Tinnitus » Ringing In Ears

Tinnitus Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding These Two Incurable Conditions

Fritz — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:49:54 +0000

There are a number of disorders that lead to tinnitus. Multiple sclerosis is just one of them, and it is a degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis leads to a variety of symptoms due to the deterioration of muscle coordination and sensation. One of the symptoms could be tinnitus, a mysterious condition linked to a number of problems in the neural pathways in the brain. The connection may be explained though vaguely. The involvement of damaged neurons is one factor that could be looked into.

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is actually an autoimmune disease that specifically affects the brain tissue and the spinal cord. What happens is that the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which is a fatty layer that insulates the nerve cells. The cells of the immune system gain entry to the nervous system and treat myelin sheaths like viruses. The attack causes damage to the protective covering of nerve cells as well as inflammation. When the nerve cells lose the protective covering, their ability to transmit signals is jeopardized. The nerves themselves deteriorate in a matter of time, and this degeneration is irreversible.

The extent of nerve damage varies from person to person, and the severity of the symptoms depends on the degree of damage to the nerves. Since the central nervous system is affected, various conditions can occur, affecting different parts of the body and impairing different functions gradually. Some people at the advanced stage of multiple sclerosis suffer from inability to walk or talk.

In some cases, people with the disease may suffer from ringing in the ears or tinnitus. Multiple sclerosis destroys the nerves, giving rise to various symptoms. Ringing in the ears is just one symptom which is much more benign than other ailments brought about by the initial disorder. There is little literature that tackled the connection between tinnitus and multiple sclerosis. Possibly, the deterioration of the nerves leads to generation of awry impulses, which the brain “hears” as noise.

Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis presents challenge in the field of medicine because it is hard to spot the signs at an early stage. Patients testify experiencing symptoms that come and go, and sometimes several months in between attacks. The symptoms also mimic those of other diseases. Furthermore, there is no definite treatment for the disorder. Treatments are only geared to counteract symptoms.

What about tinnitus?

Well, tinnitus or ringing in the ear is just one of the symptoms of many disorders, including multiple sclerosis. However, the prevalence of multiple sclerosis is low relative to that of the other diseases, and the chances that it may bring about tinnitus is also low. Tinnitus isn’t one of the major symptoms of this disease. The more common cause of tinnitus is noise exposure, and this kind of tinnitus is characterized by ringing in the ear.

Other causes of tinnitus are Meniere’s disease, acoustic neuroma, and ear infection. There are more than a hundred diseases that cause tinnitus. However, majority of the cases of tinnitus cannot be cured either because the causal disorder is in itself incurable or because no underlying disorder is identified. Multiple sclerosis is one of the incurable causes of tinnitus. If it causes relentlessly intrusive tinnitus, then various ways to live with tinnitus will be offered to the patient. Normally, that ringing or buzzing in the ear may be managed without professional help. There are only a few instances wherein it presents itself as a life-changing and persistently bothering condition.

Treatment Options

If tinnitus occurs with multiple sclerosis, then the latter is most probably the culprit. Medical treatment of tinnitus involves targeting the cause. In this case, it is multiple sclerosis that deserves more medical attention. There are treatments that reduce severity of attacks. Such treatments include corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation caused by abnormal immune response. There are also drugs that delay progress of the disease. Beta interferons slow the rate at which symptoms worsen, but such treatments cause liver damage over time. There are also drugs that help control the immune system, such as Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Glatiramer. None of these medications will have direct effect on your tinnitus, although they are designed to counteract the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Intrusive tinnitus can be managed through known options discrete from treatments known for multiple sclerosis. Some of the effective management options are sound therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. Since you may be taking medications for multiple sclerosis, it may not be suitable to take drugs for tinnitus. They are not too effective anyway.

