Tinnitus

Have you ever experienced a “ringing in your ears” or “noise in your head”? This sound is referred to as tinnitus. Most people have tinnitus at some point in their lives – for some individuals it occurs very infrequently and for others it may be constant; it can also be in both ears or in only one ear. Approximately 40 million people in the U.S. have tinnitus at the present time. The sound of the tinnitus can also vary among people and has been described as ringing, hissing, buzzing, roaring, pulsing, whoosing, chirping, whistling, or clicking.

What causes tinnitus? Tinnitus is a symptom of a problem so it is important to determine the underlying issue in order to determine how to treat it. It may be a sign of hearing loss or may be caused by excessive exposure to noise, which may be occupational, military, or recreational (hunting, target-shooting, concerts). Certain ear diseases, injury involving damage to the ear, wax in the ear, barometric pressure changes (scuba diving), or circulation changes in the inner ear are other auditory causes of tinnitus. It can also be due to medical problems such as allergies, high or low blood pressure, tumors, diabetes, and thyroid issues. In addition, there are several medications that can cause or worsen tinnitus. Caffeine, nicotine, and stress also tend to aggravate tinnitus.

What should you do if you have tinnitus? You should see your physician to determine the cause of the tinnitus. If it is not caused by a medical problem or a medication, it may have an auditory etiology. An audiological evaluation would therefore be necessary to determine if you have a hearing loss or if there is another auditory cause. Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus at this time but there are options available to help reduce the tinnitus. Hearing aids are an option for individuals who have both hearing loss and tinnitus. Masking devices can be used to make the tinnitus less noticeable. Tinnitus retraining therapy is available to help reduce the brain’s focus on the phantom sound and therefore, provide relief. Certain medications can be used if the cause is related to stress or depression. There are also tinnitus support groups in communities to help people cope with the tinnitus.

Tinnitus can be very distracting and cause difficulty concentrating. It is important to determine the cause of the tinnitus and what options you have to help alleviate it. For more information, please visit the American Speech Language Hearing Association website at www.asha.org or contact a hearing health specialist at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center 732-280-7855; www.coastalhearing.com.
Kristen Olsen is a Doctor of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; kmolsen@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Increase in Hearing Loss in Adolescents Courtesy of Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat

During the holiday season, you are probably overwhelmed with determining what gift to get for your teenage family members. How about preserving their hearing? The number of adolescent children with a slight hearing loss has significantly increased in recent years. Even a slight degree of hearing loss can result in more difficulty with understanding speech in a classroom setting.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article in August 2010 regarding the prevalence of hearing loss in children age 12-19 years in the United States. The researchers compared data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey regarding the hearing sensitivity of teenagers in the 1988-1994 timeframe to 2005-2006. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of a slight hearing loss in this age group, rising from 14.9% in 1988-1994 to 19.5% in 2005-2006. Hearing loss has become more commonly unilateral (only present in one ear) and tends to primarily affect the high frequencies in teenagers today.

There is speculation that the recent increase in hearing loss in teenagers may related to the increased use of personal music devices by this age group. If you can hear the music coming from someone’s ear buds or headphones, the volume is set too high. Noise cancelling headphones instead of ear buds may be considered to allow for MP3 players and IPODs to be enjoyed at a lower volume setting. Repeated exposure to noise at a dangerously loud level can result in a permanent hearing loss. Portnuff and Fligor (2006) evaluated the safe listening volumes over time for several portable music players. They recommended that the volume may be set at 70% for no more than 4.6 hours of use per day in order to avoid a permanent noise-induced hearing loss. Higher volume levels put children at a higher risk for permanent damage to their hearing – for example, 80% volume setting should not be used for more than 1.2 hours at a time. There are now ways that parents can limit the maximum volume levels on the IPOD to prevent children from listening at a potentially harmful level. Instructions on limiting IPOD volume can be found at: www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/limiting-your-ipods-maximum-volume. More tips on protecting kids’ hearing can also be found at: www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov or contact a hearing health specialist at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center 732-280-7855; www.coastalhearing.com.

Remember to enjoy your holiday season and protect your young family members!
Suzanne McCorry is Doctor of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com