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$Title{Tinnitus}
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Copyright (C) 1986, 1993 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

210:
Tinnitus

** IMPORTANT **
It is possible that the main title of this article (Tinnitus) is not the
name you expected.  Please check the SYNONYM listing to find the alternate
names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.

Synonyms

Information on the following disorder can be found in the Related Disorders
Section of this report.

     Bruit

General Discussion

** REMINDER **
The information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
educational purposes only.  It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
purposes.  If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
section of this report.


Tinnitus is the perception of sound such as a ringing in the ears, in the
absence of an acoustic stimulus.  The disorder may be caused by a variety of
ear problems including obstruction, infections, Meniere's disease, certain
medications and head injuries.

Symptoms

A patient afflicted with Tinnitus may hear buzzing, ringing, roaring,
whistling, or hissing sound without any external acoustic stimuli present.
Sometimes the disorder may involve more complex sounds which vary over time.
Symptoms of Tinnitus may be intermittent or continuous.  An associated
hearing loss is often present when symptoms occur, and can become permanent
in severe cases.

Causes

Tinnitus may occur as a symptom of many disorders of the ear.  It may be due
to an obstruction of the external auditory canal due to ear wax and foreign
bodies, infections (i.e., external otitis, myringitis, otitis media,
labyrinthitis, petrositis, syphilis, and meningitis), eustachian tube
obstruction, otosclerosis, Meniere's disease, arachnoiditis, and
cerebellopontine angle tumors.  The side effects of medications such as
aspirin, quinine and its synthetic analogs, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and
certain diuretics may also result in tinnitus.  Carbon monoxide, heavy
metals, alcohol, etc., cardiovascular diseases (i.e., hypertension,
arteriosclerosis), anemia, and hypothyroidism may also cause tinnitus.
Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, acoustic
trauma (blast injury), or head injuries may also produce these symptoms.

Related Disorders

Bruit is a noise which may be heard by the examiner and sometimes by the
patient; e.g., noise from rapid blood flow in a blood vessel.  In some mental
illnesses such as schizophrenia, a patient may hear imaginary sounds
(hallucinations).

Therapies:  Standard

If the tinnitus occurs as the result of an underlying disease, treatment of
the primary disorder may improve the tinnitus.  Some patients may obtain some
relief from using a tinnitus masker, a device worn like a hearing aid that
presents a noise more pleasant than that associated with Tinnitus.  However,
there is no medical procedure or drug at this time which can alter the
unpredictable course of tinnitus when it is not associated with a treatable
primary disease process.

Therapies:  Investigational

A surgical procedure using microsurgical techniques is often suggested in the
most severe cases of Tinnitus.  The surgery seeks to relieve pressure on the
hearing part of the eighth cranial nerve.  For more information on this type
of surgery, physycians may contact her at:

     Dr. Margareta Moller
     Presbyterian University Hospital, Rm. F948
     230 Lothrup St.
     Pittsburgh, PA  15213
     (412) 647-0444

This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
June 1993.  Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep
every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate.
Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most
current information about this disorder.

Resources

For more information on Tinnitus, please contact:

     National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
     P.O. Box 8923
     New Fairfield, CT  06812-1783
     (203) 746-6518

     American Tinnitus Association
     P.O. Box 5
     Portland, OR  97207
     (503) 248-9985

     NIH/National Institute of Deafness & Other Communication Disorders
     (NIDCD)
     9000 Rockville Pike
     Bethesda, MD  20892
     (301) 496-5751

References

THE MERCK MANUAL, 15th ed., Robert Berkow, M.D., ed in chief, published by
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Research Labs, Rahway, NJ, 1987.  Pp. 2172