medications

Serious or life-threatening causes of ear sounds

In rare cases, ear sounds may be caused by serious or potentially life-threatening conditions including:

Questions for diagnosing the cause of ear sounds

To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to the ear sounds including:

• When did the sounds start? How long have you had them?

• Do you hear the sounds in one or both ears?

• Have you recently flown in an airplane, gone scuba diving, or done anything else that exposed you to sudden pressure changes?

• Have you been exposed to loud noises, such as music, fireworks, or construction work?

• Do you have any other symptoms?

• What medications are you taking?

What are the potential complications of ear sounds?

Left untreated, ear sounds can interfere with and potentially diminish your quality of life. The noise can disrupt sleep and work and cause you undue stress, anxiety and depression. In addition, ear sounds may be a symptom of a serious condition, such as head injury or brain tumor, which may lead to serious, even life-threatening complications. Once the underlying cause of the sounds is diagnosed, it is important to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care provider design specifically for you. Complications of untreated ear sounds or their underlying causes, such as head trauma or blood vessel diseases, include:

• Brain damage
• Difficulty performing daily tasks
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood changes, such as anxiety, depression and stress
• Spread of cancer
• Spread of infection

NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders)

There are numerous, varied causes of non-rhythmic tinnitus, the most common of which are hearing loss and/or noise exposure. Rhythmic tinnitus is usually caused by disorders affecting the blood vessels (vascular system) or muscles (muscular system).

Pulsatile tinnitus is generally caused by abnormalities or disorders affecting the blood vessels (vascular disorders), especially the blood vessels near or around the ears. Such abnormalities or disorders can cause a change in the blood flow through the affected blood vessels. The blood vessels could be weakened from damage caused by hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). For example, abnormalities affecting the carotid artery, the main artery serving the brain, can be associated with pulsatile tinnitus. A rare cause of pulsatile tinnitus is a disorder known as fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a condition characterized by abnormal development of the arterial wall. When the carotid artery is affected by FMD, pulsatile tinnitus can develop.

It is possible that the most common cause of pulsatile tinnitus is sigmoid sinus diverticulum and dehiscence, which can be collectively referred to as sinus wall abnormalities or SSWA. The sigmoid sinus is a blood carrying channel on the side of the brain that receives blood from veins within the brain. The blood eventually exits through the internal jugular vein. Sigmoid sinus diverticulum refers to the formation of small sac-like pouches (diverticula) that protrude through the wall of the sigmoid sinus into the mastoid bone behind the ear. Dehiscence refers to absence of part of the bone that surrounds the sigmoid sinus in the mastoid. It is unknown whether these conditions represent different parts of one disease process or spectrum, or whether they are two distinct conditions. These abnormalities cause pressure, blood flow, and noise changes within the sigmoid sinus, which ultimately results in pulsatile tinnitus. Narrowing of the blood vessel that leads into the sigmoid sinus, known as the transverse sinus, has also been associated with pulsatile tinnitus.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome is another not uncommon cause of pulsatile tinnitus. The superior semicircular canal is one of three canals found in the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear. The vestibular apparatus helps to maintain equilibrium and balance. In this syndrome, a part of the temporal bone that overlies the superior semicircular canal is abnormally thin or absent. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome can affect both hearing and balance to different degrees.

Additional conditions that can cause pulsatile tinnitus include arterial bruit, abnormal passages or connections between the blood vessels of the outermost layer of the membrane (dura) that covers the brain and spinal cord (dural arteriovenous shunts), or conditions that cause increased pressure within the skull such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri). Sigmoid sinus dehiscence may be associated with pseudotumor, but this connection has not been firmly established. It possible that cases of pulsatile tinnitus associated with pseudotumor may be caused by an undiagnosed SSWA. Head trauma, surgery, middle ear conductive hearing loss, and certain tumors can also cause pulsatile tinnitus. Obstructions within in the vessels that connect the heart and brain can also cause pulsatile tinnitus.

Muscular tinnitus can be caused by several degenerative diseases that affect the head and neck including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or multiple sclerosis. Myoclonus can also cause muscular tinnitus, especially palatal myoclonus, which is characterized by abnormal contractions of the muscles of the roof of the mouth. Spasms of the stapedial muscle (which attaches to the stapes bone or stirrup), which is the smallest muscle in the body, and tensor tympani muscle, both of which are located in the middle ear, have also been associated with objective tinnitus. Myoclonus or muscle spasms may be caused by an underlying disorder such as a tumor, tissue death caused by lack of oxygen (infarction), or degenerative disease, but it is most commonly a benign and self-limiting problem.

