Tinnitus (perception of sound in the ears) affects most people at some point in their lives and is often due to hearing loss or the result of exposure to loud noises. Other causes include stress, ear-damaging drugs, ear infections, jaw misalignment, brain or head injury and, in rare cases, a tumor on the auditory nerve.

"It's important for people to realize they can help minimize tinnitus caused by loud noises," says Dr. Ravi Samy, assistant professor of otolaryngology. "The cochlear hair cells in your ears can be damaged when listening to loud music or working around loud equipment (such as lawnmowers) for prolonged periods of time, which can lead to hearing loss.

"Protecting your hearing can be as simple as turning the music down and wearing ear plugs when mowing, attending concerts, working with machinery or engaged in other loud activities."

The American Tinnitus Association estimates that 50 million Americans suffer from the condition. For most it's temporary, but for 12 million people it can disrupt their lives.

"Most of the time when patients come to me, they have severe tinnitus," says Dr. Samy. "Their quality of life is affected--the noise they hear in their ears disrupts their sleep, and they have trouble concentrating and focusing on work."

Tinnitus is a subjective noise, and people often describe it as "ringing in the ears." Dr. Samy says patients also describe hearing noises like crickets, whooshing, pulsing and buzzing, among others.

"A lot of patients with tinnitus get frustrated because they may have been told to just live with the noise -- deal with it," he says. "They feel like they can't do anything. There are things that can be done for tinnitus, but they're not quick fixes."

Dr. Samy says many patients with tinnitus are most affected when it's quiet around them, such as when they are trying to sleep. "Tinnitus sufferers need something pleasant to distract their mind -- a radio or TV during the day and 'white noise' at night, like an air conditioner, fan, a radio on static, etc.," he says.

Other treatments for tinnitus include:

Hearing aids: It's important for people with tinnitus to undergo a hearing test, because they may have hearing loss.

Medications: Currently, there are no drugs specifically for the treatment of tinnitus. Medications are available to treat these conditions and may lessen the severity of tinnitus.

Tinnitus retraining (sound therapy): A device called a masker, which is similar to a hearing aid, emits a steady, low-level broadband sound, like that of rainfall, which can reduce the contrast between a tinnitus sufferer's internal sound and the quiet of the outside world.

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