As an ear, nose, and throat physician, when talking with patients I frequently compare tinnitus to phantom pain. An example of phantom pain is when a patient has an amputation of the knee or foot , and after surgery, at some point, the foot feels like it is on fire or in severe pain even though it is not even there. This is thought to occur because the brain is no longer receiving normal nerve information from this area of the body, or the nerve information is distorted. In a way, the brain is ‘rewiring ‘ this missing information. This can result in abnormal sensations or in certain cases pain. Interestingly enough, there is a simple treatment: placing a mirror next to the good leg. The brain interprets this vision as having two intact legs and the pain will gradually dissipate over time.
This is very similar to tinnitus or ear ringing . It can be referred to as ‘phantom noise’, because the brain ‘makes’ this unwanted sound ( ear ringing ) when it is not receiving adequate information from the inner ear. When the ear becomes damaged from either aging , noise exposure or other reasons, there are not as many nerves sending messages to the brain. These messages are in the form of sound. The brain fills in this missing information with its own sound, which is very frequently interpreted as obnoxious or bothersome, even keeping patients awake at night. One of the simplest forms of tinnitus treatment is using background sound. If the ear is receiving sound, and sending the sound to the brain from the outside world, the brain will not need to over compensate by making its own ‘ sounds’ . If background sounds such as radio, TV or other noise makers do not work, hearing aids are an extremely effective ( 85% helpful ) form of tinnitus treatment.
Hearing loss is only one of the reasons for tinnitus. If you are experiencing tinnitus , call our office and let us know how we can help you! As an ear doctor, I have a passion for treating patients with hearing loss and tinnitus!