Patulous Eustachian tubes can be associated with tinnitus. The Eustachian tube is a small canal that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and upper throat. The Eustachian tube normally remains closed. In individuals with a patulous Eustachian tube, the tube is abnormally open. Consequently, talking, chewing, swallowing and other similar actions can cause vibrations directly onto the ear drum. For example, affected individuals may hear blowing sounds that are synchronized with breathing.

Hearing problems – hyperacusis – Better Health Channel

Hyperacusis is a type of reduced tolerance for sound. People with hyperacusis often find ordinary noises too loud, and loud noises uncomfortable or painful. The most common cause of hyperacusis is damage to the inner ear from ageing or exposure to loud noise. 

Hyperacusis is often associated with tinnitus (buzzing, ringing or whistling noises in the ears) and distortion of sounds. Usually both ears are affected, although it is possible to have it in only one ear. Other types of reduced tolerance to sound include ‘loudness recruitment’ and ‘phonophobia’. 

Symptoms of hyperacusis

The onset of hyperacusis can be gradual or sudden. Symptoms include:

• very quiet sounds are comfortable, but ordinary sounds (like voices at conversational volume) are too loud or distorted
• your own voice seems too loud or distorted
• low intensity sounds, such as the noise of a refrigerator, seem too loud
• sudden, loud noise can cause discomfort and pain
• loud noises can:
  • worsen your sensitivity to sound for some time
  • worsen tinnitus and distortion
  • cause a ‘popping’ sensation inside the ear.

Causes of hyperacusis 

Some known causes of hyperacusis include:

• changes in hearing due to ageing
• one-off exposure to loud noise, such as an explosion
• a slap on the ear
• chronic exposure to noise, such as working in a noisy environment
• certain medications
• head injury
• surgery to the ear
• paralysis of the facial nerve – which can cause the mechanism in the middle ear that protects you from loud noise not to function
• medical procedures – clearing a blocked ear canal may cause temporary increased sensitivity to sound.

If you have intolerance to sound in one ear only, this should be investigated for an acoustic neuroma (a tumour) on the balance (vestibular) nerve. A tumour is more easily removed if it is detected early. However, even if a tumour is found, not all cases require removal.

Diagnosis of hyperacusis

There are no tests for diagnosing decreased sound tolerance. Diagnosis depends mainly on your description of your discomfort. Audiological tests are used to assess the health of your ear. 

Impact of hyperacusis

If your hyperacusis is severe, you may find that you are uncomfortable leaving your home, and that your reduced tolerance for sound is affecting your career and social life. 
Some people find that everyday activities, such as driving a car, using a lawn mower, vacuum cleaner or power tool, watching the television or listening to music are problematic. Shopping centres, restaurants and movie theatres may be too loud.

The good news is, in most cases, hyperacusis can be managed

Treatment for hyperacusis

There is usually no cure once noise sensitivity has started, because the common causes are noise damage and ageing damage to the inner ear. Avoiding exposure to noise will help.

Other disorders of the inner ear, which may be mistaken for hyperacusis, are treatable, so prompt assessment of the ears is important.

Generally, sound sensitivity is managed in a number of ways, including:

• wearing hearing protection in noisy environments, such as when working with power tools or being around loud music. This is because tinnitus and sensitivity may be exacerbated by excessive sounds. It is not necessary to wear hearing protection for everyday activities
• reintroducing everyday sounds as soon as possible – this is known as desensitisation
• asking people to avoid raising their voice when they speak to you. Let them know it irritates your ears and distorts the message
• talking to someone about your symptoms if anxiety or other reactions persist. A counsellor or psychologist may be able to talk with you and help you to identify factors that may be influencing your reactions to loud sounds, and help you develop coping strategies. Knowing and remembering that hyperacusis is not caused by a threatening disorder can help your tolerance significantly
• tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) – this involves wearing special hearing aids called ‘noise generators’, which can, over time, reduce your sensitivity to noise. The ears become accustomed to the barely audible ‘white noise’ and eventually ignore it
• medication to help you sleep – this may be needed in the short term. 

Where to get help

Do you hear that? Noises In My Ear That No One Else Hears

Have you ever heard a sound that no one else hears? You are not alone. There are many sounds that can be heard in the ears or head. Some are benign. Others may be need to be evaluated. All can be concerning if you have never experienced a sound no one else hears.

