The word Tinnitus comes from the Latin word tinnire meaning to ring. Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears, which comes from within the head without an external source of sound. Tinnitus can be long term, about one out off 100 people suffer from long term Tinnitus. Many however, suffer from temporary Tinnitus due to things like loud noises like loud music or gunfire, which will cause the ringing in your ears to be temporary.

Tinnitus is most common in the elderly, but can occur at any age including young children. The ringing maybe heard in one or both ears and can even seem as if it is coming from the middle of your head. It may seem to get worse when it is quite such as, at night when going to bed, this is because there isn’t any background noise to distract you from the ringing in your ears so the ringing seems more pronounced.

Estimates show that ten to 20 percent of the population, in some degree, are affected by tinnitus. For many people it is a minor annoyance that they tend to learn to live with. However, for others it is an unbearable annoyance because it causes a lack of concentration, insomnia, and even depression.

Symptoms of Tinnitus? There are no symptoms for Tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition Therefore there are no symptoms. In most cases, Tinnitus is not harmful as most are associated with old age. Today Tinnitus is developing in people in a much younger age than it did twenty years because twenty years ago the world was much quieter than it is today.

Tinnitus can is described by most as a steady ringing that does not go away however, some have described it as buzzing, roaring, hissing, or whistling, none of which come from an external source of sound. Many who suffer from Tinnitus have a hard time hearing due to the loudness of the ringing but there are a few that the Tinnitus causes more sensitive hearing so noises at normal levels seem to be excessively loud to them.

Causes of Tinnitus: The main cause of tinnitus is damage to the nerves that pick up sound in the ear or more specific, the cochlea (inner Ear). The nerves on the cochlea pick up sound impulses and send them to the brains auditory system where the brain interprets the impulses. When the nerves are damaged, they send false impulses to the brain and the brain interprets these impulses as ringing or other some sound. This is what is causing the ringing in your ears.

Tinnitus in the elderly is due to the loss of sensitivity of the nerve endings, which also causes hearing loss. Tinnitus in younger people it more likely to be caused by being in places where loud noises are present for long periods, eventually damaging the nerves in the cochlea.

You do not have to live with Tinnitus even though there is no cure for Tinnitus. There are things you can do to significantly reduce the ringing in your ears to a level that is much easier to live with.

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