T-Gone Tinnitus Remedies: The Smartest Tinnitus Treatment Ever

Tinnitus ( or ,American Tinnitus Association | Home | Help For Ringing In The Ears from the Latin word Category: wikt:en - :tinnitus#Latin|tinn?tus meaning "ringing"Dictionary of tinnitus - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary) is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.

Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, screaming, humming, tinging or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "tree frogs" or "locusts", tunes, songs, or beeping.RNID.org.uk: Information and resources: Tinnitus: About tinnitus: What is tinnitus It has also been described as a "wooshing" sound, as of wind or waves. Tinnitus can be intermittent or it can be continuous. In the latter case, this "phantom" sound can create great distress in the sufferer.

Tinnitus is not itself a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes that can include ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear, nose allergies that prevent (or induce) fluid drain and cause wax build-up, and injury from loud noises. Tinnitus is also a side-effect of some oral medications, such as aspirin, and may also result from an abnormally low level of serotonin activity. It is also a classical side effect of Quinidine, a Class IA anti-arrhythmic. In many cases, however, no underlying physical cause can be identified.

Most people with tinnitus have hearing loss,Nicolas-Puel C, Faulconbridge RL, Guitton M, Puel JL, Mondain M, Uziel A. (2002). Characteristics of tinnitus and etiology of associated hearing loss: a study of 123 patients.Int Tinnitus J. 8(1):37-44. PMID 14763234 in that they are often unable to properly hear external sounds which occur within the same range of frequencies as their "phantom sounds." König O, Schaette R, Kempter R, Gross M. (2006). Course of hearing loss and occurrence of tinnitus. Hear Res. 221(1-2):59-64. PMID 16962270 This has led to the suggestion that one cause of tinnitus might be a homeostatic response of central dorsal cochlear nucleus auditory neurons that makes them hyperactive in compensation to auditory input loss.Schaette R, Kempter R. (2006). Development of tinnitus-related neuronal hyperactivity through homeostatic plasticity after hearing loss: a computational model. Eur J Neurosci. 23(11):3124-38. PMID 16820003

The sound perceived may range from a quiet background noise to one that can be heard even over loud external sounds. The term "tinnitus" usually refers to more severe cases. Heller and Bergman (1953) conducted a study of 100 tinnitus-free university students placed in an anechoic chamber and found that 93% reported hearing a buzzing, pulsing or whistling sound. Cohort studies have demonstrated that damage to hearing (among other health effects) from unnatural levels of noise exposure is very widespread in industrialized countries.

As tinnitus is often defined as a subjective phenomenon, it is difficult to measure using objective tests, such as by comparison with noise of known frequency and intensity, as in an audiometric test. The condition is often rated clinically on a simple scale from "slight" to "catastrophic" according to the practical difficulties it imposes, such as interference with sleep, quiet activities, and normal daily activities.Guidelines for the Grading of Tinnitus Severity For research purposes, the more elaborate Tinnitus Handicap Inventory is often used.[http://www.medicdirect.co.uk/self_Exam/default.ihtml?step=5&cid=46]