L’tinnituso ringing in the ears“it is a problem that in the course of a lifetime can afflict the entire population. The perception of hearing a sound that is not actually present is a very common occurrence and at least once all human beings have had experience with this problem. But Attention at illnesses neurodegenerative which they have like symptom just thetinnitus“: he declared it Ariadne of Stadioteacher all’University of Catania and Honorary Fellow at the Neuroinflammation Laboratory at UCL Queen Square Neurology in London on World Hearing Day which falls on 3 March.
The perception of sounds and voice, continued the expert, “it is a complex process that begins in the ear. Once the cells of the ear are stimulated by a sound, such as a horn, they move generating a nerve impulse that reaches the brain where the horn is then identified. In the case of tinnitus, the external auditory stimulus is missing and the cells move by themselves generating these phantom sounds“.
According to the expert, this motility without stimulus can occur following an acoustic trauma, as the first sign of presbycusis (physiological phenomenon of hearing aging) and in various other conditions that alter the micro-environment of the ear. “However, this phenomenon is transient, in fact the cells either recover their well-being or die and the tinnitus disappears,” he continued. The situation is different when tinnitus is persistent: “This persistence is caused by inflammation of the auditory area in the brain (neuro-inflammation) following the peripheral stimulus from the ear. If the cells in the ear die they can no longer send signals, so the tinnitus should go away. In some individuals, however, this hyperstimulus can cause inflammation of the specific area of that sound in the brain, which remains active even in the absence of a stimulus from the ear. In fact, we know that some diseases such as multiple sclerosis can give tinnitus as a symptom. There are though various methodologies to treat the problem according to its origin. In the case of an aging problem you can protect yourself by using supplements, if the damage is caused by chronic exposure to noise you need to use hearing protection. When the problem is of central origin, first of all it is necessary to exclude neurological problems such as multiple sclerosis, then the problem can be treated using methodologies capable of counteracting neuro-inflammation“.
“My advice is don’t neglect ringing in the ear, especially if persistent and not occasional; if it does not disappear within 72 hours, contact a specialist who will then be able to suggest the best treatment and prevent it from becoming chronic,”concluded the expert.