Tinnitus Week: What is the condition and who does it affect?

One in three people experience anxiety or depression as a result of the condition

Tinnitus affects around seven million people in the UK (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This week marks national Tinnitus Week, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the common condition.

The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) is calling on the government to establish a biobank library of human tissue samples that experts may study so that they may find better treatments, or a cure, for the condition.

New research by the association has found that 40 per cent of those who suffer from the condition are unhappy with the current available treatment options and don’t return to their GP following an initial consultation because “there isn’t any point”.

The study, which surveyed 2,600 people with the condition, found that one in three people experience anxiety or depression as a result of tinnitus.

Additionally, 9.3 per cent said they have had suicidal thoughts in the past two years due to the condition.

Read on to learn more about tinnitus and who it affects.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the sensation of sound in the ears that does not come from an external source.

The sound may be ringing, whistling, buzzing or rushing or it might be more complex, like the sound of machinery or twittering of birds. Occasionally people have tinnitus that sounds like a familiar tune or song, known as musical tinnitus, but this is more common in the elderly.

The sound may be continuous, or it may come and go, but when it is noticeable it tends to be steady and of constant volume.

Tinnitus might seem like it’s in one ear or both, or in the middle of the head.

What causes tinnitus?

The cause of tinnitus is unclear. Experts at the BTA said that it is not a disease or an illness, and rather a result of some form of physical or mental change that is not necessarily related to hearing.

When sound travels into the ear, hearing nerves communicate those signals to the brain. The brain is then responsible for making sense of the sound.

As the hearing nerves don’t know what is important and what is not, they send a lot of information to the brain, and the brain filters out unnecessary background sound such as ticking clocks or traffic noise.

But if there is a change in the system, due to an ear infection of hearing loss, the amount of information being sent to the brain changes.

“The brain then responds to this change in levels by trying to get more information from the ear, and the extra information you may get is the sound we call tinnitus. The tinnitus is therefore actually brain activity and not the ear itself,” the BTA explained.

“It is generally accepted that it isn’t only a change in the ear that can result in tinnitus, but it could be due to a change in our stress levels, for example, with tinnitus being noticed after periods of significant stress, a change in life circumstances or general wellbeing.”

People have also reported becoming aware of noises inside the ears when they have a cold, an ear infection or wax blocking the air.

Others become aware of tinnitus following a stressful event, but this usually fades once the stress passes.

“Fortunately, tinnitus is rarely an indication of a serious disorder and a doctor will be able to check this for you,” the BTA added.

Who does it affect?

Tinnitus affects more than seven million adults in the UK, but it can also present in young children.

The BTA estimates that around 30 per cent of people will experience tinnitus at some point in their lives, but around 13 per cent of people live with persistent tinnitus.

It is more common in people who have hearing loss or other ear problems but can also be found in people with normal hearing.

The experience of tinnitus also differs from person to person. Most people find they are able to continue with their day-to-day activities, while a small percentage find it very difficult to cope with.

Are there different kinds of tinnitus?

There is another form of tinnitus named pulsatile tinnitus.

This is defined as a rhythmical noise that usually has the same rate as the heart. This is easily identified by feeling for your pulse at the same time as listening to the tinnitus.

This form of tinnitus is usually due to a change in blood flow in the vessels near the ear, or a change to the level of awareness of that blood flow.

Some people also experience musical tinnitus, also known as musical hallucination. This is the experience of hearing music or musical notes when none is being played. It is more common in women than it is in men, and in those over the age of 60.

How is tinnitus treated?

Those who think they may be experiencing tinnitus should see their doctor, so that they can rule out any medical factors and assess your hearing.

Treatments for tinnitus will vary depending on the outcome of these tests. They may be offered cognitive behavioural therapy, recommended to try meditation or referred for Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, which uses sounds at a particular level to try to reduce the priority of the tinnitus so that you no longer hear it.