The LIGHT Center, T-90, College of the Redwoods (476-4290)

Last week’s newsletter addressed the issue of noise and the effects that exposure to intense or prolonged noise can have on one’s hearing acuity. One problem which can result from noise exposure was not discussed, as it merits a more detailed discussion.

Tinnitus is a condition that can result from excessive exposure to noise. In fact, it is one of the more common outcomes of noise exposure. Some people know tinnitus as "head noise". This is the noise one can hear when they are in a quiet environment. It is not external noise, rather an internally generated signal. It can sound like ringing, roaring, whooshing, or squealing. The subjective description to the noise varies greatly across sufferers. It is the type of ringing one hears in their ears when they have been at a concert.

There are two broadly classified categories of tinnitus. The first is Objective Tinnitus. This occurs in about 5% of tinnitus sufferers. It refers to noise which is audible to an observer using a stethoscope or listening close in proximity to someone’s ear. It is often vascular in nature and takes on the rhythm of the person’s pulse. The majority of tinnitus sufferers have the second category type, Subjective Tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus is audible only to the patient and is what 95% of tinnitus sufferers live with. In fact 80% of all people who have some degree of inner ear or nerve related hearing loss also have tinnitus.

Is Noise Exposure the only cause of tinnitus? No. However, noise exposure tends to be one of the leading causes. Potential damage to the ear can be from such common sources as lawnmowers, stereos, hair dryers, chain saws, motorcycles, concerts, and noise on the job. Tinnitus can also be the result of:

Many drugs are ototoxic, meaning that they can damage the ear function. Aspirin over-usage is one of the more common ones. It is not uncommon to find someone who takes large doses of aspirin ending up with hearing loss and accompanying tinnitus. Some antibiotics are also ototoxic.

While these may not directly cause tinnitus, research suggests that these substances can exacerbate the tinnitus condition.

This is the proverbial "viscious circle". While stress can result in tinnitus, the condition itself creates stress. There are people with tinnitus who end up under psychiatric care due to the emotional toll the condition takes on them.

Other causes of tinnitus include, middle ear infection, foreign bodies in the ear canal, perforated eardrum, etc. However, these tend to result in temporary conditions of tinnitus. It is when the hair cells of the inner ear, or the Auditory Nerve are damaged that tinnitus is permanent.

January 24, 2000

At present there is no cure for tinnitus. The best that medicine has to offer are some strategies that might provide

relief for the sufferer.

Amplification

If the person with tinnitus also has a hearing loss, a hearing aid may help. It amplifies external sounds which may "drown out" the head noise which is internally generated.

Tinnitus maskers are similar to hearing aids, but they don’t amplify sound. They produce a pleasant sound for the person which "masks out" the noise of their own head. This is especially useful for when the sufferer is trying to fall asleep. It can in some cases result in a cessation of the tinnitus after the masker is turned off.

Biofeedback, teaching the ability to control specific body functions such as blood pressure, heart rate and skin temperature can be useful in helping the patient adjust to their tinnitus.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy can be useful to adjust the way the patient "thinks about" their condition, thus reducing their stress.

Medication is currently used to treat the depression, stress and sleep difficulties that result from tinnitus. When these other conditions are addressed, the affect of the tinnitus is reduced. Comments? Mailto:trish-blair@redwoods.edu

"Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is."
Albert Camus