Question: I have had a ringing in my ears for almost as far back as I can remember. What is this and can it be cured?

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

It generally is advisable to have your tinnitus (perception of sound without external stimulation) professionally evaluated especially when it is present for more than several weeks.

Accurate diagnosis usually requires referral to a otolaryngologist (ENT specialist) for specialized testing.

Some conditions left unchecked can be very dangerous when not treated early: vascular malformations, aneurisms, arterial bruits, and acoustic neuromas (tumor of the auditory nerve) are to be excluded.

The exact mechanism of tinnitus is unknown, but subjective tinnitus is felt to be due to damage to cochlear cells in the inner ear through drug exposure (aspirin, some antibiotics, and non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications), excessive noise exposure, infections, Ménière's disease, hypertension (intracranial or systemic), TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, stress, depression, sleep deprivation, head trauma, and hearing losses both conductive and sensorineural.

Antidepressants are often the only drugs found useful in improving tinnitus for which no cause can be found.