What Is Tinnitus

So What Exactly Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the name given to any kind of noise heard in the ears or head. Different people hear different noises: banging, whistling, humming, buzzing, cracking and ringing – to name but a few. It may seem to come from one ear, both ears or from inside the head, and can vary greatly in volume.

The precise cause of tinnitus is not known. However, it is nearly always associated with some kind of damage to the hearing pathway, which can be put down to a number of reasons such as, noise exposure, infections, genetic disorders, and general wear and tear.

Tinnitus can affect anyone whose hearing has been damaged to any degree, from those with little or no hearing loss to those who cannot hear at all.

What Tinnitus Isn’t…

Tinnitus isn’t a disease or disorder—it’s a symptom of an underlying health problem. Tinnitus is the perception of a sound with no external source. Several health conditions can cause tinnitus, but it’s usually a sign that something is going on in your auditory system.

Tinnitus Sounds

Below is a button “Link to Tinnitus Sounds BTA”. This button links you to a page on the BTA (British Tinnitus Association) website, where you can listen to the sorts of sounds people with tinnitus can hear. These are artificial sounds but they are realistic!