Tinnitus is seemingly mysterious and moreover it is actually false perception of sound that brain makes the person believe in. And in no way, can the person suffering from this condition is able to distinguish between real worldly sound and the sound that he/she hears due to the problem of Tinnitus. Till very recent time, people thought of it as mystical and caused due to influence of supernatural powers. However, the advancement in the medical science and a deeper understanding of how human ear works and how brain processes sound signals, now, Tinnitus is no more a mystery. Some of the regular facts about the condition are as follows.
What is Tinnitus?
It is a condition when brain starts perceiving sound even when there is no actual source present. This is possible due to damaged hair cells present in the inner ear and also due to improper functioning of auditory nerves. When there is damage in either of the part, brain falsely anticipate incoming sound signals and when it does not receive any signal, then it enhances its perception, which result in ability to hear even without any source of sound. In some people, brain start perceiving somatic sounds which otherwise go ignored.
Who suffers from this problem?
Away from common perception that people suffering from problems related to brain suffers from this disease, it can impact anyone that has developed problems related to nerves of their inner ear. However, in normal circumstances, it is related to aging or abuse of drugs that cause hindrance in conversion of sound wave into signals that brain can perceive and understand. People, especially men above age of 40 are more prone to this disease.
What causes Tinnitus?
General wear and tear of the nerve ending caused due to aging is believed to be one of the primary causes of Tinnitus. It is also caused if the middle ear and outer ear get blocked due to impacted wax deposit or due to tumors. Certain types of drugs, popularly known as ototoxic drugs are also believed to have serious impact on hearing process causing Tinnitus.
Are there any treatments for Tinnitus?
In most of the cases there are no treatments for this condition. Tinnitus is caused due to impacted hair cells and auditory nerves which are too complex to be treated. Further, Tinnitus is considered a precursor to hearing loss and therefore, doctors do prescribe hearing aid for such condition.
And as a matter of fact, the hearing aids work well as treatment. The aids magnify the outside sound and constantly provide brain with real sound signals and thereby allowing it to lower the gain. Though some of the placebo treatments have been known to work for the condition, there are no proof of any particular treatment working in most of the cases.
How to manage this condition?
The best way to live with Tinnitus is to manage the condition and keep it under control. Use of hearing aids and managing stress help people manage the condition effectively. Tinnitus retraining therapy and Cognitive Behavioral therapy are also known to be highly effective in managing Tinnitus.
Conclusion
Though the problem of Tinnitus seems difficult to manage, but proper consultation, guidance and help from expert speech and hearing therapist can make things a lot easier. As a matter of fact, not everyone continue to suffer from this problem and a consultation with an expert audiologist can reveal the cause in your case and may be your case can be treated easily and effectively.
What is Tinnitus?
It is a condition when brain starts perceiving sound even when there is no actual source present. This is possible due to damaged hair cells present in the inner ear and also due to improper functioning of auditory nerves. When there is damage in either of the part, brain falsely anticipate incoming sound signals and when it does not receive any signal, then it enhances its perception, which result in ability to hear even without any source of sound. In some people, brain start perceiving somatic sounds which otherwise go ignored.
Who suffers from this problem?
Away from common perception that people suffering from problems related to brain suffers from this disease, it can impact anyone that has developed problems related to nerves of their inner ear. However, in normal circumstances, it is related to aging or abuse of drugs that cause hindrance in conversion of sound wave into signals that brain can perceive and understand. People, especially men above age of 40 are more prone to this disease.
What causes Tinnitus?
General wear and tear of the nerve ending caused due to aging is believed to be one of the primary causes of Tinnitus. It is also caused if the middle ear and outer ear get blocked due to impacted wax deposit or due to tumors. Certain types of drugs, popularly known as ototoxic drugs are also believed to have serious impact on hearing process causing Tinnitus.
Are there any treatments for Tinnitus?
In most of the cases there are no treatments for this condition. Tinnitus is caused due to impacted hair cells and auditory nerves which are too complex to be treated. Further, Tinnitus is considered a precursor to hearing loss and therefore, doctors do prescribe hearing aid for such condition.
And as a matter of fact, the hearing aids work well as treatment. The aids magnify the outside sound and constantly provide brain with real sound signals and thereby allowing it to lower the gain. Though some of the placebo treatments have been known to work for the condition, there are no proof of any particular treatment working in most of the cases.
How to manage this condition?
The best way to live with Tinnitus is to manage the condition and keep it under control. Use of hearing aids and managing stress help people manage the condition effectively. Tinnitus retraining therapy and Cognitive Behavioral therapy are also known to be highly effective in managing Tinnitus.
Conclusion
Though the problem of Tinnitus seems difficult to manage, but proper consultation, guidance and help from expert speech and hearing therapist can make things a lot easier. As a matter of fact, not everyone continue to suffer from this problem and a consultation with an expert audiologist can reveal the cause in your case and may be your case can be treated easily and effectively.
Thanks for the informative article. There are few well-known Hearing Loss Clinic in Kolkata who provide hearing loss treatment in kolkata. Looking forward to more informative articles from you.
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