Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus: Ringing or Roaring in the Ears and When to See a Specialist

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TL;DR

• Tinnitus is the perception of sound (ringing, buzzing, humming) when no external noise exists. It’s a symptom, not a disease.
• About 10% of adults experience it; 1 in 200 have severe cases.
• Caused by hearing loss, noise exposure, ototoxic medications, or stress.
• Pulsatile Tinnitus (hearing heartbeat sound) is a WARNING sign—seek urgent medical evaluation.
• Red flags: one-sided ringing, sudden hearing loss, dizziness, or heartbeat sounds.
• Management: hearing aids, sound therapy/masking, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and stress reduction.
• Tinnitus doesn’t cause deafness, but hearing loss can cause tinnitus.
• Consult PRIME ENT Center for proper diagnosis (audiometry, tympanometry, MRI/CT if needed).

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English

Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus: Ringing or Roaring in the Ears

Introduction

Tinnitus Treatment India is essential for those experiencing buzzing, ringing, or hissing sounds. Have you ever heard these noises when the room is completely silent? That is Tinnitus. For most people, it’s a temporary annoyance after a loud concert. But for others, it is a constant, maddening noise that affects sleep and concentration. At PRIME ENT Center Hardoi, Dr. Prateek Porwal often sees patients who are terrified that this sound means they are going deaf or have a brain tumor.

This guide explains what Tinnitus really is, the dangerous “Pulsatile” type you must never ignore, and how we treat it.

Tinnitus Treatment India: What is Tinnitus? (It’s not a disease!)

Tinnitus is defined as the conscious perception of sound when there is no external noise.

• The Sound: It can be a high-pitched ring (like a whistle), a low hum (like a fridge), or a buzz (like a cicada).
• The Cause: It is usually a symptom of an underlying issue in the ear or brain.
• Prevalence: About 10% of adults experience it, but it becomes severe in 1 out of 200 people.

Why does it happen? (The “Phantom Limb” Theory)

The most accepted theory is that Tinnitus is like “phantom limb pain” for the ear.

1. Damage: Loud noise or age damages the hair cells in the cochlea (inner ear).
2. Silence: The brain stops receiving normal signals from the ear.
3. Compensation: The brain “turns up the volume” to find the missing sound, creating static noise—which you hear as tinnitus.

Common Triggers:

• Hearing Loss: The #1 cause.
• Noise Exposure: Firecrackers, DJs, industrial machines.
• Medications: Certain painkillers or antibiotics (Ototoxic drugs).
• Stress & Anxiety: Stress makes the brain focus more on the sound.

Tinnitus Treatment India: The Dangerous Type – Pulsatile Tinnitus

Most tinnitus is a steady tone. But if you hear a rhythmic swooshing sound that beats in time with your heart (like whoosh-whoosh-whoosh), this is Pulsatile Tinnitus.
WARNING: This is NOT normal. It often indicates a blood vessel problem, such as:

• High blood pressure.
• A blockage in the neck arteries (Carotid Stenosis).
• A vascular tumor (Glomus Tumor) in the middle ear.
• Action: If you have Pulsatile Tinnitus, you need an urgent evaluation and possibly an MRI/CT Angiography.

When should you see a specialist? (Red Flags)

You can live with mild tinnitus. But see Dr. Harshita Singh immediately if:

1. One-sided Tinnitus: Ringing in only one ear (could indicate a nerve tumor called Vestibular Schwannoma).
2. Pulsatile Tinnitus: The heartbeat sound mentioned above.
3. Sudden Hearing Loss: If the ringing started suddenly with deafness.
4. Dizziness: Tinnitus + Vertigo could mean Meniere’s Disease.

How is it diagnosed?

At PRIME ENT Center, we do a systematic check:

1. Audiometry (Hearing Test): To check for hearing loss.
2. Tympanometry: To check middle ear pressure.
3. Tinnitus Matching: We try to match the pitch of your sound to understand it better.
4. MRI/CT Scan: Only if we suspect a tumor or vascular cause.

Tinnitus Treatment India: Can it be cured? (Management Strategies)

If there is a specific cause (like wax or infection), treating it stops the ringing. If it is due to permanent nerve damage, we cannot “cure” it, but we can manage it so it doesn’t bother you.

1. Hearing Aids:
If you have hearing loss, wearing a hearing aid amplifies outside sounds. This “masks” the tinnitus because the brain focuses on the real sounds instead of the phantom noise.

2. Sound Therapy (Masking):
Complete silence is the enemy. Use a “white noise” machine, a fan, or a Tinnitus App (rain sounds) at night. This distracts the brain.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Tinnitus is annoying because your brain labels it as a “threat.” CBT helps retrain your brain to ignore the sound (Habituation).

