What is Tinnitus

And, interestingly enough, it’s not any outside noises that are causing the problems.  You or your loved one is hearing noises inside their head and it’s not imagined; it’s tinnitus.

The constant ringing could be caused by muscle contractions near the ear, blood flow, or changes in the ear canal.  This disorder can be felt by many people at any given time.  Have you ever been to a concert and then experienced ringing in your ears for a couple of days after?  That is a symptom of what people experience when they have tinnitus.  Unlike a concert attendee, true tinnitus doesn’t go away with time.

In most cases, the ringing will go away in time, but if it doesn’t it is more likely to be the real deal tinnitus.  If you find that ringing after a concert unbearable, imagine if it is a constant thing for you day in and day out.  Not only would the sound be annoying, but quite unbearable.

When you ask what is tinnitus and who it affects, you may want to look at a few different categories of people.  People over 40 are more prone to this disorder than younger people.  And men seem to be more likely to get it than women.  So, if you are a male over the age of 40 you could be tinnitus’s next target.

There are two types of tinnitus when you are asking what is tinnitus.  There is non-vibratory tinnitus and vibratory tinnitus.  The non-vibratory type occurs in the central or peripheral nerves.  When a person has this type of tinnitus, he or she will feel like the sound is coming from inside the head.

Vibratory tinnitus, on the other hand, occurs due to problems related to contractions of the muscle, changes in the ear canal, or blood flow.  Contracting muscles can cause you to hear your own pulse.  Or if you have had overexposure to loud noises, you could have inner ear nerve damage.  However, it is good to know that tinnitus can also be related to other hearing loss disorders.

When answering the question, what is tinnitus, some people even call this disorder “the club disease.”  People who frequently attend concerts or clubs where there is loud music can often experience tinnitus.

Those who deal with the constant ear ringing know that this disorder is no joke.  They are not simply imagining noises.  In most cases, the symptoms of tinnitus will go away after a period of time, but there are other cases that will need medical advice.