Articles
-
How Noise Exposure Triggers Tinnitus
Animal-model studies have demonstrated that after noise exposures that lead to some damage of the cochlea, neurons in both the dorsal and ventral divisions of the first auditory brain station, the cochlear nucleus, show increased Spontaneous firing rate. References: 1) Bledsoe SC Jr, Koehler S, Tucci DL, Zhou J, Le Prell C, Shore SE. Ventral […]
-
Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
The results show a different average pattern of hearing impairment amongst the tinnitus patients, consistent with the suggestion that inner hair cell dysfunction with subsequent reduced auditory innervation is a possible trigger of tinnitus. References: Tan CM, Lecluyse W, McFerran D, Meddis R. Tinnitus and patterns of hearing loss. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2013 Apr;14(2):275-82. […]
-
Common Causes of Tinnitus
Tinnitus does not represent a disease itself, but instead is a symptom of a variety of underlying diseases. Otologic causes include noise-induced hearing loss, presbycusis, otosclerosis, otitis, impacted cerumen, sudden deafness, Meniere’s disease, and other causes of hearing loss. Neurologic causes include head injury, whiplash, multiple sclerosis, vestibular schwannoma (commonly called an acoustic neuroma), and […]
-
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic stimulus. With prevalence ranging from 10% to 15%, tinnitus is a common disorder. Many people habituate to the phantom sound, but tinnitus severely impairs quality of life of about 1-2% of all people. Tinnitus has traditionally been regarded as an otological […]
-
Is it tinnitus or is it hearing loss?
Studies from independent labs demonstrated alterations in CN neural activity that were correlated with tinnitus behavior but not with changes in auditory brain stem response (ABR) thresholds or supra threshold ABR wave-1 amplitude (i.e., ABR responses to increasing levels of intensity) (Li et al., 2015; Wu et al., 2016). References: 1) Li S, Kalappa BI, […]
-
The Science Behind Tinnitus: What Happens Inside Your Ears
Tinnitus results from changes within the auditory system, which may stem from damage to the ear or the neural pathways that carry sound to the brain. The most accepted theory is that tinnitus comes from outer hair cell damage in the cochlea in the ear, leading to changes in the signals sent from the ear […]
-
Understanding Tinnitus: Basics and Overview
Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears, a common condition affecting about 15% to 20% of people. It is not a condition itself but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder. Tinnitus can vary in pitch from a low […]