|
Seniors Health 2006-01 Tinnitus |
|
|
|
Tinnitus - What is it?
Seniors Choice Newsmagazine, January 2006
Tinnitus - is a constant or intermittent sound heard in one or both ears and/or the head, in the absence of an external sound source. The sound may be described as a ringing, roaring, rushing, or buzzing noise. Approximately sixteen percent of the population will have tinnitus. For the majority of people it will not be bothersome. In some cases it may affect an individuals sleep, concentration and quality of life.
The most prevalent known cause of tinnitus is noise exposure - loud noise exposure. Some of the other factors that may cause tinnitus are aging, medications, head or neck injuries, allergies, and certain disorders of the ear. Tinnitus is reported to occur more often in people who are 65 - 74 years. Tinnitus is often associated with the presence of a hearing loss, therefore a hearing test is recommended. General health factors such as smoking, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and cancer may influence the occurrence of tinnitus.
The management team for a tinnitus patient will typically involve the general physician, an ear nose and throat physician, and an audiologist. It may involve medical intervention, counseling with sound therapy devices, or hearing aids if a hearing loss is present.
The majority of people who suffer from tinnitus will learn to cope with it. The trick is to learn to accept the tinnitus as part of your life. If you try to remove it from your mind by ignoring it, you will actually increase your likelihood of being annoyed with it. On the other hand if you learn to accept the tinnitus, you will eventually stop thinking about it, and will therefore not be bothered by it. Keep in mind though; learning to accept tinnitus can be a lengthy process. It can easily take a year or more for this process to occur. If you need a little bit of assistance taking the edge off it will you are trying to fall asleep, you can simply turn on a fan (for white noise) or buy yourself a CD of water sounds from a local music store. These sounds should either partially or fully mask the tinnitus, so that it is not as bothersome for you.
An excellent resource for information on tinnitus is the American Tinnitus Association. Their website is http://www.ata.org
If you have any hearing-related questions please send them to me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or submit them directly to me at either of my offices. Colin VanBergen is a clinical audiologist, and manages both the Kelowna and Westbank offices of the Okanagan Hearing Clinic
|
