|  | Conditions Treatments | Ears Hearing

Symptoms of Tinnitis

Tinnitus is often referred to as "ringing in the ears." That ringing sound originates within the ear, rather than from an outside source. Though not considered a serious affliction, this condition can be annoying and disruptive to the sufferer. Here are some different types of tinnitus and accompanying symptoms.

  1. Tonal Tinnitus

    • Tonal tinnitus is the type most commonly referred to as "ringing in the ears." That ringing is often described by those afflicted as a single musical note being played repeatedly, with little to no reprieve. This particular type of tinnitus often goes undiagnosed for lengthy periods of time, as patients incorrectly assume it will simply go away.

    Pulsatile

    • Pulsatile tinnitus sufferers hear sounds that are intermittent and rhythmic. The pulsating sounds often coincide with the person's pulse or heartbeat. Conditions that cause a narrowing of blood vessels and related cardiac problems are often responsible for the development of pulsatile tinnitus. Therefore, patients diagnosed with pulsatile tinnitus should see a cardiac specialist to rule out serious medical issues.

    Trauma-Induced Tinnitus

    • Tinnitus can occur as the result of an injury to the head or neck. When this happens, in addition to the ringing in the ears, the patient will likely experience headaches. Additional symptoms include memory loss and vertigo.
      With trauma-induced tinnitus, the symptoms might disappear once the trauma has healed. Some patients however, report a recurrence of symptoms.

    Tinnitus Caused by Tumors

    • When tinnitus is accompanied by symptoms such as loss of balance, deafness or any type of facial paralysis, the patient might be suffering from the growth of a tumor. The tumor may be located on the facial nerves, auditory nerves or vestibular nerves. Once a tumor is removed or reduced in size, tinnitus symptoms typically are relieved.

    Objective Tinnitus

    • Objective tinnitus is the rarest of all forms of tinnitus. With this form of the condition, other people can actually hear the sounds emanating from the sufferer's ears. The patient endures the ringing or buzzing sounds, and has confirmation from those nearby that they can hear the sounds, as well.

    Symptoms Common to Most Types of Tinnitus

    • Regardless of the type of tinnitus suffered, there are a few symptoms common to most all sufferers. These include mild to moderate headaches, dizziness, ear pain and a sense of fluid or fullness inside of the ear.
      Some patients have complained of hearing hissing, constant, loud buzzing, ringing, roaring and even "beeping" sounds that have been compared to musical notes and morse code.

    Combined Symptoms

    • Probably the worst type of tinnitus encompasses all of the symptoms described in the previous sections. When these multiple tinnitus symptoms occur, patients often seek psychiatric help, incorrectly assuming the problem is in their head rather than their ears.

Ears Hearing - Related Articles