Tinnitus [tin-night-us] is the medical term for noise that originates within the ear rather than from the outside environment. Tinnitus is also called "ear ringing," although some people hear busy buzzing sounds, loud humming, rushing noises like water, sounds like a train whistling, or even clicking noises. Everyone describes and indeed, experience tinnitus in a completely different way, with some saying the noises are in the middle of the head.



Tinnitus is a condition, not a disease. Tinnitus is a "result of" type condition, what this means is that it occurs because of an event that triggered the tinnitus, like stress often also is likely to be as a result of inner and middle ear infections; or diseases of the inner ear such as meniere's syndrome. Many over the counter drugs and medications can cause tinnitus.

It appears that tinnitus crops up in 4 main areas, in the middle of the head, inner ear, outer ear and middle ear. Quite separate from the tinnitus, individuals have headaches, pressure feelings and dizziness.

Most tinnitus stems from damage to the microscopic endings of the inner ear hearing nerve. We have literally millions of these auditory nerve cells in the inner ear that are charged electrically. Each and every one of those cells are covered with minute hairs. As sound waves reach these hairs they move much like a field of wheat moves in the wind. The movement sends a trigger to the cell, telling it to discharge electricity through the auditory nerve. When this electric impulse reaches the brain it is interpreted as a sound.

When the cilia (those tiny hairs) become damaged or bent, they cannot operate properly and random movement occurs. The auditory cells then "leak" electrical impulses at random, which your brain interprets as sound.

It is an accepted fact that although the hearing system degenerates with age 90% of tinnitus cases are a result of exposure to loud noise. Individuals who are genetically predisposed to hardening of the arteries or people who are in the military are almost certain to have tinnitus to some degree.

Not all tinnitus is a ringing sound, some sufferers experience pulsing sounds. Tonal tinnitus is the "ringing in the ears" type and produces a continuous sound, like a single note playing over and over. Pulsatile tinnitus produces sounds that are intermittent, continuous, or pulsating in unison with the heartbeat.

Although tinnitus is only really a condition, it can often be experienced with hearing loss. Over 90% of all people with tinnitus also have cochlear damage and tinnitus. Therefore, hearing tests are essential before a proper diagnosis of tinnitus may be determined. People who have tinnitus are afraid that they will become deaf, but tinnitus does not cause people to become deaf