What's that ringing noise in our ears?

Whether you just got back from a rock concert, its allergy season or someone might be "talking about you", everyone has experienced their ears ringing. But where does this ringing come from and are there real ways of treating it? Yes, there are.

The ringing in the ears that we experience is called Tinnitus. Not a disease but a symptom of an underlaying condition from a disorder which 36 million people suffer from. The mild form of Tinnitus that all people experience is not harmful but it does have the potential to do much more damage.

Tinnitus itself is the brain trying to reboot itself after the eardrum (tympanic membrane) has been damaged. This damage can come from a number of things, like loud music, sinus pressure or even to much earwax. Tinnitus can arise in the outer, inner or middle ear or can be caused by abnormalities in the brain. Excess fluid or In most cases, these factors can cause the intensity of the noise to increase but damage is only slight and usually resolves on its own. Tinnitus can, however, become very severe, but everyone's experience with it is different.

A study that was done at Johns Hopkins University says that 10 percent of adults have severe cases of Tinnitus by age 70. This severity can lead to intense debilitating pain and more intense ringing or buzzing of the ear. In cases like these hearing impairment or loss can be results of Tinnitus.

Going to the doctors and getting a general hearing evaluation is the best way to determine whether or not you are suffering from Tinnitus. It is important to let your doctor know if you Tinnitus is constant, like a heartbeat, or if it associated with hearing loss or loss of balance. In some extreme and severe cases, Tinnitus can be tumor related and an auditory brain stem response (ABR), a computerized test of hearing nerves and brain pathways, computer tomography scan, (CT scan) or, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be needed to rule out a tumor occurring on the hearing or balance nerve.

There are many remedies that have been developed in order to help the effects of Tinnitus, but for now there is no lasting cure. Once you have an understanding of the severity of your tinnitus you and your doctor can make the right decision in helping it.

There are many ways to prevent Tinnitus. According to MedicineNet.com, one common mistake many people make is cleaning their ears with Q-tips (which is something that surprised me). This will cause earwax to impact in your ear and may cause and infection in your inner ear near your eardrum. It is also very important to keep loud music and noises away from your ears. This is also something that people ignore but make sure you don't, it will truly benefit you in the long run.