Tinnitus is the symptom of hearing a sound when its source is within your body. There are two broad types of tinnitus:

• Middle-ear tinnitus (produced in the middle ear behind your eardrum)
• Sensorineural tinnitus (produced by your nervous system)

Tinnitus is almost always accompanied by a hearing loss.

Middle-ear tinnitus is rare, and it is a result of hearing your muscles twitch or movement of blood in blood vessels. Sometimes these can be treated with an operation.

Sensorineural tinnitus is much more common. Approximately one in every 10 Americans will experience some form of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. The mechanisms that produce tinnitus are not completely understood. There are many different causes of tinnitus. Some common ones are:

• Noise exposure
• The natural aging process
• Medications
• Head injury
• Various ear diseases, such as Ménière’s disease
• For many, the cause is unknown
  

Noise induced tinnitus can be prevented with hearing protection. See your audiologist to help you select the appropriate hearing protection for your personal needs.

There is no cure for tinnitus, at least not yet. There are no medications or dietary supplements that have been shown to treat tinnitus in controlled studies with appropriate measurements that have been repeated by other researchers. If a cure is found, it is likely your audiologist will be able to inform you.

People react very differently to their tinnitus. Some find it a little bothersome, but largely ignore it. Others are distressed by their tinnitus and have difficulty concentrating and getting to sleep.

Tinnitus may occur at any age. Many people report that their tinnitus sounds like ringing, crickets, or buzzing, but tinnitus can also sound like many different things. Some tinnitus patients find moderately intense sounds very uncomfortable. This is called hyperacusis. When present, hyperacusis should be treated with the tinnitus.

Recent onset of tinnitus may be related to changes in the auditory system that should be evaluated. Longstanding tinnitus is problematic for many persons and may warrant treatment to reduce its impact on daily life. It often can affect emotional well-being, hearing, sleep and concentration.