What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the medical term for ringing in the ears. It is also known as the ‘ringing sound’ or ‘ringing in the ears’.
Tinnitus is an auditory phenomenon. The word ‘auditory’ means that it occurs in the ear, and not in the brain. It is caused by the nerve impulses being generated in the inner ear.
The causes of Tinnitus can be divided into two broad categories:
1) Diseases of the inner ear
2) Disorders of the nervous system
The inner ear is the part of the body which processes sound waves. These waves are then transmitted to the brain through the auditory nerve. The nerve is connected to the brain via the cochlea. The cochlea is a snail shaped structure which contains about 100 million sensory hair cells. Each hair cell has a receptor which picks up sound waves. This receptor sends electrical impulses to the auditory nerve. The nerve then sends these impulses to the brain.
There are three main theories regarding the cause of Tinnitus:
1) Abnormalities in the structure of the inner ear
2 ) Abnormalities in the function of the inner ear
3) Abnormalities in the functioning of the nerves connecting the inner ear to the brain
The first theory suggests that the tinnitus is caused by a structural abnormality in the inner ear. The most common structural abnormalities are damage to the organ of Corti, which is the part of the inner ear responsible for processing sound waves. Other abnormalities include damage to the vestibular apparatus, which is the part of inner ear responsible for balance.
The second theory suggests that the tinnitis is caused by abnormal functioning of the inner ear. This abnormal functioning could be due to either:
1) An abnormally high rate of firing of the auditory nerve. This would suggest that there is a problem with the transmission of the nerve impulses from the inner ear to the brain.
2) An abnormally low rate of firing of the auditory nerves. This would suggest that there may be a problem with the transmission of nerve impulses from the inner ear back to the brain.
The third theory suggests that the tinnitus is caused by abnormalities in the functioning of the nerves between the inner ear and the brain. This could be due to:
1) A problem with the transmission of nerve signals from the inner ear to the auditory nerve.
2) A problem with the transmission nerve signals from the auditory nerve to the brain.
A number of different tests are available to diagnose the cause of tinnitus. However, there is no test that can pinpoint the exact cause of tinnitus. In most cases, the cause cannot be diagnosed with any degree of certainty.
If the cause of tinnitus cannot be diagnosed, then the next step is to try to find out whether the condition is temporary or permanent. If the tinnitus is permanent, then the doctor will probably prescribe some kind of medication.
If the tinnitus is temporary, then the doctor may decide to try to reduce the symptoms. This is usually done using counseling techniques.
