| Tinnitus - Causes, Minimizing, Central vs. Peripheral and References |
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| Written by MotherofBoys | |||
| 05 May 2008 | |||
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Here are are a few bits and pieces about the Phenomenon of Tinnitus. Not only do we not truly understand what causes it but we also do not understand what can be done to make it go away. I have referenced some websites, at the end, that might be of interest to you, as well. The exact physiological cause or causes of tinnitus are not known. It is likely that there are many mechanisms. A few of the potential causes are: · Disorders in the outer ear such as: ear wax, hair or a foreign body touching the eardrum, a perforated eardrum; · Disorders in the middle ear such as: infection, benign tumors; · Disorders in the inner ear such as: nerve damage due to noise exposure, hearing loss from aging, inner ear infection, Meniere's disease (associated with hearing loss and dizziness); · Temporary effects of medications: including aspirin, Ibuprofen, and quinine, sedatives and antidepressants; possible permanent effects from certain antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents. · Systemic disorders such as high or low blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, glucose metabolism abnormalities, vascular disorders, growth on the jugular vein, acoustic tumors, head or neck aneurisms, Lyme Disease, hormonal changes. · Non-auditory disorders such as trauma to the head or neck, TMJ (jaw joint misalignment), cervical (neck) problems. Although tinnitus may initially be caused by an injury to the ear, an auditory pattern is ultimately established in the brain. Thus, many management approaches are directed at retraining the focus of the brain, rather than the ear. While the majority of tinnitus sufferers also have hearing loss, the presence of tinnitus does NOT mean that one is losing hearing. What can you do to minimize Tinnitus? · Avoid loud noises, or wear proper ear protection · Maintain good nutrition; certain disorders may be helped by lowering salt intake Some people find their tinnitus is reduced following reduction or elimination of stimulants such as caffeine and Nicotine · Exercise · Control stress; learn to relax, avoid fatigue · Educate yourself Central vs. Peripheral TinnitusNoise-induced tinnitus is caused by damage to hair cells in the ear. The problem is that while the damaged ear is the cause or "trigger" of the tinnitus, it is often not the source or "generator". Instead, the damaged ear can cause the brain to act as the source. The brain responds, to the altered input from the ear, by altering its own activity - so while there is a direct causal relation between ear damage and tinnitus-related brain hyperactivity, the tinnitus-related brain hyperactivity, once triggered, becomes an independent phenomenon. The brain just keeps on with its hyperactivity, and it does this because it has actually permanently rewired itself in response to the ear damage. This is why severing the entire auditory nerve, which leads from the ear to the brain, often fails to cure tinnitus. The brain rewiring is permanent unless one somehow causes new rewiring which undoes the initial rewiring; people are working on doing this
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