Tinnitus
TINNITUS is pronounced either ti-NIGHT-us or TIN-i-tus. Both pronunciations are correct. The word is of Latin origin, meaning “to tinkle or to ring like a bell.” Put simply, tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Some call it “ringing in the ears” or “head noise.”
Tinnitus is the perception of a sound that has no external source. In almost all cases, tinnitus is a subjective noise, meaning that only the person who has tinnitus can hear it. People describe hearing different sounds: ringing, crickets, whooshing, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, dial tones, even music. It can be constant or intermittent and is heard in one ear, both ears or in the head. Tinnitus can originate in the middle ear (behind the eardrum) or in the sensorineural auditory system.
Tinnitus is usually accompanied by hearing loss, and sometimes accompanied by loudness hyperacusis (when moderately loud sounds are perceived as very loud). Some 50 million adults suffer from tinnitus (it can also affect children). For 12 million, the problem is severe enough that it impacts their everyday life. Because tinnitus can be a symptom of a more serious disorder, it is important to have an appropriate health evaluation, from an audiologist or physician.
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- Causes
- Treatment & Therapies
- Stress