Noise in ears

Noise in the ears is a sensation of noise in the ears in the absence of an external source of noise. Approximately 15% of the adult population experienced tinnitus at one time or another, 0.5-2% were severely affected by this. Although children also sometimes feel a noise in their ears, they quickly pass and they do not pay attention to it. Most often, the noise in the ears begins at the age of 50-60 years.

[1], [2], [3],

Causes of tinnitus

The causes of noise in the ears are more than diverse: sulfur plug in the external auditory canal, viral infection, vascular disorders, presbyacusis, acoustic trauma, chronic suppurative otitis media, condition after removal of the stapes, Meniere's disease, head trauma, ototoxic drugs, neuroma of the auditory nerve, anemia, hypertension, "punctured" (reteirovaniy) wisdom tooth, aspirin.

At 20% of people complaining of noise in the ears, also reveal some weakening of hearing. The mechanism of occurrence of the disease is in most cases unknown. The exception is a person with "objective" noise in the ears, but these are rare. Such patients can hear themselves (they are also heard by others) various sounds that occur as a result of involuntary movements of the soft palate, a muscle straining the eardrum, or contractions of the stapes muscles. Other causes of "objective" noise in the ears may be vascular malformations and atheromatous noise in the vessels.

Another group of people suffering from noise in the ears, perceives it when breathing through iOS, but this noise disappears when breathing through the mouth. With otoscopy in such patients, one can see how the tympanic membrane moves with respiratory movements of the chest. The reason for this is most likely that the Eustachian tube is "open", so patients are relieved after using a solution of silver nitrate in the area of the eustachian tube mouth or after submunic administration of Teflon (these measures allow to narrow the Eustachian tube).

The history of the disease in these patients. When collecting an anamnesis in such patients it is necessary to find out a whole series of questions: where is localized damage causing noise, in the ear or in the brain centers? What is the nature of the noise? What strengthens, and what weakens noise? Does otalgia, flow from the ear? Are there dizziness? Was there a head injury in the past? Is heredity aggravated with regard to deafness or noise in the ears? What is a dream? What is the social environment (noise increases in isolated individuals and people depressed)? What medications does the patient take?

Inspection and examination of the patient. Requires otoscopy to detect middle ear disease, hearing testing (with tuning fork and audiometry), tympaography for examining the function of the middle ear and the thresholds of the stent reflex.

[4]

Treatment of tinnitus

After excluding serious causes of noise in the ears, try to convince the patient that noises in the ears in no way indicate a brain disorder or any serious illness at all and that the little noise that he feels should not increase. Recommend the patient to join the community of self-support. Drug therapy is ineffective. Tranquilizers are not shown, although sleeping pills for the night can be helpful. Carbamazepine did not live up to expectations; Betagistin helps only some patients suffering from Ménière's disease. People who have a disease leading to the development of depression may find useful antidepressants.

Wearing a special mask, though, does not cure the disease, but can bring relief to the patient. At night, quietly playing music can, as it were, suppress noise in the ears, not disturbing the sleep of the spouse. A noise generator is also used, producing a soft indifferent noise; it is worn behind the ear. These auxiliary hearing aids usually help patients with hearing loss. For those patients who hear tinnitus and can discomfort, in 25% of cases, the cochlea nerves can be cut, but after that deafness develops.