4. Medication:
There is no specific “Tinnitus Pill.” However, treating anxiety or sleep issues often reduces the loudness.(See relevant medical studies at PubMed)

FAQs

Q1. Will it make me go deaf?
No. Tinnitus is often a sign of hearing loss, but it does not cause deafness.

Q2. Should I stop drinking coffee?
Some patients find caffeine makes it worse, but not everyone. Try stopping for 2 weeks to see if it helps.

Q3. Is there surgery for Tinnitus?
Only for specific causes like Otosclerosis or Glomus Tumors. For nerve-related tinnitus, surgery is not an option.

For evaluation, consult Dr. Prateek Porwal or Dr. Harshita Singh.

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Hinglish

Tinnitus: Kaan Mein Seeti Bajna ya Shoor Hona – Kya Karein?

Introduction

Kya kabhi ekdam shant kamre mein aapko kaan mein “sann-sann” ya “seeti” jaisi awaaz sunayi deti hai? Ise Tinnitus kehte hain. Zyada tar logon ko ye loud music sunne ke baad temporary hota hai. Lekin kuch logon ke liye ye awaaz 24 ghante chalti rehti hai aur jeena mushkil kar deti hai. PRIME ENT Center Hardoi mein patients aksar dar kar aate hain ki “kahi mera dimaag toh kharab nahi ho raha?”

Is guide mein hum samjhenge ki ye awaaz kyun aati hai aur iska ilaaj kya hai.

Tinnitus Kya Hai? (Ye koi bimari nahi hai!)

Tinnitus ek lakshan (symptom) hai, bimari nahi.

• Awaaz kaisi hoti hai? Seeti, ghanti, jhingur (cricket) ki awaaz, ya hawa ka shor.
• Kyun hoti hai? Jab kaan ki nas (nerve) kamzor hoti hai, toh dimaag khud-ba-khud awaaz paida karne lagta hai.

Ye Awaaz Kyun Aati Hai? (Phantom Signal)

Sabse common karan hai Hearing Loss.

1. Jab kaan ki nasein damage hoti hain (umar ya shor ki wajah se), toh wo dimaag ko signal bhejna band kar deti hain.
2. Dimaag confuse ho jata hai aur “signal dhoondhne” ke liye volume badha deta hai.
3. Ye badha hua volume aapko “seeti” ki tarah sunayi deta hai.

Common Triggers:

• Tezz awaaz (DJs, Firecrackers).
• Kaan ka mail (Earwax).
• Stress aur Tension (Stress se awaaz tez lagti hai).
• Dawaiyan (Kuch antibiotics/painkillers).

Pulsatile Tinnitus: Ise Ignore Mat Karein!

Agar aapko kaan mein dil ki dhadkan jaisi awaaz aaye (dhak-dhak-dhak), toh ise Pulsatile Tinnitus kehte hain.
WARNING: Ye normal nahi hai. Iska matlab hai ki kaan ke paas koi khoon ki nas (blood vessel) mein problem hai, jaise High BP ya koi tumor. Iske liye turant doctor ko dikhana zaroori hai.

Doctor ko kab dikhana chahiye?

Dr. Harshita Singh kehti hain ki in situations mein wait na karein:

1. Sirf ek kaan mein awaaz: Agar awaaz sirf ek side hai (Unilateral), toh ye dimaag ke tumor (Acoustic Neuroma) ka sign ho sakta hai.
2. Dhadkan wali awaaz: Pulsatile tinnitus.
3. Chakkar aana: Agar awaaz ke saath sar ghoome.
4. Achanak sunai band hona: Sudden Hearing Loss.

Iska Ilaaj Kya Hai?

Sach baat ye hai ki agar nas damage ho gayi hai, toh koi “magic pill” nahi hai jo ise gayab kar de. Lekin hum ise manage kar sakte hain taaki ye aapko pareshan na kare.

1. Hearing Aids (Sabse Best Option):
Agar aapko sunai kam deta hai, toh machine lagane se bahar ki awaaz aati hai aur dimaag andar ki “seeti” ko ignore kar deta hai.

2. Sound Therapy (Masking):
Raat ko sote waqt bilkul shanti (pin-drop silence) mein na soyein. Fan chalayein ya halka music lagayein. Ise “White Noise” kehte hain jo tinnitus ko daba deta hai.

3. Stress Management:
Jitna aap awaaz par dhyan denge, wo utni tez hogi. Stress kam karein aur dhyan batane ki koshish karein.

