Tinnitus is a very common ear disorder and has been estimated to affect up to 36 million Americans.
Tinnitus is more common in patients between the ages of 50 and 71 years, although it can occur in younger individuals and has been reported in 13 percent of school-age children.
Etiology
The majority of tinnitus patients have an associated hearing loss, however, many other etiologies can be responsible for this symptom.
Noise exposure is the most common cause of tinnitus associated with hearing loss. Other etiologies include presbycusis (hearing loss of old age) , Ménière's disease, chronic otitis, otosclerosis, acoustic neuromas, head injury, whiplash injury, and autoimmune ear disorders. Tinnitus can be a symptom of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders as well and in such cases it can be associated with ear fullness, pain/discomfort, and tenderness over the involved joint. Dizziness, and alteration of tinnitus pitch with jaw movements have also been reported.
Side effects from medications, especially aspirin-containing compounds, can cause or intensify preexisting tinnitus. Some patients are unaware that they are taking a product containing aspirin, and this should be identified and brought to their attention.
Medications Associated With tinnitus
Aminoglyoside antibiotics |
Other antibiotics |
streptomycin |
vancomycin |
neomycin |
polymyxins |
gentamycin |
erythromycin (intravenous) |
tobramycin |
Cisplatin |
amikacin |
Furosemide |
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Heavy metals |
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Mercury |
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Arsenic |
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Lead |
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Aspirin-Containing Compound |
Alka-Seltzer |
Exedrin |
Aspergum |
Fiorinal |
Bufferin |
Midol |
Coricidin |
Pepto-Bismol |
Darvon compound |
Percodan |
Dristan |
Theracin |
Ecotrin |
Trigesic |
Empirin compound |
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Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs |
Fenoprofen |
Naproxen |
Ibuprofen |
Phenylbutazone |
Indomethacin |
Piroxicam |
Ketoprofen |
Sulindac |
Meclofenamate |
Tolmetin |
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Other medications |
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Salicylates (aspirin) |
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Quinine |
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Quinidine |
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Stimulants such as caffeine contained in coffee, colas and tea as well as smoking may agravate tinnitus.
Emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety are often present in tinnitus patients. Between 28% and 60% of patients with severe tinnitus have been reported as clinically depressed.
In every tinnitus patient a thorough work up is needed to rule out any disease responsible for this symptom. Management includes eliminating contributing factors such as medications, noise exposure, caffeine, and smoking. Antidepressant medications are very helpful for patients with associated depression. Masking techniques, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), hearing aids and hearing instruments are very effective modalities of treatment and are available in our department.
For an appointment with Dr. Sismanis concerning tinnitus,
call (804) 628-4368 or (804) 323-0830.
Additional Information on Tinnitus on the Web
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