One category of sounds in the ear is tinnitus. Tinnitus is very common. It affects almost one in five people. It becomes more prevalent the older you are. It is associated with both hearing loss and acoustic trauma. It may sound like buzzing, humming, whistling, birds, insects, etc. Although it is often perceived in the ear, current science suggests it is generated in the central nervous system.

In healthy ears, hearing cells within the inner are connected to nerves that transmit sound from the ear to the brain. Although hearing cells are destroyed with hearing loss, the nerves deeper in the brain are not always lost. These nerves no longer receive stimulation, and begin to create signals on their own. Because these signals are not generated from the outside world, we perceive sound that no one else does.

Tinnitus, therefore, is a sign that hearing loss has occurred. It often occurs after a loud concert, sports event, or work experience. Tinnitus that occurs in only one ear or occurs with episodes of dizziness is more concerning than tinnitus that occurs in both ears over many years.

Some tinnitus sounds like whooshing and occurs with your heart beat. This is called pulsatile tinnitus. Normally our ear is protected from hearing internal blood flow. Medical conditions may decrease the shielding of our ear from internal sounds. Hearing your pulse only on your pillow, however, is not abnormal.

Wax or fluid in the ear may increase the resonance of blood flow making it audible. Weight loss may leave the Eustachian tube stuck open causing audible breathing sounds and heart sounds. Hernia of the brain into the ear also causes awareness of one’s heartbeat.

Other conditions increase the blood flow above normal levels. Head trauma may result in aneurysm or fistula of blood vessels near the ear. Vascular tumors may increase blood flow around the ear. Anemia and dehydration increase the force of the heartbeat resulting in pulsatile tinnitus. Some medications may increase brain pressure and cause pulsatile tinnitus.

A rare cause of thumping sound in the ear is muscle twitching. Muscles attached to the hearing bones or the Eustachian tube will make a thump when they contract. Just like a muscle twitch can occur in the eye lid, a muscle twitch of these muscles can occur and will cause a rapid thumping sound.

Crackling or popping is normal to occur with chewing, swallowing, or yawning. Excessive crackling or popping may be due to a Eustachian tube that is stuck closed.

Noisy ears associated with hearing loss or dizziness should be evaluated.  Pulsations that are persistent should also be evaluated.  At the Dallas Ear Institute, there are professionals to help you know more about the sounds your ear is making. Call (972) 566-7600 to schedule an appointment.

What Is Head Noise? | Tinnitus Causes and Treatments

What Is Tinnitus and How Can I Get Rid of It?

Tinnitus, also called head noise, is a ringing, buzzing, whooshing, or clicking noise that only the sufferer can hear. Potential causes can vary widely, and commonly include hearing loss, high blood pressure, and chronic medical conditions. As many as 50 million Americans are suffering from some degree of tinnitus, many of whom will have difficulty concentrating or sleeping as a result of the condition.

Are There Different Kinds of Tinnitus?

In addition to the many different noises a tinnitus sufferer may perceive, there are also different types of tinnitus to help classify the condition. The three different categories of tinnitus include:

• Subjective. Over 95 percent of cases of tinnitus are subjective, meaning the noise can only be heard by the patient. People with subjective tinnitus do not actually “hear” these noises, but the brain believes it is hearing a noise because there is a problem with the way it processes sound.
• Objective. In extremely rare cases, others may be able to hear another person’s head noise. This is called objective tinnitus, and is typically due to sounds from processes that occur within the body (such as blood flow circulating through a patient’s ears).
• Pulsatile. Patients with pulsatile tinnitus hear sounds that are in rhythm with their pulse. These tinnitus sufferers are essentially listening to their own heartbeats, a condition that is often due to restricted blood flow in the body. Pregnancy, elevated blood pressure, neuropathy, and other circulatory problems can all result in pulsatile tinnitus.

Is There a Cure?

Although there is currently no cure for tinnitus, there are many effective treatments that can reduce distraction and stress experienced by patients. Hearing aids amplify environmental sounds, allowing patients to hear actual noises and ignore the perceived sounds of tinnitus. Sound maskers and white noise machines can also be used to “drown out” head noise, helping patients maintain concentration at work or sleep soundly.

While your tinnitus may seem like a small annoyance, untreated tinnitus can lead to dementia and loss of independence in older adults. Let our hearing care providers evaluate your condition and get you on the road to recovery today! Use our quick contact form to make an appointment at our office nearest you.

