Tinnitus is a medical condition which affects people by noise in the ears; the noise can range from a ringing, whooshing, buzzing or hissing. The sounds are usually heard either in the head, one ear or both ears and can be very loud and distressing, while this doesn’t actually make the person deaf it can cause them not to be able to hear correctly due to the loudness of the noise.

What are the causes of tinnitus?

There are thought to be many causes for tinnitus and research is being made into what happens when you have tinnitus, some of the more common reasons for this condition are:

• Exposure to loud noise.
• Gradual hearing loss.
• Injuries to the head or ear.
• Some diseases of the ear.
• Certain ear infections.
• Stress and anxiety.
• A side effect brought on by medication you are taking.

Can tinnitus be treated or helped in any way?

At the moment the condition can’t be cured as such but it may be possible to treat an underlying cause of this condition which then leads to improvement in it. An example of this would be if the tinnitus is due to an ear infection then if you were given antibiotics this would clear up the infection and the tinnitus would go away. If you think the tinnitus might be due to medication that you are taking then you should never just stop taking medication if it has been prescribed by your doctor, If you think this is the cause then discuss this with your doctor first.

If you suddenly become affected by tinnitus then make an appointment to see your doctor, he/she will be able to examine your ears for any signs of the cause and they may also refer you to an ENT specialist if they can’t find the cause for the tinnitus. People react differently to tinnitus as the condition varies in intensity and the actual noise they can hear, it can however be a very upsetting experience and one that can cause other problems such as sleep loss, anxiety or finding it extremely difficult to cope in your day to day life due to the noises.

Some hospitals do have a specialist centre for tinnitus but this will depend on the size of your town, if you are lucky enough to be referred to a specialist clinic then other help such as counselling, relaxation and therapy might be offered as ways to help you cope with the condition. Many people who have had the condition for several years do actually become used to it and some say that most of the time they hardly notice it anymore.