When you are wondering, “What is tinnitus?!?!”, or “What is this sound in my ear?”, we think that a lot of the information out there can be difficult to understand… as a patient, I want to understand what is going on without having to break out the medical dictionary! We hope this definition of tinnitus and easy to understand tinnitus information will help you!
It is pronounced Tin-NIGHT-us or TIN-ih-tus.
Patients with tinnitus experience phantom sounds within the ear. It been described as a high pitched whining, electric, buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, tunes, songs, beeping, or even a pure steady tone like you might hear in a hearing test.
It has also been described as a “wooshing” sound, like wind or waves. Tinnitus may involve one or both ears, and may also be affected by movement of eyes, shoulders, head, or jaw. It can be intermittent or constant.
The most common cause is hearing loss. Ear wax buildup, infection or anything that affects hearing can make it worse.
Tinnitus can result from exposure to excessive loud noise, Multiple Sclerosis, whiplash injury, TMJ disorder (clicking types), head injuries, depression, anxiety, overuse of some drugs such as aspirin and NSAIDS, a withdrawal symptom from benzodiazepines, antibiotics such as gentamicin, erythromycin, and vancomycin, as well as some chemotherapy drugs.
However, don’t panic! Many patients find that their tinnitus is not caused by serious illness, and that they can feel better with this easy to execute plan.
We understand how difficult it is to deal with… you just want to know WHAT is tinnitus and HOW can I turn this sound OFF? Don’t worry… things can get better!
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