Ringing in the Ears
Tinnitus is thought to affect 50 million Americans. It usually occurs after the age of 50 years, but children and adolescents can experience it, too.
Common causes are excessive or cumulative noise exposure, head and neck injuries, and ear infections. It can occasionally indicate a serious underlying medical condition.
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways of managing it. Most people with chronic tinnitus adjust to the ringing over time, but 1 in 5 will find it disturbing or debilitating.
For some, it can lead to insomnia, difficulty with concentration, poor work or school performance, irritability, anxiety, and depression.
- Around 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus.
- Most tinnitus is due to damage to the cochlea, or inner ear.
- Certain medications can cause or worsen tinnitus, for example, aspirin, particularly in large doses.
- People with tinnitus may be over-sensitive to loud noise.
- Most people learn to live with tinnitus, but help is available for those who find this difficult.
What is tinnitus?
What to Expect During a Tinnitus Test
If we can determine a diagnosis and address the condition causing your tinnitus, we may also be able to treat that condition and relieve your symptoms. If we can’t identify a specific cause of your tinnitus, we will recommend other treatment options.
During a tinnitus evaluation, an audiologist will administer:
- An in-depth written and verbal interview.
- A complete physical examination of your auditory system.
- A pure tone and ultra-high frequency audiometry test.
Speech reception and word recognition tests. - An otoacoustic emissions test.
Additional tests, studies and evaluations.