The sounds of
tinnitus can be aptly
defined using the definition penned down by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI, 1969) – “the
sensation of sound without external stimulation.”
Tinnitus is the experience of sound in the ear or head
regions when no actual sounds are present in the
external environment. It is a difficult condition to
understand or sympathize with since in most cases the
sounds are not audible to another person. Only in few
cases can a physician listen in on the sounds with the
help of instruments to correctly appreciate the nature
of these sounds.
For a long time the sounds of
tinnitus
were grossly misunderstood and most put it down
as simplistic cases of hallucinations or schizophrenia
. The focus of
traditional treatment offered to tinnitus had for long
been restricted to categorizing and treating just the
‘sounds’ without any attempt to analyze the different
types and underlying causes of these sounds.
What
are Tinnitus Sounds?
So what are the sounds that typify
the condition of tinnitus? The following is a list of
some of the more common and typically described ‘sounds
’ associated with
tinnitus. Most importantly, these sounds are perceived
by the person suffering from tinnitus as sounds that are
totally different from sounds that they have previously
experienced in their life.
- Ringing
kind of sounds
- Hissing
form of sounds
- Whistling
type of sound
- Humming
sort of sound
Variations of these sounds can be
heard in an intermittent pulsating manner or as a
constant noise that won’t go away. The sounds can be
experienced in one ear
or both
the ears. Sometimes it appears like the sounds originate
from the middle of the head. Even the volume of these
sounds can vary widely from mild to very high pitched.
Tinnitus Help
Since
treatments of tinnitus have improved over the years, the
ability to identify and understand the type of tinnitus
sound that is bothering a person helps in finding the
right solution/relief to the problem. Better
identification of tinnitus sounds offer better options
at seeking out a relief.
Options to find relief from
tinnitus sounds
are many and these can include several
masking devises (that help to live with the problem),
medication that claim to offer relief
, surgery in more serious forms, alternative
nature based treatments or a multi disciplinary and
holistic approach to treat the entire body and life
style simultaneously. Needless to emphasize, only a
holistic approach can find a lasting solution to
tinnitus sounds.
