Occasionally tinnitus results from health conditions that affect the flow of BLOOD in the head, such as HYPERTENSION (high BLOOD PRESSURE) and ATHEROSCLEROSIS. These conditions may increase the turbulence of the blood, making it possible to hear the blood as it flows through the arteries. When these conditions are severe enough, the doctor can also hear the sounds by listening through a stethoscope placed at various locations on the head.
Tinnitus is common, with some experts asserting that nearly every adult will experience the symptom at some time in his or her life. Many people live with low-grade tinnitus that, though annoying when noticed, generally does not affect daily living. For some people, however, tinnitus is severe enough to interfere with concentration and even hearing to the extent of causing disability. Any health conditions that diminish the movement of sound into the ear from the external environment, such as accumulated CERUMEN or an ear INFECTION (OTITIS media or otitis externa) can intensify the tinnitus.
The diagnostic path begins with an otoscopic examination to look for obvious blockages or other physical causes. The doctor will also request a comprehensive AUDIOLOGIC ASSESSMENT to determine whether any hearing loss exists; this helps narrow the potential reasons for the tinnitus. Treatment targets the underlying cause. There are few effective treatments for idiopathic tinnitus (tinnitus that is present without an apparent cause) or for tinnitus that accompanies PRESBYCUSIS (age-related hearing loss). Many people benefit from using intentional background noise (sound masking) to mitigate the tinnitus and from learning conscious refocusing methods.
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