Tinnitus

Nothing is perhaps as disconcerting and bothersome as ringing in the ears, also know as tinnitus. Sometimes the ringing is so loud it overpowers one’s thinking. Sometimes the ringing in the ears is louder than the music one is trying to listen to or harmonize with. Sometimes the ringing can keep one awake at night. Musicians, movie stars and regular folk cope with tinnitus.

What is this ringing? What does it mean? Most of the time tinnitus is a disease of the mitochondria of our ears. Also too much fluid build up in the small tubular balance arches of the hearing system can cause ringing or roaring. Ringing in the ears usually is a sign that we are going deaf in the affected ear. This can be a long drawn out process. Tinnitus, ringing in the ears, can be high pitched, roaring or crackling. Tinnitus can be constant, pulsating, or intermittent. Sometimes there is dizziness that goes with the ringing.

Mitochondria are tiny cells within each cell of our body, giving energy and efficiency to us. These cells, inherited from our mothers, can be damaged by noise, changes in air pressure known as barotrauma, medicines, illnesses, and trauma. If you read the labeled side effect of your medicines, you we see tinnitus frequently listed. This does not mean the medicines are not good.

Life saving aspirin and antibiotics are often causes of ringing in the ears. Discuss with your doctor if a medicine causes ringing in the ears. Medicines may need to be changed or stopped.

When healthy, our ears can detect minute changes in loudness. 1/40 of a shift up or down is detectable. A baby will find a soft click reason for startle even if we did not hear the click at all. A baby will turn to a whisper, while we will holler back "WHAT?" Unless born with a hearing problem, little children hear us just fine, with NO need for us to raise our voices.

Why are we going deaf? Why do we have ringing? Noise trauma has many sources. We sleep with a fan or air conditioner humming loud at us. The wind roars in our ears as we sail the open road. TV’s, BOOM boxes with head phones make the sounds even more intense. Vibrations everywhere. At work heavy machines screech and roar as we produce our way of life. Ear protectors, yes, the employer did provide them, but...

Physical trauma is another source of ear injury. Q-tips, pens, keys are all handy to batter the tympanic membrane or fracture the tiny hairs protecting our ears, as well as scaring the canal. Head trauma or any kind can cause hearing loss, tinnitus.

There is a disease of the ear system called Meniere’s Disease. Symptoms include ringing or roaring in the ears, hearing loss, dizziness, nausea. Caused by an injury or an illness from a virus or bacteria, a cascade is started that becomes a steady march to deafness. As serious as the hearing loss is, the most paralyzing aspect of Meniere’s disease is the severe dizziness and loss of balance. Pressure build up in the labyrinth system of the ear, the balance arches can no longer tell us which way is up, down or sideways. Some treatments are available, often with little relief. Some of these treatments include diuretics, lithium, anti-nausea medicines, antihistamines and even surgery. There have been no cures with any of these approaches.

Rarely, ringing in the ears can be our first signal of a tumor of the 8^th cranial nerve. While these are benign or non cancer tumors, the disruption caused by these growing nodules can be quite severe when pressure is placed on areas needed for hearing and on parts of the brain affecting our

mood or motor control. A hearing test done at the Ear Nose and Throat specialist will help see if hearing loss is present one side more than the other. If the evidence suggests a deeper look is need then an MRI of the brain will help determine the absence or presence of an 8^th cranial nerve tumor. If a tumor is present, then only the very experienced neurosurgeon should be sought. Deformities and loss of motor function can follow corrective surgery.

Ringing in the ears can be a little or a very big problem. If there is ringing in the ears, then a hearing test is in order. Be kind to your ears and minimize injury as much as possible. Do not stick items in your ear or dig in your ear. Many times a dry ear will feel like there is wax or a bug.

Allow your physician or care provider to inspect. Then if there is something there, it can be removed in the office, or with ear drops. If the ear is dry, then olive oil dripped into the ear now and then will relieve that sensation. Avoid noise trauma, train you ear to listen to softer sounds and not necessarily surround sound. If there is a sudden hearing loss, see your physician immediately. If there is hearing loss and a hearing aid is indicated. Go for it. Being a part of your family and work place is much too precious to lose. Start saving now for those non-covered hearing aids. Just because insurance does not pay for them, does not mean they are not essential.

May we live long enough to need our hearing aids.