The ENT specializes in tinnitus

why it does not work

TINNITUS

Tinnitus is defined as noise heard in the ear without the presence of noise in the environment. It can be low or high pitched. It is sometimes subjective (heard only by the patient) and sometimes objective (heard by the doctor as well). A common myth is that tinnitus cannot be treated. At the Clinique ORL de Montréal, we evaluate tinnitus to be able to identify the cause. A frequent cause is hearing loss. Therefore it is important that our patients undergo hearing testing, because the treatment of hearing loss can help with tinnitus. In the case of objective tinnitus, the cause can sometimes be a tumor in the ear or a vascular malformation. An evaluation by an Otolaryngologist is necessary. When tinnitus is neither subjective or objective, and is not due to hearing loss, we offer an array of solutions including an evaluation by an audiologist specialized in tinnitus.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the symptoms of tinnitus?

Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom. Therefore it could be a symptom of multiple diseases, most frequently hearing loss. Because it involves the perception of multiple sounds in one or both ears, it is associated with the auditory system. In fact, several parts of the auditory system, including the inner ear, can cause tinnitus. Sometimes the cause of tinnitus is evident, however, most of the time, a specific cause is not identified. The most common symptoms are:

Acute ringing in the ears
Intermittent or constant roaring in the ears
Pulsating noises or hearing your heartbeat in the ears
Can be associated with hearing loss

How do you treat tinnitus?

Although there is no "cure" for tinnitus, several options are available to help tinnitus sufferers alleviate symptoms. Tinnitus is fairly common and most often not worrisome. If your ENT specialists finds a cause to your tinnitus, they can offer a specific treatment to help with the noise. This can include ear wax or hair removal from your ears, treating middle ear fluid, treating temporomandibular joint arthritis, etc. For many patients that are suffering from tinnitus of less than six months duration, the natural course of the symptom is that it tends to improve with time. Most people do not suffer from very bothersome tinnitus.