FEATURE — Do you experience ringing in the ears or hear noises when there is no apparent reason?
You may have tinnitus, said Dr. Keith N. Darrow, who is a Harvard Medical and M.I.T. trained neuroscientist and the director of audiology research at Intermountain Audiology.
Learn more about the symptoms of tinnitus and ways the debilitating condition can be treated in the Ask a Local Expert video in the media player above.
Tinnitus is a common problem in our country, Darrow said, plaguing about 50 million people. He added that it’s no coincidence that the same amount of Americans are also suffering with hearing loss.
“The most common symptom of patients with hearing loss, whether they detect it or not, is actually that ringing in the ears,” he said.
The ringing, swishing, buzzing and phantom sounds in your ears and brain may actually be telling you there is a significant problem and should be checked out.
Continual exposure to loud noises is the most frequent cause of tinnitus, but disease and heredity can play a role as well. Typically found among older people, tinnitus is often the first sign of hearing loss, but it can also be a signal of other significant health issues, such as allergies, high blood pressure, heart conditions, viruses, brain injuries, stroke and diabetes.
“The good news is, at our practices we have an 80% effective treatment rate,” Darrow said. “Even though you may have been told, ‘Oh, there’s nothing we can do,’ there’s actually FDA-approved treatments that can help reduce the ringing and help you to hear better and live a better life.”
Click here to learn more with a free tinnitus report today. Or for more information call 435-228-5568 or visit the Intermountain Audiology website.
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