When to See Your Doctor

Be wary of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis because they resemble symptoms of other diseases. Go to your doctor when you experience numbness, blurring of vision, electric shock sensation when turning your head, tremors, loss of balance, and dizziness. If you have had these symptoms for some time, get an appointment with your doctor. At the same time, if you suffer from bothersome tinnitus, it’s wise to have your health evaluated. Ask your doctor for safe ways to deal with tinnitus.

Hearing High Pitch Sound: Tinnitus Explained

Fritz — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:56:31 +0000

Millions of people suffer from hearing noises that only they can hear. The condition of incessant noise perception is called tinnitus. The noise originates internally, so a tinnitus sufferer hears the noise even if he covers his ears. Majority of people with this condition testify they are hearing high pitch sound. Tinnitus can be benign, but it can also be intrusive and can give rise to other problems like depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

How Tinnitus Occurs

Ringing in the ears or tinnitus is due to an abnormality in the auditory system. Usually it is caused by damage to the inner ears brought about by repeated exposure to loud noise. Since the beginning of industrialization, the world has become a noisier place. Technology somehow wrecked many ears.

What happens is that loud noise destroys the tiny cells in the cochlea called the hair cells. These cells transmit auditory signals to the auditory nerve, which in turn transmits the impulses to the brain. The brain processes the impulses, and that is how you hear.

When hair cells are damaged, they function in a funny way. They fire random signals. The brain picks such random signals as noise. According to scientists, this is how you hear the internal noises. The bad thing is that damage to hair cells is irreversible. No cure has been invented yet to correct this damage.

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Connection

Many people with tinnitus have some form of hearing loss, and at the same time many people with hearing loss also have tinnitus. The connection between is easy to understand, considering both are caused by similar factors. Noise that destroys the hair cells may cause sensorineural hearing loss as well as tinnitus. However, researchers have pointed out a more complex generation of tinnitus, in which the neural auditory pathways are involved. Activation of certain neural networks, for instance, has been observed in studies. Brain imaging scans have also displayed overactive sites in the brain in people with tinnitus.

Scientists believe that when people suffer from hearing loss, the brain tries to compensate to the lack of auditory input. Some neurons are activated and the brain’s awareness to any available impulse is heightened. This is responsible for the perception of internal noise that is usually absent in normal individuals. The brain’s awareness is heightened when it receives less amount of auditory impulse. This explains why even people without hearing loss may hear such phantom noise under extremely quiet conditions.

Degrees of Tinnitus

Most people with tinnitus suffer from mild ringing only. Mild tinnitus usually does not need medical attention because it only becomes apparent under quiet conditions. It cannot be heard during daytime amid the environmental noise. Moderate tinnitus is more intrusive, with sufferers hearing high pitch sound at certain times of the day. Moderate ringing in the ears can be managed through masking. Severe tinnitus is the most intrusive and may be present even when your surrounding is noise-laden. Simple masking will not alleviate severe tinnitus in most cases.

What Tinnitus Sounds Like

The experience of having tinnitus varies from person to person. Generally it sounds like a high pitch noise or a light high frequency sound that seems to cut through your ear. Some people say that they seem to hear a hovering noise. While many hear a high pitched single tone, others hear multiple tones. There are also cases of tinnitus which are described to have no tonal properties (thumping or roaring noises inside the ears). There is no exact explanation why such differences occur.

Unilateral and Bilateral Tinnitus

Tinnitus patients either hear one or both ears ringing. If only one ear is ringing, it’s called unilateral tinnitus. If both ears are ringing, it’s called bilateral tinnitus. More people suffer from unilateral tinnitus, but bilateral tinnitus is not uncommon either. One-side ringing is commonly associated with hearing damage or noise-induced damage and hearing loss. Other causes are Meniere’s disease or acoustic neuroma. Bilateral tinnitus occurs in a number of patients with cardiovascular problems. Many cases involve tinnitus that is more pronounced in one ear.

Subjective and Objective Tinnitus

A huge proportion of tinnitus statistics involves cases of subjective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus is only heard by the patient himself. More than 90 percent of the people with tinnitus have this form of the condition. No instrument has been invented yet that can detect the presence of this tinnitus. Doctors only rely on the testimony of the patient during the assessment. The amount of masking needed may determine the degree of tinnitus though.

