As a personal tinnitus suffer himself, our President and CEO has put together the best selection of therapeutic tinnitus products on the Internet.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the medical term for the perception of sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus is often referred to as a ringing in the ears although some people will experience it has whining, screaming, cicadas, hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping, clicking or clucking noises.
Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant with single or multiple tones and its perceived volume can range from subtle to shattering.
Most people experience a temporary tinnitus condition at some point in their life, such as after a loud concert, or as a complication to an inner ear infection.
Unfortunately for some 17% of the adult population, this condition is chronic - it never goes away. Of the 66+ million people in North America with chronic tinnitus, some 12 million have a severe case.
For these people it is not unusual to perceive a tone greater than 90 dB-SPL. Note that 80dB-SPL is the level in industry at which a hearing conservation program is required. (Room-level conversation is typically 65 dB-SPL and a jet engine is around 110 dB-SPL)
Chronic tinnitus can be caused in a number of ways: an over-exposure to constant loud or explosive noise (on the job exposure is a common source), reaction to medication, a head injury (car crashes are a common source), complication of illness, and others.
One of the most common complaints related to tinnitus is that it adversely affects sleeping patterns, thereby increasing stress and anxiety levels.
Tinnitus sufferers find they can't get to sleep in a quiet room because of the annoying sound they perceive in their head. For many, this results in being progressively sleep deprived, and can start a downward spiral in psychological health.
The reality is that tinnitus is the only hearing affliction where anxiety, depression, and contemplating suicide are normal psychological complications.
For most sufferers, their perceived level of tinnitus is not constant and can worsen from exposure to high intensity noise, negative emotional pressures, stress, anxiety, heavy physical exertion, caffeine, salt, tobacco, allergens, and certain medications.
Outside of a cure, the most common desire of tinnitus sufferers is to be able to control their tinnitus rather than have it control them. A major factor in this is being able to sleep well and have the energy to face tinnitus every day.
When tinnitus sufferers feel they have control, they are once again able to lead productive lives and many are able to get off all medications.
