Causes of Tinnitus
Causes
Chronic tinnitus arises when the perception of what should normally be a quiet sound in the ear is exaggerated and becomes predominant. The person becomes increasingly aware of the sound and concentrates more and more on it. As the sound becomes louder, the person becomes even more aware of it and focuses even greater attention on it. Anyone who has experienced this vicious circle eventually becomes consumed by the tinnitus for years, and even decades.
Chronic tinnitus begins with a disturbing sound in the ear — originating from:
- Noise
- Infections
- Intoxication
- Cranial trauma
- Diseases (meabolism, circulatory disorders, cervical spine)
- Mental or physical stress
Interesting Tinnitus Statistics:
Every second person perceiving disturbing sounds in the ear is afflicted with moderate to unbearable tinnitus. Roughly 50% of people with tinnitus are also hearing impaired. Up to 5% of the world's population experiences chronic tinnitus. Many such people reach the point where mental stress caused by persistent tinnitus (not being able to enjoy quiet moments) means they can no longer even sleep or work.
Who can help?
To manage chronic tinnitus requires dedicated commitment from the participating specialists and the individual suffering from tinnitus. To be successful in managing tinnitus, it is important to acknowledge that the tinnitus will probably never completely disappear.
However, through structured counselling and habituation therapy the symptoms can be dramatically reduced, so that the tinnitus no longer dominates the patient's consciousness. It simply becomes another everyday sound.
The patient learns to control the tinnitus. This therapy involves the use of an external device. The more sophisticated the technology of this device, the better it is able to personal requirements, thus providing a greater the sense of relief.
