What is that ringing?
Nearly 50 million people in the USA have tinnitus. Tinnitus may be described as a ringing, hissing or other noise heard in the ears or head, when there is no outside source for the sound. Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom of an underlying condition in some part of the body, ear, auditory nerve, brain or elsewhere. Most people who experience tinnitus are able to ignore it, although, about 12 million Americans cannot tolerate the sounds. When this happens it can interfere with the ability to sleep, concentrate, hold a job and interact socially. The causes of tinnitus are largely unkown although exposure to loud noise from a single blast or long term noise exposure are the most common explanations. “Do I have tinnitus?” The answer to that question is, if you hear it you have it. So, “what do I do about it?” First, get a thorough medical and audiological exam. This may uncover a treatable cause and point you to the most appropriate treatment. Two types of treatment are masking and am
