Tinnitus is a naturally occurring phenomenon in about 50% of the population; even dogs have tinnitus that can sometimes be heard by people! The more loud sounds you are exposed to without hearing protection the more you may experience tinnitus and you have an increased chance in having hearing loss.

If you are concerned about your hearing you should make an appointment to have your hearing checked. There are often community screenings offered by groups like Easter Seals or Universities. Screenings are not complete evaluations, but they will give you a quick look at your hearing. longhornfan1722

There are two types of hearing loss: (1) damage to the ear drum or little ear bones or (2) damage to the hearing nerves
in the ear. If the nerves in the ear are damaged (too loud the Ipod) then those damaged nerves will send out false signals - ringing or tinnitus.

If the ringing is associated with trouble understanding words, then it is nerve damage.

An audiologist can help you. papamarlee

unlike the answerer you already have I think I can offer some hope.

Tinnitus is a very distressing condition (as you know) that CAN lead to deafness, but often doesn’t.

Unfortunately there is little effective treatment and what often happens is that the ringing, roaring and other sounds in your ears can ‘block’ the clear reception of normal sounds and give the effect of deafness. A subtle difference, I know, but important.

Tinnitus is aften a life-long condition, but not always. Sometimes it can vanish and you will be able to hear clearly again and the annoying noises you’ve suffered (often for years) will be gone. If your hearing was normal before, then you’ll be able to hear clearly should this happen.

Of course, some people are prone to deafness anyway, but this is not directly related to the tinnitus condition.

There is a Tinnitus Society available on the net who are there to help people such as yourself and they are up to date with research and all the latest developments. Just type ‘tinnitus’ into Google (or whatever search engine you use) and you’ll find them. They will be pleased to offer more expert help than I can.

I have learned a little about the condition, as my father-in-law (now 76 years old) has had the condition for forty years, yet last year his head/ears cleared completely.

So don’t lose hope, and please seek help from the Tinnitus Society…it’s free and very helpful.

Cheers,

BobSpain BobSpain

If you have just tinnitus (that is, without any other symptoms and not as part of a broader condition), and you have had a hearing test with an audiologist, you are not at risk of losing your hearing as a result of your condition. mrgumpy