May 15-21, 2011 is the American Tinnitus Association’s “Tinnitus Awareness Week”. Tinnitus Awareness Week is part of a larger awareness campaign for Better Hearing and Speech in May.
Tinnitus is a hearing condition that affects approximately 50 million Americans. It involves perceiving a sound with no external origin, often in the form of ringing or a variety of other sounds, like whooshing, whistling, or buzzing in the ears. The sound may be heard all of the time, or intermittently. In some cases, tinnitus can be so severe that it interferes with hearing quiet sounds and constantly distracts the person suffering from it.
Tinnitus has many potential causes, so if you experience ringing in your ears that bothers you, see a doctor. Some causes of tinnitus can be treated, but tinnitus can also be a sign of permanent hearing loss due to excessive noise exposure.
You can take steps to prevent your sense of hearing from excessive noise:
*One common problem in our society is listening to music that is too loud through headphones. A good general rule for listening to music on headphones is: if someone sitting next to you can hear your music, the volume is too loud.
*It is a good idea to wear ear plugs during loud concerts and during activities that produce a high level of noise, such as mowing the lawn.
*Loud power tools and machinery can also produce sounds that are loud enough to cause hearing damage, so if you are working with these tools on the job, wear hearing protection.
*Ambulance and fire sirens make extremely loud sounds that can damage your hearing if you are regularly exposed. You can cover your ears when a vehicle with a siren goes by to protect your ears.
Tinnitus can also be caused by ear problems, such as a blockage of ear wax, damage to the hair cells of the inner ear, Meniere’s Disease, or a middle ear infection. Certain medications, such as some antibiotics, malaria medications, anti-cancer drugs, diuretics, and extremely high doses of aspirin are also known to cause tinnitus or make an existing case worse. High blood pressure, arteriovenous malformation, and atherosclerosis are cardiovascular problems that can result in tinnitus. Very rarely, a benign tumor growing on the cranial nerve responsible for hearing can cause tinnitus in one ear. Other possible causes of tinnitus include problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), head injuries, and neck problems. These conditions can cause other problems, including pain. Tinnitus is also correlated with, and worsened by, high levels of stress and depression. See your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