90,000 Tinnitus and dizziness as signs of damage to the inner ear

Bothersome tinnitus, both low and high frequency, and persistent dizziness are not signs that can be easily dismissed. Sometimes they can signal very serious changes in the body.

Reasons

Progressive tinnitus causes a number of diseases, the main ones being: Meniere’s disease, sensorineural hearing loss, cochleovestibulopathy. Also, tinnitus can occur due to injuries, and due to sudden changes in atmospheric pressure, with low blood pressure, sulfur congestion, tension of the temporal muscles under stress, problems with dentures.

Sensorineural hearing loss

This disease is caused by pathological damage to the sensitive nerve cells of the cochlea, the auditory nerve or the associative fields of the cerebral cortex. The main symptoms are hearing loss, which progresses over time, dizziness, high frequency tinnitus, unsteadiness of gait, nausea and vomiting. Sensorineural hearing loss can be acute or chronic. In the first case, the disease develops with increasing intensity, more often one-sided hearing loss against the background of a headache.In this condition, emergency care, hospitalization is needed, sometimes surgical intervention is necessary. After that, the patient should be on outpatient treatment, as well as patients with a chronic form of the disease in whom hearing loss goes gradually in both ears and progresses slowly.

Meniere’s disease

This is the most severe disease of the inner ear, which is characterized by dizziness, hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, unsteadiness of gait, sweating.All of these symptoms occur in seizures lasting from several hours to several days. They are stopped in a hospital setting with the help of drug therapy. In the absence of a positive effect, operations are recommended – on the formations of the tympanic cavity, destructive operations on the vestibular cochlear nerve and the labyrinth, decompressive operations on the labyrinth.

Cochleveostibulopathy against the background of vertebrobasilar insufficiency

The main symptoms of VBI are hearing loss, tinnitus of varying intensity and frequency, dizziness, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance.

Diagnostics

With complaints of tinnitus, you need to consult an ENT doctor, conduct an audiological examination, MRI of the brain, cervical spine, USDG of brachiocephalic vessels, EEG. It would be useful to visit a neurologist.

Treatment

There are many modern methods of treating diseases of the inner ear, which can cause tinnitus and hearing loss. Medical treatment is represented by vascular, hormonal, stimulating and hydration drugs.It can be combined with physiotherapy. In exceptional cases, surgery and hearing aids may be required.

If you find tinnitus and periodic dizziness, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. After all, an undiagnosed and untreated disease in time can end in severe complications and a chronic form. With the help of the most modern medical equipment, our specialists will be able to diagnose in the shortest possible time in order to immediately begin effective treatment with subsequent rehabilitation.

90,000 cause and effect. Booking Health

Tinnitus is one of the most frequent symptoms that patients visit a doctor. It is nonspecific. That is, it is impossible to immediately assume from it what the patient is sick with. This symptom occurs in many different pathological processes. Some of them are quite dangerous and threaten the patient’s life. Let’s talk about why it can make noise in the ears, and what treatment may be required.

Objective and subjective symptom

There are two main types of tinnitus:

• Objective – when not only the patient can hear it, but also the doctor
• Subjective – when no one but the patient can hear it

Initial the doctor’s task after a patient with complaints of tinnitus addresses him is to find out which symptom is: objective or subjective.For this, the doctor conducts auscultation of the skull (listening) using a phonendoscope.

Reasons for objective

If a doctor hears a noise, it is considered objective. Next, you need to determine whether the noise corresponds to the pulsation of the vessels. If so, the sound is most likely of vascular origin. If not, this is a pathology of a different nature.

Vascular murmur can indicate the following pathologies:

All these pathologies require surgical treatment. To establish the true cause of the objective pulsating noise, MRI of the brain and CT of the skull are required.

If the sound does not coincide with the pulsation of the vessels, it is usually clicky – in the form of a machine-gun burst or fluttering of insect wings. Then its muscular origin is assumed. The sound can be caused by muscle contractions in the soft palate or middle ear.

Causes of subjective

It is much more difficult to find out the causes of subjective noise. And it is far from always amenable to elimination. The doctor can prescribe the following studies to the patient to determine the cause of the sound:

• Pneumatic otoscopy
• Tympanometry
• Audiometry

Based on these studies, the doctor can determine whether it is an audiological or non-audiological noise.If the tympanogram is normal, the sound does not decrease with pneumomassage of the tympanic membrane, the threshold of auditory sensitivity is preserved, this is an audiological noise. If the pathology of the temporomandibular joint is detected, the sound intensity decreases after pneumomassage, a pathological tympanogram is observed, this is a non-audiological noise.

