Tinnitus is unpleasant, but usually harmless. The monotonous noise in the ear is usually a malfunction of our brain. This attempts to compensate for hearing loss. Anyone who suffers from ringing in the ears should seek advice.
The whistling or ringing in the ear is a constant companion: tinnitus can be very annoying. Many of those affected suffer from sleep problems as a result of the noise. Anxiety and depression symptoms can also occur in conjunction with tinnitus. Tinnitus is not usually dangerous, says Prof. Tobias Kleinjung, Head Physician at the Department of Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Surgery at the University Hospital Zurich. “Ringing in the ears is almost never a sign of a serious illness.”
Around one in seven people in Germany experience tinnitus over a long period of time. This refers to subjectively perceived sounds that do not originate from an external source. “The sounds are always meaningless,” specifies Kleinjung, who researches tinnitus as part of an interdisciplinary team at the USZ. “If someone hears voices or music, this indicates a mental disorder instead.”
The main cause of ringing in the ears, which is usually not audible from the outside, is damage to the hearing and an associated hearing loss. In most cases, this occurs gradually, as our hearing automatically declines from the age of 35 to 40. The ringing in the ears occurs because our brain tries to compensate for the hearing loss: The responsible nerve cells simply turn up the frequencies that can no longer be heard. A whistling sound may therefore indicate a problem in the high frequency range, while noise may indicate a problem in the low frequency range.
Excessive noise can also cause sensory cells in the ear (known as hair cells) to “break” and certain sounds can no longer be transmitted to the brain. However, not every case of tinnitus after a concert or disco visit needs to be a cause for concern: The noises can also be a kind of protective reaction of our hearing to a too loud environment and disappear again after a short time.
See a doctor if you have a sudden loss of hearing
Anyone suffering from tinnitus should therefore wait and take care of their hearing so that it can recover. Unless the noises occur at the same time as a sudden hearing loss or middle ear infection. “In this case, you should see an ear specialist within a few days,” says Kleinjung. The USZ expert cites careful handling of one’s own hearing as the most important preventative measure – both professionally and privately. Noise protection headphones or earplugs can help against high noise levels.
Tinnitus cannot be cured, even if it can disappear on its own. Successful treatments aim to achieve acceptance of the phenomenon. “It’s about integrating tinnitus into everyday life,” says Kleinjung. “You can learn to focus your attention on other things.” Brain research shows that tinnitus is not caused by the activity of nerve cells in the auditory center alone, but always in conjunction with other areas of the brain. These are responsible for perception, attention, stress and memory. “That’s why it makes sense to focus therapy on the entire network,” says the USZ expert. Science therefore supports the effectiveness of “gentle” therapies such as psychotherapy.
Even if tinnitus is not normally dangerous, anyone who feels persistently and severely disturbed by ringing in the ears should seek advice. The University Hospital Zurich offers those affected a special consultation and interdisciplinary treatments. A referral from your family doctor or specialist is required for multidisciplinary advice.