FAQs

Q: Kya main behra ho jaunga?
Nahi. Tinnitus se behrapan nahi hota, balki behrapan ki wajah se tinnitus hota hai.

Q: Kya kaan mein tel dalne se ye theek hoga?
Bilkul nahi. Tel dalne se infection ho sakta hai.

Q: Kya ye kabhi jayega?
Kai baar ye apne aap chala jata hai. Agar nahi jata, toh dimaag ko iski aadat pad jati hai (Habituation) aur fir ye sunayi dena band ho jata hai.

Appointment ke liye Dr. Prateek Porwal ya Dr. Harshita Singh se consult karein.

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हिंदी

Tinnitus: कान में सीटी बजना या शोर होना – कारण और इलाज

परिचय

क्या आपको कभी एकदम शांत कमरे में कान में “सीटी”, “झिंगुर” या “हवा” जैसी आवाज सुनाई देती है, जबकि बाहर कोई शोर नहीं है? इसे मेडिकल भाषा में Tinnitus कहते हैं। यह कोई बीमारी नहीं है, बल्कि कान या दिमाग में चल रही किसी गड़बड़ी का लक्षण (Symptom) है। PRIME ENT Center Hardoi में हम देखते हैं कि यह समस्या उम्रदराज लोगों में और तेज आवाज में काम करने वाले युवाओं में बहुत आम है।

यह आवाज क्यों आती है?

सबसे बड़ा कारण है Hearing Loss (बहरापन)।
जब कान की नसें (Nerves) कमजोर हो जाती हैं, तो वे दिमाग तक आवाज नहीं पहुँचा पातीं। दिमाग इस “सन्नाटे” को भरने के लिए अपनी तरफ से एक “शोर” पैदा करता है, जिसे आप Tinnitus के रूप में सुनते हैं।

अन्य कारण:

• कान में मैल (Earwax) जमना।
• बहुत तेज शोर (Noise Pollution) के संपर्क में आना।
• तनाव (Stress) और चिंता।
• कुछ दवाइयाँ (Ototoxic medicines) का साइड इफेक्ट।

Pulsatile Tinnitus (खतरे की घंटी)

सावधान रहें! अगर आपको कान में दिल की धड़कन जैसी आवाज (धक्-धक्) सुनाई दे, तो इसे Pulsatile Tinnitus कहते हैं।
यह कान के पास किसी नस (Blood vessel) में रुकावट या ट्यूमर (Glomus Tumor) का संकेत हो सकता है। इसके लिए MRI या CT Scan की तुरंत जरूरत पड़ सकती है।

डॉक्टर को कब दिखाना जरूरी है?

Dr. Prateek Porwal सलाह देते हैं कि अगर नीचे दिए गए लक्षण दिखें, तो तुरंत जाँच कराएं:

1. एक कान में आवाज: अगर शोर केवल एक कान में है, तो यह ट्यूमर का संकेत हो सकता है।
2. चक्कर आना: अगर शोर के साथ सिर चकराए।
3. अचानक कम सुनाई देना: Sudden Hearing Loss.

इलाज (Treatment)

अगर Tinnitus किसी बीमारी (जैसे मैल या इन्फेक्शन) से है, तो इलाज से ठीक हो जाता है। लेकिन अगर यह नस की कमजोरी से है, तो इसे पूरी तरह खत्म नहीं किया जा सकता, केवल कम किया जा सकता है।

1. Hearing Aids (सुनने की मशीन):
जिन लोगों को कम सुनाई देता है, उन्हें मशीन लगाने से बहुत फायदा होता है। जब बाहर की आवाजें साफ आती हैं, तो दिमाग अंदर के शोर को भूल जाता है।

2. Sound Therapy (मास्किंग):
रात को सोते समय बिल्कुल सन्नाटा न रखें। पंखा चलाएं या हल्का संगीत सुनें। इसे “Masking” कहते हैं, जिससे दिमाग का ध्यान शोर से हट जाता है।

3. काउंसलिंग (CBT):
कई बार मरीज इस आवाज से डर जाते हैं और डिप्रेशन में चले जाते हैं। काउंसलिंग से मरीज को यह समझाया जाता है कि यह आवाज खतरनाक नहीं है, जिससे दिमाग इसे “इग्नोर” करना सीख जाता है।

निष्कर्ष

Tinnitus से घबराएं नहीं। यह आपको बहरा नहीं बनाएगा। सही जाँच और मैनेजमेंट से आप इसके साथ एक सामान्य जीवन जी सकते हैं।

Appointment के लिए Dr. Prateek Porwal या Dr. Harshita Singh से consult करें।