Objective tinnitus can be detected by someone else. A doctor using his stethoscope can detect the noises heard by the patient, although not all the time. Objective tinnitus is commonly due to abnormal blood circulation in the ears or near the ears brought about by cardiovascular problems and abnormal formation of blood vessel networks in or around the ears.

Idiopathic Tinnitus

Treatment for tinnitus involves determining the cause. However, about half the cases of tinnitus have been reported to exist alone without a causative disorder. Since tinnitus is classified as a symptom and not a disorder, then it’s only appropriate that a disorder is present when tinnitus is diagnosed. The absence of a disorder indicates idiopathy. Idiopathic tinnitus is treated through conventional methods like masking, cognitive behavioral therapy, and alternative therapies.

Understanding Acoustic Neuroma and Tinnitus

Fritz — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:55:55 +0000

An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that grows on the vestibulocochlear nerve (also called acoustic or auditory nerve), which is the nerve responsible for transmitting auditory information from the inner ears to the brain. This nerve is also known as the 8th cranial nerve, and is the hearing and balance nerve. Hence, a tumor on this nerve can cause hearing and balance problems. A growing benign tumor on the acoustic nerve can lead to unilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Hence, acoustic neuroma and tinnitus can occur at the same time.

Acoustic neuroma can be also called vestibular schwannoma. Compared to other causes of hearing loss, it is relatively an uncommon one. The tumor grows slowly in usual cases, but in rare cases the tumor grows rapidly. A rapidly growing tumor on the nerve can exert pressure on surrounding tissues and organs like the brain. When it presses against the brain, it disrupts the important functions of the affected part. The symptoms arise as the neighboring structures, nerves, brain tissue, and blood vessels are affected. However, the tumor does not need to grow in size for symptoms to manifest. Even a relatively small tumor can give rise to significant symptoms.

Symptoms of acoustic neuroma are hearing loss, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, vertigo or dizziness, and facial numbness or weakness. The hearing loss associated with acoustic neuroma and tinnitus is usually more pronounced on one side or only occurs on one side. The development of hearing impairment in people with the disorder is gradual. Tinnitus is also on one side only or more obvious on one ear. The growth of tumor on the vestibulocochlear nerve disrupts signals that register balance on the brain. As a result patients suffer from loss of balance. Facial numbness, on the other hand, is a result of the tumor pressing against the trigeminal nerve. Rarely, the tumor can grow too big that it causes life-threatening pressure to the brainstem.

There is no need to wait for the symptoms to become worse before you seek doctor’s attention. Once you suffer from muffled hearing on one ear, ringing in one ear, and vertigo or dizziness, you have to see your doctor. Consider going to your doctor even more if you are suffering from these symptoms often. Even though the disorder rarely is life-threatening, it still needs to be seen and monitored. This way, the symptoms can be managed more appropriately.
How the tumor develops remains vague, but experts point out that it has something to do with a genetic mutation. The frequency of such tumors occurring in the population is meager. Only from ten to thirteen people in every one million have the problem, but there is no precise data on this. Studies also suggest that the disorder is not inherited. In other words, it occurs randomly among people.

It seems that many disorders involving the structures in the inner ears are hard to understand. Acoustic neuroma and tinnitus are two conditions that are difficult to understand. Tinnitus is just one of the symptoms of a tumor growing on the acoustic nerve, but it can also appear as a symptom of other disorders like temporomandibular joint misalignment or Meniere’s disease. The cure for tinnitus depends on the primary disorder that causes it. If it is caused by acoustic neuroma, then this disorder should be treated.

There are different ways to treat and manage acoustic neuroma. The simplest way to treat it is by plain monitoring to find out if it is growing rapidly or not. Such benign tumor does not usually grow fast, but there are cases when it develops rapidly and cause drastic symptoms. Monitoring is done through imaging and hearing tests which are done once or twice a year. The aim is to observe the growth rate of the tumor and to check the rate at which hearing impairment proceeds.

