When you are alone with your thoughts in sunny Simi Valley, California, as you often are when trying to fall asleep, do you ever hear a ringing, buzzing, roaring or clicking sound? If so, you may need tinnitus treatment.
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\nTinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds that are not present. The phantom noise may sound like a ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking or hissing, and may range in pitch from low to high. Some people experience these sounds all the time and others experience them only sporadically.<\/p>\n
There are two kinds of tinnitus: subjective and objective. Subjective tinnitus can only be heard by the patient. This type of tinnitus can be caused by a problem with the outer, middle or inner ear, an issue with the auditory nerve or the auditory pathway in the brain that interprets nerve signals as sound.
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\nObjective tinnitus can be heard by the Simi Valley audiologist while performing the evaluation. This type of tinnitus is rare and usually caused by a blood vessel problem, a middle ear bone condition or muscle contractions.<\/p>\n
The most common cause of tinnitus is damage to the hair cells within the inner ear. The hair cells move in response to the pressure of a sound wave. When the hairs move, an electrical signal is sent through the auditory nerve to the brain, where it is interpreted as sound. If the hairs become damaged they can randomly send electrical signals to the brain. The brain will interpret these signals as sounds, even though there is no sound actually present.
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\nDamage to the hair cells can be caused by age-related hearing loss, exposure to loud noises and earwax blockage. Less common causes of tinnitus include Meniere\u2019s disease, TMJ disorders, an injury to the head or neck or acoustic neuromas. In rare cases, blood vessel disorders have been linked to tinnitus symptoms. More than 200 drugs are known to list tinnitus as a side effect. The most common drugs are antibiotics, cancer medications and diuretics.
\nIn addition to the bothersome tones, complications such as fatigue, stress, sleep problems and depression often accompany tinnitus.
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\nIn order to make a diagnosis, your Simi Valley audiologist will require an audiological exam, a movement test and an imaging test. These exams are used to rule out or identify possible causes of tinnitus. If no cause is identified, treatment options are focused on helping the patient reduce the severity of the tinnitus and cope with the noise.<\/p>\n
Now that your Simi Valley audiologist confirmed your condition, time to fix it, right? Unfortunately for most people suffering from tinnitus, since the cause is never identified your tinnitus cannot be eliminated. Treatment options for those whose causes are unknown include a variety of lifestyle changes and devices used to make the annoying noises less bothersome.
\nNoise suppression treatments are popular options. These can include:<\/p>\n