Humming. Buzzing. Beating.
Ringing. Roaring. Whooshing. Chirping. These are words
used to describe the abnormal sound that millions of people
hear in one or both ears. The technical term for this
noise is tinnitus (tin-NY-tus). It is usually a symptom
of damage to the auditory cells of the inner ear and associated
with temporary as well as permanent hearing loss.
For most people tinnitus can be intermittent and is not
given a second thought, but for many it can be a constant
and debilitating problem interfering with daily activates
and significantly disrupt sleep.
The leading cause of tinnitus is prolonged exposure to
loud noise. A loud noise is anything that measures above
85 decibels. This includes lawnmowers and snow blowers,
power tools, snowmobiles, car horns, music and gunshots.
There are also a rising number of younger people complaining
of chronic tinnitus due to the use of earphones when listening
to loud music.
The length of the exposure is also crucial. If you are
mowing your lawn for 30 minutes once a week you most likely
will not experience any damage to the ears. However, people
that are habitually exposed to loud noises, like in their
work environment, are at a high risk for damage that may
include not just tinnitus, but hearing loss as well.
For unprotected ears, noise exposure should be limited
to less than 90 decibels over eight hours, 95 decibels
over a four-hour period of time, and less than two hours
for any noise that reaches 100 decibels. As a general
rule, if you have to shout over the noise to make yourself
heard, it's loud enough to damage your ears.
Some other causes of tinnitus include long term use of
certain medications, trauma sustained to the head and
neck, sinus infections, vestibular disorders such as Meniere's
disease, a stiffening of the bones of the middle ear (or
otosclerosis), Lyme disease, vitamin deficiency, lead
exposure, vascular disorders such as arteriosclerosis
and high blood pressure, and even high stress levels.
Treatment of tinnitus depends on the cause. If the problem
is due to consistent exposure to loud noise (especially
in the work environment), simply decreasing the sound
and exposure levels, or wearing a hearing protector (such
as earplugs or earmuffs), may diminish the symptoms. If
the sound in your ears is due to a medical condition,
such as an infection, your physician may be able to treat
the underlying problem.
Hearing aids may be prescribed for those with age-related
degenerative hearing loss. For those cases of tinnitus
that are not associated with any specific cause, there
are a variety of treatments available including medication,
dietary adjustments such as limiting salt intake, masking
devices (using white noise to desensitize the person to
the sound), counseling, and of course, prevention.
An abnormal noise in your ears is annoying but not dangerous.
If a person has symptoms of tinnitus that are becoming
consistent or intense, an examination by your physician
is warranted to rule out any contributory factors. Your
doctor may then refer you to an otolaryngologist - a ear,
nose and throat doctor - for a more detailed examination
of your ears and hearing.
MORE
INFORMATION
Lisa Brown, PT, is a senior
physical therapist at Spaulding Framingham Outpatient
Center. She has a bachelor of science degree in physical
therapy from the University of Vermont and is certified
in Vestibular Rehabilitation. She has extensive experience
treating patients with neurological disorders.
Music without words means leaving behind the mind. And leaving behind the mind is meditation.
Meditation returns you to the source. And the source of all is sound. — Kabir
The Healing Music Organization and The Healing Music Foundation
P.O. Box 3731, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 - 831.588.7498
Any questions, problems or suggestions please contact
us.
Healingmusic.org and "A Really Good HMO" are trademarks of The Healing Music Organization.
All other products and services mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective organizations.
Copyright
2000-2007, Amrita Cottrell and The Healing Music Organization. All rights
reserved.
Go
to feedback form