Tinnitus

Causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tinnitus

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Definition of the disease

Tinnitus today is found in thirty percent of the population and, at times, is regarded as a disease of the ears. However, similar to the sensation itself usually is not a disease. It is often a symptom indicating a presence of a certain disease. Sounds, heard only by the person himself, since the external noise source is absent in this case are called subjective noise.

The sound is audible and the patient and the people around him is called objective. Noises in the ears can show itself in different ways: in the form of buzz, squeak or chime, whistle, hum, roar or hiss, and sometimes patients complain of periodic clicks. There are four degrees of noise Soldatov, depending on the noise power and portability of his patients.

The noise in the first degree does not cause much discomfort and do not affect the General condition of the patient. The noise is related to the second degree, cause irritation in silence and interfere with sleep. If noises bother you constantly, do not allow to sleep, which leads to the deterioration of the mood is the third degree. At the fourth degree constant unbearable discomfort makes it impossible to live a normal life and sleep, which in turn, significantly reduces the ability to work.

Causes of tinnitus

Usually this discomfort indicates problems with the circulation of the brain, which leads to a reduction of its activity and performance. Sometimes it can be the result of anemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, vitamin deficiency or even a brain tumor. Tinnitus can also be triggered by degenerative or dystrophic changes in the spine, e.g. osteochondrosis.

A concussion or transferred stress may also cause tinnitus. Not infrequently, the presence of cerumen noise provokes feelings. Whatever the reason, it is important to diagnose and start treatment, as these symptoms may indicate a circulatory disorder in the brain that can lead to the development of heart attack, stroke or hearing loss.

Diagnosis of tinnitus

At the onset of tinnitus you should in the first place, will return to the audiologist or the ENT specialist, as it is called. May also need the advice of a neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, a neuropsychiatrist. First, the doctor conducted the examination and questioning of the patient, auscultation of the skull with a stethoscope, and then decides what additionalconsultations and diagnostic techniques required to the patient.

Objective noises are heard and can have the following nature: vascular noise (pulsating), muscle (snapping, machine-gun fire). Vascular noise is confirmed with an MRI of brain or CT of the temporal region and allows us to identify the root cause, sometimes require surgical treatment. Verification of muscular noise is done when pharyngoscope, observing a reduction of the soft palate or by otoscopy.

The subjective noise caused by lesions of the auditory analyzer. In the diagnosis the important role played by history taking, inspection, pneumatocoele, tympanometry, audiometry.

Treatment of tinnitus

To date, it is not always possible to completely relieve the patient from the tinnitus, however, modern methods of influence allows you to control this process through a range of activities tailor-made for each particular case.

Then the patient's life returned to normalcy as possible to reduce noise and to facilitate the patient's condition, freeing his mind from Intrusive auditory sensation. Man begins to perceive the previously unbearable discomfort like a normal everyday stranger sound.

The main methods of treatment (to achieve control) of tinnitus include pharmacological therapy, hardware method and psychotherapy. Pharmacotherapy involves the influence of drugs: affect the blood circulation in the brain, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective metabolically active, gistaminolitiki, psychotropic, medications, zinc, vitamins.

Hardware method of masking noise facilitates its portability, but it can not completely get rid of the discomfort. There are also other methods of treatment such as exposure to electromagnetic field of high frequencies, pneumomassage, low power laser, surgical treatment.

Prevention of tinnitus

To determine the preventive actions it is better to seek the advice of a physician. He will recommend how to proceed in order not to harm yourself and not to worsen the situation and possibly advise physiotherapy for the ears. However, there are public measures, such as proper nutrition, rich in vitamins, Hiking in the fresh air, exercise.