Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

Tinnitus and hearing loss go hand in hand. So more than half of the people who have tinnitus also have hearing loss.

Hearing loss will affect the orders that the ear sends to the brain. Those signals affect the activity that you can or cannot do and that may or may not be desired by your brain, this is called tinnitus. Although tinnitus is not going to cause hearing loss, the sound can distract you and hinder the concentration that we should put in other types of sounds. For this reason, hearing aids can be a good option to treat both hearing loss and tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a buzzing, hissing, clicking or hissing sound, among others, that you only experience personally. It can be constant or come and go. The type and intensity will depend on the person, so it cannot be prevented until it is released. It can be sharp, severe, or deep. It might even change the tone.

This can happen to you anywhere and at any time, that is, while talking on the phone, during a job presentation or sitting quietly. Whether it is mild, deep or strong, as well as constant or occasional, this can prevent the person from concentrating and you cannot hear what you want to hear at all times.

Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions regarding ear problems. In general, it affects between 10-15% of the world's population.

3. Causes of Tinnitus.

Tinnitus can develop in people of all possible ages and from all backgrounds. But there is something that coincides, the highest risk factor is in the elderly and who have been exposed to very loud noises. But other specific cases can cause tinnitus, they are the following:

- High noise: if people have been exposed to loud music, gunshots, explosions or other loud noises having to do with construction or machinery.

- Medications: it is another of the possible causes that affect tinnitus, this can be a side effect of these medications.

- Age: it may be related to hearing loss that normally occurs due to age. As we age, the fibres in the ears decrease, which can cause us to have tinnitus problems.

- Other causes: there may be other causes, other than these:

a) Wax blocking: it is another possibility for tinnitus.

b) Having an injury to the ears, head and neck, maybe another of the most important causes for this disease to occur.

c) Neurological disorders.

d) Degeneration of the bones that are in the middle ear: it may be that there are bone problems and these affect the middle ear.

e) Infections in the upper respiratory tract or possible disorders of the jaw.4- How to alleviate tinnitus?

There is no known cure, but there are some options that help you alleviate the whistle. They are as follows:

Sound therapy: consists of introducing external noises to mask interior noises. They can be specialized noises such as low-level music. This causes you to divert your attention from tinnitus.

Tinnitus management programs: these programs aim to teach the brain not to be less distracted by these sounds.