Tinnitus affecting music fans

Hyderabad: Young people these days are often hear a buzzing, ringing or roaring sound despite there being no such sound around them.

This condition is called tinnitus and generally affects those above 50 years of age. But it’s now is being seen in 20 to 30-year-olds. ENT specialists say three out of 10 patients they see daily, on an average, suffer from tinnitus.

The most common cause for tinnitus among the young is exposure to loud sounds — listening to music through ear phones and talking for long hours on mobile phones. Conditions like head and neck injuries and infection of the ear are other causes.

Professionals like DJs, call centre employees and pub employees are others at risk. Dr Pradeep Singh, senior consultant head, neck and ENT surgeon, said, “Not all cases of tinnitus are associated with hearing loss. In 70 per cent of the patients it can be rectified. In 20 per cent of the patients it persists despite treatment and in 10 per cent of cases it worsens.”

Tinnitus is attributed to the damage of microscopic hair cells in the inner ear which fails to transmit sound to the brain. Due to the damage the sound is generated again and again and patients do not understand why they are hearing these sounds frequently.  

Dr N. Vishnu Swaroop Reddy, chief consultant ENT and facial plastic surgeon, said, “Tinnitus can affect quality of life. Some suffer from fatigue, sleep problems, have trouble concentrating and get anxious and irritated. Once treated, it will go away but there are chances of it recurring.”

Causes for Tinnitus

• Exposure to loud noise in pubs, discos and via portable music devices
• Loud noise at construction sites.
• Exessive earwax.
• Ear bone changes where there is stiffening of the middle ear or abnormal bone growth.
• Temporo mandibular joint disorder can also cause tinnitus