About Tinnitus

A patient recently wrote to ask me for a blog entry about a relatively common but often misunderstood condition called tinnitus.  While tinnitus is not something we normally treat at Longevity Medical Clinic, I want to be responsive to any listener request – so let me shed some light on this topic. I warn you that the news is not particularly encouraging.

Tinnitus is a persistent phantom sound. It can range from a high-pitched whine to a low-pitched rumble, and it most likely occurs as a result of acoustic nerve irritability. Tinnitus can be extremely annoying to the sufferer and it also tends to be difficult to treat. How common is tinnitus? Estimates vary widely, with some studies claiming that more than one in four Americans experiences tinnitus at some point in his or her life. Chronic tinnitus is estimated to afflict anywhere from fewer than 10% of Americans to nearly 20%.