Often accompanying other conditions, tinnitus is defined as constant noise or ringing in the ears.
This highly distracting problem can ruin a person's ability to perceive his or her environment or to concentrate.
Surprisingly, this medical condition is fairly common and may affect one in five individuals.
The people who are typically impacted are the elderly, people who have suffered injuries to the ear, those who have experienced hearing loss, or people with some sort of circulatory system problem.
The persistent sensation that people experience in their ear can be more than just ringing.
It can include buzzing, roaring, clicking, and hissing noises.
Regardless of the type of noise, tinnitus can have a serious impact on your quality of life.
For example, you may not be able to hear actual conversations or sounds going on around you.
Also, you may perceive these phantom noises as actual sounds from your environment.
The good news is that this condition, while highly irritating, does not usually indicate deadly consequences or an extremely serious disorder.
It is prudent, nonetheless, to consult with your physician if you do experience ringing or strange noises, because your doctor may be able to pinpoint the underlying condition.
For example, you may have never realized that a minor injury to your cranial region has caused damage to the bones or tissues of your ear.
Additionally, circulatory system problems may go undetected until you experience strange side effects such as ringing of the ear.
Another common cause of ringing may be build-up of earwax that has become infected.
Treatment for tinnitus comes in two main forms.
In one form, the physician can treat the underlying symptoms.
This treatment can be highly varied, depending on whether the issue is tissue damage, circulatory problems, or age.
In the second form of treatment, a doctor may prescribe advance machines to try to suppress the noises.
There are a variety of devices that can help including white noise machines, hearing aids, and masking devices.
White noise machines create soothing sounds, which can drown out the ringing or other persistent sensation in the ear.
This device is perfect for sleeping because it can simulate natural sounds such as the rush of gentle waterfall or the churning of ocean waves.
Similar to white noise machines, which create ambient sounds, humidifiers are also effective solutions.
These common machines can cover distracting noises.
Hearing aids are effective treatments for tinnitus because they help an individual to better hear actual sounds, rather than ringing sensations.
Finally, there are alternative masking devices, which can be inserted internally into the ear and can also be employed to suppress uncomfortable noises.