It is important to find out the mechanism of formation of sounds.Because it depends on how the treatment will be carried out.

Consequences

By itself, the sound that the patient hears usually has no pronounced health effects. At the very least, it does not reduce a person’s lifespan. However, the symptom can provoke neuropsychiatric disorders. Sometimes they are primary, when a person has a tinnitus against the background of mental disorders. But they often become secondary. Initially, a person is disturbed by noisy sounds.Further, the patient develops anxiety disorders and other disorders. They provoke not only a decrease in the quality of life due to psychological discomfort, but can also cause somatic pathology.

Sometimes it is a symptom of a serious illness that threatens human life and health. Vascular murmur may indicate an oncological process. Often it occurs as a result of the formation of an aneurysm (local expansion of an artery) or arteriovenous malformation (abnormal connection of a vein with an artery).This is the threat of rupture of the vascular formation with bleeding. Compression of nerves, inner ear structures and hearing loss are possible.

Sometimes subjective noise occurs due to damage to the structures of the central and peripheral nervous system. It may indicate damage to the temporal lobe of the brain. It can be caused by various diseases. But in any case, pathologies in which the structures of the nervous system are damaged are very dangerous and require treatment.

Treatment of objective noise

The patient often requires surgical treatment.Subject to removal:

• Tumors of the ear or auditory nerve
• Arteriovenous malformations
• Aneurysms

Sometimes organic pathology is not treated, but only observed. If the diagnostic results show that the formation is small and does not pose a significant threat to the patient, it may not be removed. Because noisy sounds in the head alone are not an indication for surgery. Such treatment is carried out only when there is a risk of negative consequences of the disease.

Anticonvulsants are prescribed for noisy sounds of muscle origin. In case of detection of the pathology of the ENT organs or chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, drug therapy is carried out.

With subjective noise, treatment can be different. There are many reasons for this symptom. Moreover, it is not always possible to install them. Depending on the cause, the treatment can be carried out by different specialists:

• The dentist deals with the pathology of the temporomandibular joint
• In case of a brain disease, a consultation with a neurologist or neurosurgeon is needed
• For diseases of the middle or inner ear, the help of an otolaryngologist is required
• For subjective cervical noise of origin, an orthopedist or vertebrologist is engaged in the treatment of pathology

Sometimes it is not possible to find out the cause.In this case, only symptomatic treatment is carried out. Can be prescribed:

Anticonvulsants . Carbamazepine is used. To understand whether it will be effective, a lidocaine test is performed. It is administered intravenously. If there is even a minimal positive response to therapy, the use of anticonvulsants is highly likely to be successful.

Psychotropic drugs . They are prescribed for concomitant depression, anxiety disorders. They do not always reduce the noisy sounds, but they can reduce the attention that the patient pays to this symptom.Anxiolytics, antidepressants, and less often antipsychotics are prescribed.

Zinc preparations . Lack of this trace element is considered as one of the possible causes of noisy sounds in the ear. Therefore, it is prescribed at a dose of 150 mg per day. Sometimes this can help reduce the severity of the symptom.

Antihistamines . Eliminate swelling of the ENT organs, improve the function of the auditory tube. This promotes better ventilation of the middle ear as less fluid accumulates in the middle ear.Many antihistamines have a calming effect, and therefore relieve anxiety disorders in patients.

Betahistine may be prescribed to improve cochlear blood flow. It also reduces the electrical activity of the vestibular nuclei in the brain. Metabolic drugs and neuroprotective agents are sometimes used. Some patients are helped by analogs of prostaglandin E1. Studies show that they eliminate rumbling sounds in the ear in 1 in 3 patients.

Other treatments:

• Using a hearing aid with a noise masker
• Apparatus external electrical stimulation
• Psychotherapy
• Pneumatic massage of the tympanic membrane

To understand why the ear is noisy and what treatment is needed, you need to undergo a high-quality comprehensive examination.You can get diagnosed in Germany. In this country, the most modern research methods are used to determine the cause of noisy sounds in most cases. In the future, you can undergo treatment in one of the German clinics to get rid of the annoying symptom.

