The term tinnitus aurium comes from Latin and means "ringing in the ears". Tinnitus refers to all ear and head noises that cannot be attributed to an external sound source. It is an acoustic perception that can usually only be heard by the person affected. The noise is described as ringing, beeping, humming or hissing.
Here you will find further information as well as selected tinnitus specialists and centers.
Doctors differentiate between
In objective tinnitus, an endogenous sound source causes noises. The sounds originate from the muscles or blood vessels and can often be heard through a stethoscope.
In the vast majority of cases, however, sufferers are plagued by subjective tinnitus. Only the person affected can perceive the noise. If the ringing in the ears has been present for less than six months, doctors speak of acute tinnitus. Longer-lasting complaints are referred to as chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is not a disease, but merely a symptom. Nevertheless, it is perceived by some sufferers as life-impairing and causes psychological stress.
In some cases, the ringing in the ears can have a serious impact on work and/or private life.
In Germany, around four percent of all adults are affected by tinnitus. As a rule, more women than men suffer from ringing in the ears. More and more young people under the age of 30 are also affected.
Acute tinnitus goes away in 80 percent of cases, sometimes even without treatment. In the case of chronic tinnitus, the chance of recovery is significantly lower. However, the ringing in the ears usually becomes less significant over time.
Almost everyone has experienced a noise coming from within. As spontaneously as it comes, it also goes away. However, if this does not happen, doctors speak of tinnitus.
Those affected report sounds such as
The noises are permanently present or appear with pauses. They are loud or quiet.
The constant acoustic stress can cause health problems:
The body's own sound sources, which are located in the inner ear or in the surrounding tissue, cause objective tinnitus. The causes are organic in nature:
There are many possible causes of subjective ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is very often the result of a hearing disorder. Doctors assume that tinnitus develops in a similar way to phantom pain that occurs after an amputation.
Due to the hearing impairment, the corresponding signals are absent or only weakly perceived. The brain tries to compensate for this by increasing activity in the corresponding area and producing its own sounds.
If the tinnitus arises for non-organic reasons, stress is usually the trigger.
The following factors can trigger or promote tinnitus:
Constant noise can put a lot of psychological strain © Stasique | AdobeStock
Doctors classify tinnitus into four levels of severity, depending on the severity of the stress experienced by the sufferer.
The contact person for tinnitus is the ENT doctor. First of all, the doctor will take a medical history. He will need precise information about
This is followed by a physical examination.
For example, an ear microscopy can provide information on whether
A hearing test clarifies the hearing performance of the inner ear, as hearing loss is often the cause of tinnitus.
Further examinations include
Diagnostic imaging methods include in particular
tumors.
Anatomical structure and function of the ear © bilderzwerg / Fotolia
Tinnitus is not necessarily the result of disorders in the auditory system. Disorders of the chewing apparatus or the cervical spine can also cause tinnitus. For this reason, further examinations are usually carried out.
For example, a blood pressure measurement can indicate increased blood pressure. This could possibly have led to vascular changes near the ear.
Further findings can be obtained, for example
can provide further information.
In the case of objective tinnitus, there is always an underlying disease that is responsible for the source of the sound in the body. Treatment therefore primarily involves eliminating this disease.
In the case of a tumor or arteriosclerosis, surgery may be necessary. In the case of cramps in the middle ear, magnesium preparations provide initial relief. Medication is also used, for example to lower blood pressure or to dilate the blood vessels.
Mental support for the patient is also an important pillar of treatment. This can include education or coping training.
Acute tinnitus offers the best possible chances of recovery. If treatment is started immediately, the prognosis for complete elimination of the ringing in the ears is the best.
Chronic tinnitus, on the other hand, can rarely be cured. The main focus of treatment is on alleviating the symptoms and dealing with the ringing in the ears in the best possible way.
Under certain circumstances, the subjective ringing in the ears can be caused by other illnesses. As with objective tinnitus, the therapy then aims to cure the underlying disease. However, there are often other causes that make more extensive treatment necessary.
The following treatment methods are started individually or in combination:
Tinnitus counseling is an essential part of therapy for subjective and objective tinnitus.
The key points of counseling are information and individual advice for those affected. Life situations are discussed in which the tinnitus bothers the patient particularly little or particularly badly. For example, some patients have hardly any problems with tinnitus during the day, but do have problems when falling asleep.
Simple and efficient relief could in some cases be
in the bedroom.
The declared aim of counseling is to encourage patients and show them the best ways to deal with the noises in their ears.
An important treatment method for chronic tinnitus is habituation therapy. The best-known form is tinnitus retraining therapy. In addition to counseling, TRT includes noise therapy.
The aim of the treatment is to divert the sufferer's attention away from the ear noise. This allows the tinnitus to fade into the background.
A tinnitus masker is used for this purpose. The small device is designed to drown out the ringing in the ears and completely cancel it out over the course of treatment. In contrast to this is the tinnitus noiser, which does not mask the noise but distracts from the tinnitus by means of background noise.
Both variants are used over a longer period of time, but success is not guaranteed.
Drug treatment only makes sense in the acute form. Medication should
in the inner ear.
The following are prescribed
The specialist for people with ringing in the ears is the ear, nose and throat specialist. They can determine whether the cause is a cold, earwax blocking the ear canal or whether it is a sudden loss of hearing. Problems with the cervical spine or temporomandibular joint can also affect the functioning of the ears. The doctors listed here are highly qualified tinnitus specialists.
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