Annoying, often incessant ringing, whistling, whining, buzzing or similar sounds in one or both ears, or even in the head, isn't something your imagination has conjured up. It's very real; a medical condition known as tinnitus. This condition can be rather frustrating, especially when trying to determine the cause of the ringing in your ears. Most of the time, there isn't an external sound which is causing the sounds you are hearing. The sound comes from within the ear itself, and there are a number of reasons why you might be experiencing this high-pitched annoyance.
Tinnitus can be caused by ear infections, foreign matter in the ear, excessive wax build up, allergies that cause a problem with proper fluid drainage, use of in-the-ear headphones, medical conditions and even as a side effect of some medications. This can also be caused by congenital defects and natural hearing loss. Most commonly, it is noised-induced hearing loss which is the culprit.
Tinnitus is considered a subjective condition. It is often difficult to measure using standard hearing tests. Instead, an audiometric test is performed in order to compare the frequency and intensity of the sounds being experienced. The condition is then rated on a scale from “slight” to “catastrophic,” depending on how much interference it poses to one's daily activities.
If lasting damage to the ear has occurred, resulting in tinnitus and hearing loss, the condition can be permanent. However, there are preventative measures. Since it only takes prolonged exposure to as little as 70 decibels of sound, turning the volume down is a good idea. In the case of concerts or live events, try not to get up-close-and-personal with the sound system. In industrial environments and others with high levels of noise, a smart preventative measure is to wear some form of hearing protection. Anything you can do to reduce your exposure to loud sounds and noise can go a long way in preventing the future occurrence of hearing loss and tinnitus.
For those already suffering from tinnitus, there are treatments available. For objective tinnitus, treatments range from clearing the ear canal to the application of botulinum toxin to teflon implants to shield the cochlea and more. Subjective tinnitus has a number of treatments as well: use of medications and nutrients, avoidance or limitations of salt, caffeine and smoking, electrical stimulation, surgery and psychological approaches. Hansaton has a hearing aid which provides sound therapy to tinnitus sufferers. It's innovative technology at it's best with the Hansaton Wave.
Even if you can't completely eliminate the sounds of tinnitus, wouldn't it be great to be able to reduce them to a livable, comfortable level? With the Hansaton Wave, you can! With this handy little device, healthy sounds are introduced and help to reduce the interference cause by tinnitus. While the sound is still present, the sufferer is able to cope with it and no longer has to consider their tinnitus an excruciating experience. Through their cutting edge digital hearing aids Hansaton is making waves when it comes to retraining the ear and reversing the problems caused by tinnitus.