Tinnitus can be a frustrating condition for anyone. You hear ringing, clicking, buzzing noises in your ear that no one else can hear. Before you assume you have a blanket diagnosis of tinnitus, consider for a moment “Is it Tinnitus?” because there are other conditions that can cause the same symptoms as tinnitus. This article will give you a little overview of tinnitus.

Tinnitus is defined simply (and broadly) as the sensation of sound heard by the patient but this sound can not be recorded, heard by others or detected via instruments (with the exception of Objective Tinnitus). Because there are other conditions that can initially emulate the condition of tinnitus (high blood pressure for one); it’s important to have a full physical to rule out any other cause for the noises you’re hearing.

The noises many people are hearing when they have tinnitus are caused by a blood vessel that has become “noisy”. There can be a myriad of causes from an aneurysm that has occurred near the ear, implantation of a shunt that is causing pressure or enlargement of a vein. This type of tinnitus is usually referred to as “Objective Tinnitus” and the heralding complaint is that the noise the sufferer is hearing matches the beat of their pulse. In some cases, Objective Tinnitus can be detected via OAE testing and it’s the only form of tinnitus that can be detected through outside means.

Another form of tinnitus is False Tinnitus. It’s a condition where the symptoms of tinnitus are mimicked, but the actual cause isn’t tinnitus. There’s usually a deal-breaker symptoms such as symptoms growing worse when the patient yawns or engages in long conversations, this could actually be a manifestation of temporomandibular joint disorder also known as TMJ and a medical professional should examine the jaw. TMJ usually comes popping and grinding sounds that patient often mistakes for tinnitus.

Another condition often mistaken for tinnitus is Hyperacusis. This is a condition where loud sounds are even more magnified and can cause noises to become painful for the patient and when there is no sound, the condition goes away. Actual tinnitus usually gets worse when there is silence.

If you think you have the symptoms of tinnitus, make an appointment with an audiologist to find out for sure “Is It Tinnitus” and know that there are some excellent home treatments you can use to get your tinnitus under control.