Tinnitus Symptoms

Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of various types of sound, predominantly ringing, by an individual, despite the absence of external auditory stimulation. In certain cases, even though the sound can only be heard by the person suffering from tinnitus, the causes (usually dysfunctions of muscles, organs or articulations neighboring parts of the auditory system) for the perception of that sound can be observed by a physician or by those around. In such cases, the condition is called Objective Tinnitus. When the source of the sound can’t be observed by another person, the Tinnitus is subjective. For Subjective Tinnitus, the fact that the source of the sound can’t readily be observed by someone else except the person perceiving it, doesn’t mean that the sound doesn’t have a real source, be it inside the outer, middle or inner ear, on the auditory nerve which transports the information from the ear to the auditory centers in the brain, or in the nervous centers which “decode” the auditory information transmitted to them from the receptors in the ear. Tinnitus symptoms differ slightly for the two types, especially for their pulsating (objective tinnitus) or non-pulsating (subjective tinnitus) nature. While subjective tinnitus can sometimes still be pulsating in nature, objective tinnitus almost always is.

Tinnitus is not a standalone condition, as it is most commonly associated with illnesses, trauma or aging. As such, it is usually considered a symptom of a more general health problem. The conditions tinnitus can be associated with vary from degenerative neurological disorders, to tumors, hormonal or Vitamin imbalances, physical and psychological trauma, infectious diseases and aging. Sometimes, it can appear as the only symptom for an existing condition, such as the presence of an accumulation of ear wax in the external auditory channel, which interferes with the perception of sound, but even then, tinnitus only appears secondary to the presence of the blocker.

Tinnitus, while commonly referred to as ear ringing, can manifest itself through a variety of sounds, like hissing, humming, buzzing, the sound of waves, that of frogs or crickets, clicking, vibration, or even a succession of musical notes. Tinnitus symptoms can appear in one or both ears of a patient. Sometimes tinnitus can be associated with or result in more or less severe cases of dizziness, disorientation, a reduced power of concentration, anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping, increased perception of stress and sometimes even pain. Tinnitus can be continuous or intermittent. Sometimes, tinnitus symptoms-free periods can last for days or longer. Continuous tinnitus usually has the most damaging effects on the patient’s psyche, because of its permanent condition and can therefore become quite debilitating. Depression has often been listed as a consequence of tinnitus, as well as a tendency of reclusion from social interaction and difficulties in working, especially jobs that require concentration. Psychological tinnitus symptoms are situated in a somewhat gray area in terms of being consequences of tinnitus or preexisting conditions which lead to its appearance. In some patients, increased stress levels or bouts of depression have been known to exacerbate tinnitus.

Tinnitus symptoms are often conditioned by the type of generating factor for tinnitus itself and can therefore vary from patient to patient. While some patients can exhibit the whole range of tinnitus symptoms, others only experience a limited number of them.