Tinnitus is the medical term for any noises heard in the ears
Tinitus is the medical term for any noises heard in the ears or head, and a study revealed a couple of years ago that revealed people were complaining to the council about noise when in fact they were Tinnitus sufferers.
From the 4th to the 10th February, Tinnitus Awareness Week is taking place in order to help promote Support Groups.
Tinnitus support groups offer a vital lifeline for people around the country, offering a chance to share experiences, find out how others cope and discuss the latest information on treatments.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is not a disease or an illness, it is a symptom generated within a person's own auditory pathways. Although it is often assumed that tinnitus occurs as a result of disease of the ears, this is often not the case. The precise cause of tinnitus is still not fully understood.
Who gets tinnitus?
Experiences of tinnitus are very common in all age groups, especially following exposure to loud noise; however, it is unusual for it to be a major problem. There is a widely held misconception that tinnitus is confined to the elderly, but various studies have shown that it can occur at any age, even in quite young children. Mild tinnitus is common â about 10 per cent of the population have it all the time and, in up to one per cent of adults, this may affect the quality of their life.
Tinnitus is caused by damage to the complex auditory pathways in the ears and brain. Normally, sound passes from the outer ear through the middle ear and on to the inner ear, which contains the auditory nerve and the cochlea — a coiled, spiral tube with a large number of sensitive hair cells.
If the cochlea becomes damaged, the auditory nerve will reduce the information it sends to the brain. To compensate, the brain tries to ‘seek out’ signals from the areas of the cochlea still working. These signals are over-represented in the brain, causing the sounds of tinnitus
How to treat Tinnitus
You need to go and see a GP who will then refer you to an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist.
Many ENT and audiology departments now offer treatment for tinnitus, based on the individual patient’s needs. The treatment may include medication for any medical condition, adjustment to current medication, or an explanation of the condition and its relation to tinnitus.
It may include counselling, relaxation therapy and stress management and advice on the use of hearing aids, white noise generators (WNG) and environmental sound enrichment.
There has been research into pycnogenol which suggests that in selected patients with tinnitus and altered perfusion, Pycnogenol is effective in a short period of time in relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving cochlear blood flow. The effect is more pronounced with higher Pycnogenol dosage.
Pycnogenol - 30mg French Maritime Pine Bark - 60 tablets £13.95, Healthspan.co.uk
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