Tinnitus

Tinnitus (TIN-i-tus) is noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about one in five people. But, it isn’t a condition itself — it’s is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.

Millions of people in the U.S. have tinnitus. People with severe tinnitus may have trouble hearing, working or even sleeping. Causes of tinnitus include hearing loss, exposure to loud noises or medicines you may be taking for a different problem. Tinnitus may also be a symptom of other health problems, such as allergies, high or low blood pressure, tumors and problems in the heart, blood vessels, jaw and neck.

Watch University of California San Francisco’s professor Dr. Robert Sweetow’s video for people suffering from tinnitus (to the right).

Although bothersome, in most cases tinnitus isn’t a sign of something serious. For most people, symptoms of tinnitus get better with treatment. Sometimes it gets better by treating an underlying cause when one is identified. Other treatments reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable. Treatment depends on the cause. Treatments may include hearing aids, sound-masking devices, medicines and ways to learn how to cope with the noise.

Do you hear a ringing, roaring, clicking or hissing sound in your ears? Do you hear this sound often or all the time? Does the sound bother you? If you answer is yes, you might have tinnitus.