Tinnitus Sucks!

Myth: Tinnitus is all in the mind.
Fact: Although many people think that tinnitus is a psychological condition this is not the case. Tinnitus can be generated anywhere in the auditory system – in the ears, nerves of hearing or the auditory pathways in the brain.

Myth: Tinnitus only affects elderly people.
Fact: Tinnitus affects people of all ages, including children.

Myth: Tinnitus is a form of hearing loss.
Fact: Tinnitus is not a form of hearing loss: in fact people with completely normal hearing may experience tinnitus.

Myth: Tinnitus causes deafness.
Fact: Tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, the opposite is true and hearing loss can sometimes give rise to tinnitus.

Myth: Tinnitus worsens with time.
Fact: In the great majority of cases, tinnitus tends to improve rather than get worse over time.

Myth: There’s nothing that can be done to help.
Fact: While there is no absolute cure for tinnitus there is much that can be done to help people to manage it effectively.

Myth: Tinnitus is only heard as ringing.
Fact: People with tinnitus have reported hearing a huge range of noises such as whistling, buzzing, humming, revving engines and even music.

Myth: Tinnitus is only experienced in the ears.
Fact: Although some people describe hearing tinnitus in their ears other people describe it as being inside the head or even around the outside of the head.

Myth: Botox cures tinnitus.
Fact:  At this time only a very small scale study in the US has been done where Botox was injected around the ears. While the study showed some positive effects, further large scale studies need to be conducted before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Have you tried it? How did it work for you?

Many clinics are now using a team approach for tinnitus treatment. The team members work closely together to ensure the best treatment program and the highest standard of care for the patient.

Meet The Tinnitus Treatment Team

The physician conducts the initial consultation, which is centered on gaining an in-depth understanding of the patient’s tinnitus symptoms, history, and determining the underlying cause. During this appointment, the physician performs a comprehensive review of the patient’s medical, family, and psychosocial history and their current medication regimen, plus a thorough physical examination.  Additional tests also may be indicated such as vestibular testing, brainstem auditory evoked response testing, and a CT or MRI scan. These tests contribute to creating a comprehensive tinnitus treatment plan that addresses all of the patient’s issues.

The audiologist will perform an array of tests that will provide information about the individual’s tinnitus, hearing, and hyperacusis. Some of these tests are specific to the individual’s tinnitus symptoms. In the US, audiologists have a bachelor’s and masters degree which trains them to treat, diagnose, and monitor ear disorders.

Lastly, the psychologist can be consulted to assist in the treatment of patients with severe tinnitus disturbance that is really effecting the patient’s life. An important member of any tinnitus treatment team, the psychologist focuses on addressing cognitive distortions relating to tinnitus and identifying significant anxiety or depression. Psychologists can help patients learn how to accept the tinnitus if it is chronic and address any issues that the patient has in their life that can contribute to the tinnitus getting worse.

The physician and audiologist will discuss the results of the exam and testing and formulate a tinnitus treatment plan designed specifically for each patient. Patients will be offered a counseling session at which concerns and questions will be addressed, information about tinnitus will be provided, the causes of tinnitus will be discussed and a treatment plan will be proposed.

Have you seen a tinnitus treatment team? If so, how was it? Did you find it better than seeing just one doctor?

There are many tinnitus causes, but here are nine causes you may not know about:

Allergies
Allergies can trigger tinnitus. Many people don’t connect what they have eaten with the level of their tinnitus, they don’t notice the mold that may be lurking inside their homes, or the pollen they are surrounded by when outside.

Ear Problems
There are some ear conditions that may also trigger tinnitus. Many experience tinnitus when they have a middle ear infection, or a sinus infection. If this is the case, the tinnitus usually lessens and gradually fades away when the infection subsides. Buildup of excess wax in your ears can also trigger it.

Hearing Loss
In many cases hearing loss and tinnitus go hand in hand. The tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, it is actually the other way around. Often times the tinnitus fades away when wearing a hearing aid to correct the hearing loss. However, it can come back when you remove the hearing aid at night to sleep.

Foods
Red wine, grain-based spirits, cheese, high sodium diets, high fat intake, MSG, caffeine and even some spices can all make tinnitus worse in some people.

Stress
While stress, anxiety and tension is not a direct cause of tinnitus, it can make your tinnitus worse.

Exposure to Loud Noise
Exposure to loud noise and hearing loss generally go together. Exposure to harmful sounds causes damage to the hair cells as well as the auditory, or hearing, nerve. Impulse sound can result in immediate hearing loss that may be permanent. This kind of hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus—a ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears or head—which may subside over time. Hearing loss and tinnitus may be experienced in one or both ears, and tinnitus may continue constantly or occasionally throughout a lifetime.

Medications
Many medications also can cause tinnitus (see list below). Generally this is thought to arise from their effect on the cochlea (inner ear).
NSAIDS (motrin, naproxen, relafen, etc)
Aspirin and other salicylates
Lasix and other “loop” diuretics
“Mycin” antibiotics such as vancomycin
Quinine and related drugs
Chemotherapy such as cis-platin

Other Tinnitus Causes

TMJ Disorder
For unknown reasons, approximately 33% of patients with a TMJ disorder experience noise or ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Of those patients, it is estimated that approximately half will have resolution of their tinnitus after successful treatment of their TMJ disorder.

Other Causes
Meniere’s disease includes dizziness, tinnitus, and fullness in the ear or hearing loss that can last for hours, but then goes away. This disease is actually caused by a problem in the ear itself. The tinnitus is merely a symptom.
Acoustic Neuroma (brain tumor) is a rare cause of tinnitus The tumors grow on the nerve that supplies hearing and can cause tinnitus. This type of tinnitus is usually only noticed in one ear, unlike the more common sort caused by hearing loss usually seen in both ears.
Injury involving neck or head such as whiplash.

Did you learn any tinnitus causes that you didn’t know? What is the cause of your tinnitus?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) is a condition of the jaw that  is often characterized by

clicking or popping noises, as well as soreness & stiffness when opening and closing the mouth. It is estimated that close to half of the patients who have TMJ disorder list ringing in their ears as one of their symptoms.

TMJ and tinnitus often occurs with nausea, vomiting & hearing loss. Tinnitus is sometimes the only symptom of TMJ disorder, or it can occur along with other symptoms such as: jaw and neck pain, clicking sounds, teeth grinding or clenching, headache and shoulder pain.

Where is the Temporomandibular Joint?

Very simply, it is the jaw joint. You will find the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) where the jawbone meets the temple. It is very close to the ear. If the joint is not working properly it can lead to problems like TMJ and tinnitus.

Research

Research has shown that ear and sinus symptoms can be related to a TMJoint that is not functioning correctly and that there is a direct blood and nerve flow from the ears to the TMJ.  Headaches, fatigue and tension in the jaw muscles have been found to be higher in tinnitus patients and approximately one third of patients report that jaw movement influences their tinnitus.

TMJ and tinnitus can be difficult to deal with but there are treatments that help. My tinnitus was caused by TMJ disorder and I was able to effectively stop the ringing in my ears… if you want to read my tinnitus story click here.