1.Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining (cf. flyback transformer), buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "locusts", tunes, songs, or beeping.[3] It has also been described as a "whooshing" sound, as of wind or waves.[4]

Tinnitus is not itself a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes, including ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear, and injury from loud noises. Tinnitus is also a side-effect of some oral medications, such as aspirin, and may also result from an abnormally low level of serotonin activity.

The sound perceived may range from a quiet background noise to a signal loud enough to drown out all outside sounds. The term "tinnitus" usually refers to more severe cases. Heller and Bergman (1953) conducted a study of 80 tinnitus-free university students placed in a soundproofed room found that 93% reported hearing a buzzing, pulsing or whistling sound. Cohort studies have demonstrated that damage to hearing (among other health effects) from unnatural levels of noise exposure is very widespread in industrialized countries.[5]

2.Signs and symptoms Tinnitus involves the annoying sensation of hearing sounds in your ear when no external sound is present. Signs and symptoms may include:

Noise in your ear, such as ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling or hissing Hearing loss 3.Prevention Tinnitus and hearing loss can be permanent conditions, thus, precautionary measures are advisable. If a ringing in the ears is audible after exposure to a loud environment, such as a rock concert or a work place, it means that damage has been done. Prolonged exposure to noise levels as low as 70 dB can result in damage to hearing (see noise health effects). If it is not possible to limit exposure, earplugs or ear defenders should be worn. For musicians and DJs, special musicians' earplugs can lower the volume of the music without distorting the sound and can prevent tinnitus from developing in later years.

It is also important to check medications for potential ototoxicity. Ototoxicity can be cumulative between medications, or can greatly increase the damage done by noise. If ototoxic medications must be administered, close attention by the physician to prescription details, such as dose and dosage interval, can reduce the damage done

Question: have low grade tinnitus in one ear for 6 weeks, very frustrated...no tumor...trying allergist...taking ringstop...gingko...and relaxation but no cure yet...any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!...do tinnitus clinics work or is it scam for $555 for some counseling and live with it philosopy?

Answer: I manage my tinnitus without paying any money to learn how. If my tinnitus gets loud enough to be noticable, I stop what I'm doing and focus on the sound as a meditation tool, and by relaxing, the sound gradually reaches a peak, then gradually fades into the background. The only time this doesn't work is when I'm being fed artificial tones by a machine (audiometer?) to test my hearing. For those occasions, I ask the audiologist to use a pulsing tone so I can tell the difference between my (steady tone) tinnitus and the external noise source. For some reason, single tones seem to make my tinnitus worse, but white sound or other variable noises don't.

I think my tinnitus is on the quiet side though, and maybe this wouldn't work for you. My apartment is quiet, and I think what I'm hearing right now would be called white noise if it could be measured on an instrument, but on other occasions it's sounded like a radio news announcer with the volume turned down very low, or even a female opera singer. The loudest sounds seem to be when it goes into the higher pitches, but that's not very often. What's fun is that sometimes I'm watching TV, volume turned off, and my tinnitus will sound like the character dialogues as I'm reading the captions.