Do you have a ringing in your ears that isn’t coming from outside your body? You could have a common health problem called tinnitus that affects nearly 50 million Americans. It’s often described as a ringing in one or both ears, but it can also be a clicking, buzzing, hissing or roaring. It’s typically not a sign of something serious, but it can be a sign of an underlying condition such as hearing loss, an ear injury or circulatory system disorder.
Most cases of tinnitus are associated with noise induced hearing loss.
Most cases of tinnitus are subjective, which means only the patient can hear the sound. It is rarer, but some cases can be objective, meaning the doctor can also hear the sound when they examine the ear. It can be difficult to find the exact cause of the ringing in the ear. In fact, the cause is never found in some cases. Most cases of tinnitus are associated with noise induced hearing loss.
There is no one clinically proven way to eliminate buzzing in the ear; however, there are several options for treatment that include managing tinnitus and reducing symptoms. Treatments that have been proven to help patients include hearing aids, masking or noise suppression devices, white noise machines and tinnitus retraining therapy.
You should seek medical attention if you have tinnitus that occurs suddenly or without an apparent cause and tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness. If you or someone you care for has symptoms of tinnitus, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment.
