What‘s tinnitus?
There are images of ear sounds. Specialists have recorded them, according to people suffering from tinnitus. Because the auditory impressions come from inside. There is no external sound source for this. No one else, except the person concerned, can hear them. There are often high hisses and beeps that constantly sound in the ear or occur over and over at certain intervals. Some patients suffer from deep hissing, whistling or buzzing. Other tinnitus variants resemble a passing train or a drill. Tinnitus is also part of the series of disturbing sound sensations.
Almost everyone knows the ear sounds. They appear suddenly, but disappear again. In some people, however, they nest for hours or days in the ear and head and cause considerable discomfort. But the acute and persistent tones often disappear again, especially if a cause can be determined and treated accordingly. However, a concrete trigger may not always be determined.
Tinnitus can also become chronic. The suffering pressure level is so high that tinnitus can evolve into a disease with sometimes profound suffering. In addition, there are generally other adverse effects, such as hypersensitivity to noise (hyperacusis), concentration disturbances and problems of falling asleep.
As a result, doctors have distinguished different forms:
- Acute tinnitus: The onset of the disease is less than three months old. Often, tinnitus is associated with an ear disease. However, this may lead to a prolonged tinnitus.
- Chronic tinnitus: ear sounds have been in existence for more than three months. Here, chronic doesn’t mean that tinnitus will remain perceptible forever, but that it started more than three months ago. Chronic ear sounds can last for more than a year, often despite the treatment. Some people who experience constant or changing accompaniment tones in everyday life, compensate them. For others, however, the burden is so heavy that in addition to ear noises, there are other physical and emotional problems
- Depending on the level of stress, tinnitus is again divided into four levels. Grades I and II are related to compensated tinnitus, which does not disturb at all or only occasionally. Meanwhile Levels III and IV are related to decompensated tinnitus, which are associated with considerable distress and often comorbidities.
Scientists assume that in Germany, the acute ear noise in about 250,000 people passes into a chronic form each year. About three million Germans have chronic tinnitus. Satisfying: Even after many years of uninterrupted tinnitus, the ear sounds subside again in about 20 to 30 percent of those affected.
Tinnitus is not an independent disease, but a symptom of various disorders. At the beginning there is usually damage and illnesses in the ear, for example by inflammations or an important noise effect.
Permanent negative effect on stress and mental stress when it comes to perceiving ear noise. Fluctuating or constantly elevated blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia and metabolic disorders also play a role. Pain, especially painful movement restrictions on the cervical spine and jaw joint pain, can help a sufferer experience his tinnitus even loudly as a result.
Ear sounds: Have you seen a doctor?
Take the start of ear sounds seriously and ask yourself what they want to tell you. It is generally useful to immediately withdraw from current events and relax. If the constant whistling, hissing or humming has not disappeared after one to three days, you should consult an ENT specialist to discuss the causes and associated therapy in the acute phase.
If ear sounds continue to occur afterwards, often, several combined methods of treatment are offered. Which helps you personally, you can only find out by consulting your doctors at.