What is tinnitus? Tinnitus is defined by the American Tinnitus Association as, "the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present... tinnitus can manifest many different perceptions of sound, including buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, and clicking. In some rare cases, tinnitus patients report hearing music" (ATA, 2018).

 

The United States Center for Disease Control estimates that around 20 million Americans deal with chronic tinnitus, while 2 million have debilitating cases of it. Most cases are neurological-- often a neurological reaction to hearing loss (ATA, 2018). 

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While tinnitus is generally not considered to have any genetic link, there are certain populations that are more likely to experience the symptoms:​

• Tinnitus more frequently affects males than females. 

• Tinnitus is more frequently found in senior citizens, specifically those with an untreated hearing loss. 

• Veterans with tinnitus is a population that is unfortunately growing. 9% of disabled veterans receive some degree of compensation for tinnitus symptoms. 

• Musicians and Music enthusiasts. Acute tinnitus symptoms after a loud concert isn't uncommon. Those symptoms can easily creep up on musicians and music lovers alike and turn into a chronic issue. 

• Those who work in careers associated with noise-induced hearing loss, such as manufacturing, mining, construction and farming. 

(ATA, 2016).

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At Nova Hearing Center, we have hearing solutions with tinnitus tuners-- background functions used to drown out the tinnitus. If you are interested in this technology, feel free to book a FREE hearing evaluation with online, or call us at 833-687-8324.

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IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING TINNITUS BUT KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A HEARING LOSS, PLEASE CONTACT A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. TINNITUS CAN BE A SYMPTOM OF OTHER DISORDERS IF IT IS NOT CONNECTED TO A HEARING DECLINE.