Booking Health will help organize examination and treatment in Germany. We will choose the best clinic for you, agree on everything with its administration, provide an interpreter. Thanks to our help, you will not only be able to receive high-quality medical services and get rid of the worries of organizing a trip, but also get a good discount in case of booking treatment abroad through the Booking Health service.

Choose treatment abroad and you will undoubtedly get an excellent result!

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko

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90,000 Causes and Drug Treatment – What to do if tinnitus and dizziness

Such neurological pathology as tinnitus and head noises in the absence of any external stimuli is the most difficult diagnostic task for a specialist.This is not an independent diagnosis, but one of the symptoms that something is wrong in the body. In order to find out what disorders in the functioning of organs and / or systems of the body are indicated by tinnitus, dizziness and other possible accompanying symptoms and to take appropriate measures, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

A kind of norm is a mild one-sided or two-sided noise, which the patient notes at a time when it is quiet around him. Most often, this is a sound that is a consequence of blood flow in the small vessels of the inner ear – this is a natural process. Pathological noise in the ears and head, the treatment of which is a necessary measure, includes the consequences of various disorders of the middle and inner ear, diseases of the auditory nerve, intoxication of the body, etc. The patient himself may characterize such noise as hum, ringing, hissing or whistling. And this, and the severity of its manifestation – everything can be important for the diagnosis and selection of a treatment regimen!

Tinnitus is often combined with anxiety and fear, which makes the patient stressful.He cannot concentrate on anything, loses his ability to work, and in especially neglected cases he still cannot fall asleep. Over time, this can lead to depression. Do not expect disturbing symptoms to disappear by themselves – contact a specialist!

Causes of tinnitus

The most common triggers for this unpleasant symptom are:

• blockage of the ear canal – in the vast majority of cases, only on one side.It may be the result of a foreign body entering – for example, an insect or a small rounded object (children can push a pea, a button, etc. into the ear). In addition, the cause of the blockage may be the ingress of water into the ear or the formation of a sulfur plug in it;
• diseases of the outer ear can also provoke noise. These include otitis media and fungal infection of the ear, or mycosis. They may also be accompanied by painful sensations in the affected organ of hearing and whitish or purulent discharge from the auditory passage.A strong, sometimes unbearable pain is also accompanied by an ear boil – purulent inflammation of soft tissues, for the treatment of which the help of a surgeon is needed;
• diseases of the middle ear – otitis media, eustachitis and mastoiditis – may also be accompanied by high fever and discharge;
• damage to the eardrum can also lead to tinnitus ;
• diseases of the inner ear – otosclerosis, which is accompanied by uncontrolled growth of the bone tissue component of the labyrinth, and labyrinthitis – inflammation provoked by an infection – are accompanied not only by tinnitus and dizziness, but also by nausea, impaired coordination and progressive hearing loss;
• all kinds of pathologies of the auditory nerve – it can be a nerve tumor, as well as neuritis and even neurosyphilis;
• violations of the blood supply to the brain often cause noise in the ears and head, dizziness, periodic darkening in the eyes, as well as a host of other unpleasant symptoms;
• also a lack of blood supply to the brain may be a consequence of cervical osteochondrosis;
• Finally, the reasons that provoke the appearance of hum, hiss, ringing and other unpleasant sounds in the ears that are not related to external factors may be taking certain pharmaceuticals, smoking tobacco and smoking mixtures, alcohol, coffee, energy drinks abuse, overwork, prolonged stay in stress, head trauma, prolonged exposure to external noise, and old age.

Tinnitus: what to do?

Effective treatment of tinnitus and head – with drugs from a pharmacy or in any other way – can be selected only after diagnosis by an ENT doctor or neurologist. In our medical center, patients suffering from this extremely unpleasant symptom can be treated with an unconventional, but no less effective treatment with an osteopath or kinesiologist. The treatment techniques used by these specialists allow you to carefully regulate the activity of the organs and systems of the patient’s body, eliminating not only the manifestations of pathology, but also their very cause.

Important! Don’t try to get rid of tinnitus with self-medication! This is fraught with the progression of the disease, which is manifested, among other things, by these symptoms, and the development of numerous complications. One of them can be a progressive hearing loss – up to and including its complete loss. Enlist the help of professionals and do not risk your health!

Treatment of noise in the head | Russian Railways-Medicine

Treatment of noise in the head

At the moment, one of the most common complaints of patients who visit a neurologist is a noise in the head.What are the reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon? There may be several of them:

• chronic diseases of the hearing organs,
• pathological changes in the cardiovascular system,
• complications after previous infections of viral origin,

90,041 TBI results, 90,042

• pathology of the spine in its cervical spine, etc.