A type of treatment for acoustic neuroma involves the use of gamma radiation. It is called stereotactic radiosurgery, which is a method that delivers radiation to the tumor. There is no need to make an incision. Instead, a doctor uses imaging scans and directs radiation beams to the tumor. This option can work if your tumor is small, and it may also be used to acoustic neuroma in people who do not need invasive surgical procedure. However, it takes time for this procedure to take effect, and there are risks, too, such as hearing loss, balance problems, and facial weakness.

In dire cases, the tumor on the nerve should be removed surgically. Doctors try their best to remove the tumor without affecting the facial nerve to avoid facial paralysis. Utmost care is exercised to limit the damage done to the nerve itself. Damaged acoustic nerve can lead to deafness. The patient needs to stay in the hospital for about a week. Recuperation takes more than a month. This one has worse risks due to the greater chances of structures being affected during the surgery. Sometimes, instead of alleviating the problem it worsens it. Doctors should explain to their patients the possible complications of the operation.

People with acoustic neuroma and tinnitus should be able to deal with the discomfort and the bothersome symptoms. Reading information about this condition is important in knowing it. Aside from that, you can also get information from your own doctor and from other patients as well.

The Difference Between Subjective and Objective Tinnitus

Fritz — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:12:02 +0000

Tinnitus is a condition that affects our hearing. It normally creates an incessant noise in one or both ears. This noise may sound like a ringing, clicking, hissing, buzzing, chirping, whooshing or roaring. Aside from that, it is not exactly a disease but just a symptom of an underlying health problem. Once you hear the noise that tinnitus brings, it is imperative to consult your physician and learn more about this condition. One of the most important things that you must know, apart from what your tinnitus ringing in ears treatments options are, is the difference between subjective and objective tinnitus. Below is a brief discussion of what these kinds of tinnitus are.

Objective tinnitus basically creates a noise that can also be heard by other people aside from the person who has it. Usually, it is caused by muscle spasms that result to a clicking or crackling sound. Pulsatile tinnitus which is caused by the abnormality in the blood flow and brings about a noise that sounds like a heartbeat is one of the most common types of objective tinnitus.

On the other hand, the noise that a subjective kind of tinnitus brings may only be heard by the person who has it. The most common cause of this kind of tinnitus is hearing loss which is oftentimes a result of the over or sudden exposure to loud levels of sounds. Apart from that, ototoxity or the intake of ototoxic drugs like aspirin is also blamed for the noise that subjective tinnitus creates.

There are so many things that you must know about tinnitus before you get any kind of medical treatment for tinnitus. Moreover, remember that there are so many things that you can do not only to make your condition better but also to avoid acquiring it. Be aware of this devastating condition and protect yourself from it.

Tinnitus and Hypothroidism – The Importance of Knowing the Real Culprit of the Noise in Your Ears

Fritz — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:10:41 +0000

Tinnitus is practically one of the many unwanted ear conditions that affects millions and millions of people around the world. What basically makes this ear problem frightening is the fact that it not necessarily a disease but only an indication that you might be suffering from a mild or serious health problem. One very good example is the relationship between tinnitus and hypothroidism.

When you start hearing the noise that tinnitus brings, you should not immediately look or buy a tinnitus ringing ears cure. Although you may be able to find plenty of materials from the internet when it comes to a tinnitus cure, you should first identify what causes your tinnitus. You should consult a professional in this area and make sure to undergo the right medical tests that can help you get a grip of the disease that actually caused your ears to ring.

Remember that if you want to get rid of tinnitus, you must be able to get rid of what causes it first. Aside from that, as mentioned above, some of these tinnitus causing diseases can be very serious and life threatening such as hypothyroidism. Thus, do not aggravate your condition by the making use of the wrong ears ringing treatment or taking the wrong medication. Be informed about tinnitus and take the right measures to stop it.