Pienaar born audiologist provide answers to tinnitus
Over time the sounds from your headphones cause the hair cells in the cochlea to bend down too much. Such exposure to loud noise is the cause of tinnitus.
Listening to loud music on headphones might be the in thing, but this could have negative effects on the inner ear, resulting in what audiologists call “induced hearing loss”.
Over time the sounds from your headphones cause the hair cells in the cochlea to bend down too much. Such exposure to loud noise is the cause of tinnitus. This is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds in the ear.
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“The noise can be intermittent and can vary in loudness. It is often worse when the background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you are trying to fall asleep in a quiet room,” says Vusi Msimango, a local audiologist. Msimango says the condition can occur in one or both ears and is common among all age groups.
Below Msimango provides answers to some of the frequently asked questions about tinnitus.
 Is tinnitus a common problem? Yes. Almost everyone, at one time or another, has experienced periods of light buzzing or other sounds in the ear. Some people suffer more bothersome and constant types of tinnitus. A third of all adults experience tinnitus at some point in their life. Between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of adults have prolonged tinnitus that requires a medical evaluation. One thing is for sure: it is not imaginary.
• Is tinnitus a disease? No. Just like fevers or headaches, it occurs with many different illnesses and it is a common symptom of many problems. If a person has tinnitus, the cause is most likely never discovered.
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• What causes tinnitus? Exposure to loud noises, excess wax, migraines, head injuries, drugs or medications that are harmful to hearing (ototoxic), anemia, hypertension, tumours, excessive consumption of coffee and smoking may trigger the condition.
• Why is tinnitus worse at night? During the day, the distractions of daily activities and the sounds that surround us make tinnitus less noticeable. When silence surrounds us, tinnitus seems louder and annoying. Fatigue and tension can also make tinnitus worse.
• How is tinnitus diagnosed? Tinnitus is a symptom of a problem. The first thing to do is find the primary cause. A medical examination should be done, paying special attention to conditions associated with tinnitus. A full evaluation should also be done with an audiologist to determine if it is hearing loss that is causing the tinnitus.
• What is the treatment for tinnitus? The most effective treatment for tinnitus is elimination of the primary cause. In some cases, tinnitus may be a symptom of a treatable medical condition. Unfortunately, in many cases it is impossible to determine the cause of tinnitus, or the medical or surgical treatment. In these cases you can control it by wearing hearing aids, getting advice from audiologists, habituation therapy and getting tinnitus maskers from audiologists.