To put it simply, the noise in the head is a kind of signal for help sent to us by the spine and blood vessels.

As follows from the above, noise in the head is not an independent disease. It is only a manifestation, a symptom of an ailment, and requires an immediate examination and therapeutic measures.

Features of the examination of noise in the head

First, it is necessary to find the cause of the phenomenon. To do this, you should go through several examinations:

• otolaryngologist,
• neurologist,
• USDG of the vessels of the neck and head,
• fundus,
• To make an X-ray of the spine (cervical spine).

The diagnosis can be established, taking into account the found cause, as well as the results of examinations and objective information of the neurologist.

In any case, a complex treatment method is used, which includes metabolic, vascular, restorative therapy, as well as IRT, physiotherapy, massage.

However, even after the disappearance of the noise in the head is observed, it must be remembered that this phenomenon may well return.Therefore, periodic regular monitoring by a neurologist is required. Among other things, it is recommended to undergo repeated courses of vascular therapy.

Of course, the overwhelming majority of people suffering from noise in the head, after the regression of this phenomenon, forget about the need for repeated visits to the doctor. The positive dynamics of the disease calms them down. Therefore, patients often come back to specialists at the stage when the processes are already deeply started.

ChUZ “Clinical Hospital” RZD-Medicine “of the city of Tyumen”, address: Magnitogorskaya, 8 tel: 8 (3452) 560-150, 8-800-234-31-90 conducts timely complex treatment of noise in the head.& nbsp,

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90,000 Zinc supplements for tinnitus (tinnitus or ringing in the ears)

Relevance

Tinnitus is the perceived sensation of sound in the ears or head. Severe tinnitus (tinnitus / ringing in the ears) affects 1% to 2% of the population. People with severe tinnitus (tinnitus / ringing in the ears) often have psychological changes and a reduced quality of life.Tinnitus is difficult to control, and many doctors are testing new treatments to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from the problem. This review searched for high quality studies in the literature that used zinc supplementation as a possible treatment for tinnitus in adults. The aim was to assess whether oral zinc preparations are effective in treating tinnitus.

Characteristics of research

We included a total of three trials involving 209 people who were treated with oral zinc pills or placebo.All patients were adults over the age of 18 and had subjective tinnitus. All three studies investigated improvement in tinnitus as the main outcome. One study assessed the adverse effects and changes in our secondary outcome, the overall severity of tinnitus (tinnitus). Two studies evaluated the loudness of tinnitus. Only one study, in which only elderly patients participated, used a validated tool (Tinnitus (Tinnitus) Disability Questionnaire (AIT)) to measure the primary outcome (outcome).Two other studies measured tinnitus using a scale (0 to 7 and 0 to 10), but these scales were not validated tools for studying tinnitus.

Main results

All three included studies had differences in the selection of participants, the duration of follow-up and the measurement of outcomes (outcomes), which did not allow for a meta-analysis (pooling of results).

Only one study (conducted in 2013) used an approved (validated) instrument (AIT) to measure improvement in tinnitus, our primary outcome.The authors reported no significant differences between groups. Another study (2003) reported the severity of tinnitus (tinnitus) measured on an unvalidated scale (0 to 7) and found a significant difference in the subjective assessment of tinnitus (tinnitus), with a beneficial effect in the group of people who received the drugs zinc. However, this result may be biased (biased) because the dropout of participants from the study was unbalanced and higher in the zinc group than in the placebo group.A third study (1991) also evaluated the improvement in tinnitus using an unvalidated document (on a scale of 0 to 10) and found no significant differences between groups.

There were no serious adverse effects associated with zinc. There were three cases of moderate adverse effects in different participants (eg, mild gastric symptoms).

Two studies (2003 and 2013) assessed changes in tinnitus loudness (one of our secondary outcomes), but found no difference between zinc-treated patients and placebo-treated patients.

Two studies assessed the change in the overall severity of tinnitus. One study published in 1991 found no difference in this outcome between groups. A second study, published in 2003, reported a significant reduction in subjective scores (assessments of the severity of tinnitus) in the zinc group and no difference in the placebo group. However, both of these studies used unvalidated scales.

Quality of evidence

The quality of the evidence was very low. We did not find any evidence that oral zinc supplementation improves symptoms of tinnitus in adults. This evidence is current to 14 July 2016.

