Here And Now
Tinnitus Awareness Month Part 1 - Tinnitus & It's Causes
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the term used to describe the sensation of hearing a sound in the absence of any external noise.
The exact causes of tinnitus are not fully understood, it can manifest in various ways.
People often describe hearing ringing, buzzing, whooshing, or humming sounds, these can be continuous or intermittent. Tinnitus can be present in one or both ears but can also feel as if it originates from the centre of the head.
Tinnitus is an extremely common condition affecting people of any age.
Approximately 30% of the population will experience tinnitus at some point during their lives, around 14% (or one in seven) live with persistent tinnitus.
Tinnitus is commonly reported in individuals with hearing loss or other ear-related issues, it can also occur in those without any hearing problems at all.
The effects of tinnitus in daily life varies widely from person to person, those struggling to adapt to normal daily activities dealing with tinnitus are recommended to seek advice from one of our audiologists.
What causes Tinnitus?
The exact causes of tinnitus remain unclear, it is not a disease or illness.
Tinnitus is widely understood to result from some form of change in the body, whether mental or physical, and this change is not necessarily related to hearing.
The process of hearing involves sound entering the ear and being transmitted via hearing nerves to the brain, which then interprets and makes sense of these signals.
The ears constantly send a vast amount of information to the brain, much of which is unnecessary background noise, such as ticking clocks or traffic sounds. The brain efficiently filters out this excess information to focus on what is important.
When there is a change in the auditory system; hearing loss, ear infection, blocked earwax—the volume and nature of the signals sent to the brain are altered. In response to this change, the brain attempts to compensate by seeking additional information from the ears. Increased activity can result in the perception of noise - tinnitus. Tinnitus is essentially a manifestation of brain activity and not solely a condition of the ear.
Fluctuations in stress levels or significant life changes can lead to the onset of tinnitus. Tinnitus may emerge after a stressful event and become increasingly noticeable; this condition often diminishes once the triggering factors subside. There is no cure for persistent tinnitus, speak to one of our qualified audiologists about treatment to help with symptoms.