What Is Tinnitus?

• Posted on: Oct 15 2019
• By: The ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas

At The ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas, we work with patients in and around our community to help them in addressing common ear, nose, and throat concerns. One common complaint we often experience with our patients is that of tinnitus. Tinnitus is the medical team for hearing ringing in the ears. This condition rarely stands alone. In fact, it is often a symptom of other concerns such as hearing loss, injury to the ear, or a circulator system disorder. In most cases, the condition may be bothersome but it is not a serious concern. Patients who have tinnitus may find that treatment of their underlying condition can eliminate the problem. Those with tinnitus that can’t be treated may find advantages to masking the noise with music or other sounds to make the problem less noticeable.

What are the symptoms of tinnitus?

When there is no external sound present, patients with tinnitus may experiencing a variety of sounds or “phantom noises” in their ears. This may include clicking, ringing, buzzing, roaring, humming, or hissing sounds. These sounds may be either low or high in frequency, and may impact one or both ears. Sometimes, patients with tinnitus experience the sounds at all times, or they may notice it comes and goes.

What can cause tinnitus?

There are a myriad of reasons why a patient may experience these phantom noises. Some of the causes or risk of tinnitus include:

• Age-related hearing loss
• Changes to the ear bones
• Earwax blockage
• Exposure to loud noise
• Permanent damage from loud noises
• Meniere’s disease (inner ear disorder)
• Acoustic neuroma
• Head or neck injuries / trauma
• TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders
• Inner ear muscle spasms
• Eustachian tube dysfunction
• High blood pressure
• Heck and neck tumors
• Atherosclerosis
• Malformation of capillaries
• Certain medications
• Turbulent blood flow

Are you experiencing tinnitus?

If you live in the areas of McKinney, Allen, Plano, or Celina, TX and are interested in learning more about this condition, we encourage you to speak to the team at The ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas. We have several locations in and around these communities and can assist when patients schedule an appointment at (972) 984-1050.

Posted in: Tinnitus