90,000 Noise in the head of the elderly

08/07/2020 – 15:28 4576 views

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Noise in the head and ears in an elderly person is associated with a malfunction of the internal organs and deterioration of the vascular walls.A dangerous sign may indicate problems of the ENT organs, sensory apparatus, diseases of the nervous and vascular systems and other ailments.

Specialists of nursing homes for the elderly share useful information on the issue.

Types of noise in the head

There are several classifications of noise in the head:

• Objective and subjective. Both the elderly and the doctor hear objective noise. The subjective perceives only the patient himself.

• Acute, subacute and chronic.Acute occurs within a few seconds / minutes, can be long. Subacute lasts 3-6 months. Chronic persists after six months.

• Quiet, medium, strong. Quiet is not very perceptible, a person can easily endure it. Medium louder, interferes with sleep. Strong – loud, heard constantly.

Symptoms

Noise in the head is accompanied by other symptoms: dizziness, headache, general weakness, drowsiness, amnesia, inattention, irritability.

If you find these signs, you need to contact a therapist.The doctor examines and interviews the patient, then prescribes examinations and gives referrals to specialists: ENT, neurologist, cardiologist.

Causes of Noise

Noise can be triggered by age-related changes, illness, living conditions or other temporary problems. Common causes are:

• changes in the vascular walls, due to which the intracranial pressure changes;

• deterioration of cerebral nutrition, due to which neurodegeneration develops;

• hypertension;

• hearing problems;

• anemia leading to hypoxia;

• noisy environment, eg during work;

• atherosclerosis;

• vegetative-vascular dystonia;

• endocrine diseases;

• spine problems;

• traumatic brain injury;

• renal impairment;

• unhealthy lifestyle and others.

Treatment of noise in the head

Various methods are used in the treatment: traditional medicines, physiotherapy, traditional medicine.

The specialist prescribes treatment based on the patient’s situation. You cannot self-medicate.

Medicines for noise in the head are aimed at improving metabolism and blood supply to the brain. The choice of the remedy depends on the patient’s situation.

Physiotherapy is an additional method of treatment. With a noise in the head, a course of head massage, phototherapy, magnetic vascular stimulation, laser therapy, hirudotherapy, reflexology, acupuncture, and special gymnastics can be prescribed.The choice of suitable treatments depends on the health status of the person.

Folk remedies are used when the noise is light and rare. Traditional medicine must be coordinated with the attending physician.

Elderly people with tinnitus are recommended to walk, swim, and do yoga more often. You need to adhere to a healthy diet, get rid of excess weight and bad habits, do not overwork, get enough sleep. Self-massage and regular sanatorium rest are useful.

An alternative to a sanatorium is a nursing home in Vsevolozhsk: you can come to a temporary or permanent place of residence.Professional care and out-of-town recreation in a beautiful place will be beneficial for the pensioner.

In any case, tinnitus is a reason to go to see a therapist. It can be a sign of a serious problem, so do not delay going to the doctor.

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90,000 Tired of tinnitus?

2019.12.01

The word tinnitus comes from the Latin word for ringing. People describe tinnitus as a loud noise, while others describe it as a buzzing, howling, waving, or whistling sound.No matter how tinnitus is described, anyone who has it is never described as pleasant. Simply put, ringing in the ears is the sensation of a sound that doesn’t exist.

This has serious negative consequences for almost all people who experience it, including stress, anxiety attacks, anger and insomnia. More than 80 percent of people with tinnitus have hearing problems that they are not aware of. There is no cure for tinnitus. Unfortunately, very little is known about the reasons for this.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom caused by many reasons. There are about 200 possible reasons in total. Anyone else who has no tinnitus suffers from mild to unbearable tinnitus. About 50% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss. Consequences: Inability to concentrate, insomnia, depression. Tinnitus usually comes on suddenly and, although not dangerous, causes a very unpleasant and ultimately debilitating sensation.

The most common, but far from the only, cause is excessive exposure to excessive noise, which can damage the hair cells in the inner ear.It converts the sounds you hear into signals that your brain understands. If the hair is damaged, the brain receives fewer signals. The brain then tries to compensate for the missing signals and creates a new sound.

How does tinnitus affect people?

Some people may ignore tinnitus, while others may experience stress, tantrums, trouble concentrating and separation from the environment, and tinnitus may prevent them from sleeping well at night.

What to do to prevent tinnitus?

There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are many ways to control it and reduce its impact on your life.