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Tinnitus

Description

Tinnitus is a medical term used to describe hearing a variety of different sounds such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, or whistling. The predominant sound heard is the ringing sound. People suffering from tinnitus can either hear sounds all day long or there can be a few breaks between each episode. The loudness of these sounds is related to the background noise. If the background noise is low then these sounds can be heard very clearly, but if the background noise is high, then these sounds might not be very audible.

Causes

Some common causes of tinnitus are:

  • Prolonged exposure to very loud sounds,
  • Blockage in the ear due to accumulation of wax or an ear infection,
  • A side effect of certain medicines,
  • A side effect of ageing,
  • Meniere’s disease (fluid buildup inside the ear)
  • A manifestation of some systemic and metabolic disorders like hypertension (raised blood pressure), cardiovascular disease, anemia (low amount of red blood cells), diabetes (raised blood sugar level), and hypothyroidism (low level of thyroid hormones),
  • Temporomandibular joint disorder,
  • Head and neck injury.
Risk factors

Some important risk factors of tinnitus include:

  • Prolonged exposure to loud noise,
  • Increasing age,
  • Male gender,
  • Smoking,
  • People suffering from cardiovascular disorders.
Symptoms

The major symptom of tinnitus is hearing sounds when no other external sound is present. These sounds can only be heard by the person that is suffering from tinnitus. These sounds can be of different types such as ringing, buzzing, humming, chirping, roaring, clicking, hissing, and whistling. These sounds can have varying intensity and loudness. One or both ears can be affected at the same time. In some patients, these sounds can interfere with a person’s ability to concentrate and cause psychological distress.

Diagnosis

Most commonly tinnitus is a result of side effects of certain drugs and a complete history taking is enough for a diagnosis.

Additionally, the doctor does

  1. A complete checkup of ear and neck for any signs.
  2. Nerve tests and hearing tests are done by an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist).
  3. MRI and CT scans for checking damage to internal ear organs.
Management

Treatment options may vary according to the cause of tinnitus.

  • If it’s a side effect of drugs, changing the prescription is a solution.
  • For people working in a noisy environment, ear masking devices are given, which keep out the loud sounds
  • Hearing aid for tinnitus due to hearing loss.
  • If there’s excessive earwax, the ENT will clean it out with warm water and instrument.
  • For infections, antibiotic is given.
  • For pain and itching in the ear, corticosteroids are given.
  • Anti-anxiety and antidepressants are given for stress relief.
  • Surgery is done in cases of tumor, defect or if there’s any foreign body blocking the ear.
  • In case of a jaw problem, the doctor will send you to a dentist for expert advice.

 

When to consult a doctor?

You are advised to consult your doctor if tinnitus is accompanied by tenderness (pain), discharge from ears, or dizziness (weak or unsteady state). Contact your doctor if you get tinnitus after a respiratory tract infection and your condition doesn’t improve within a week. Immediately seek medical help if you start experiencing hearing loss.

Available Medicine for Tinnitus

Serc 16mg 16mg

Rs.268.33

Abbott Laboratories

Serc 8mg 8mg

Rs.161.67

Abbott Laboratories

Serc 24mg

Rs.289.67

Abbott Laboratories

Enier 8 mg

Rs.135.33

Sami