Tinnitus A Noise to Live With ?

Beethoven, the German writer Goethe, and the Italian sculptor Michelangelo- all may have had it..

The ancient Egyptians may likewise have been aware of it,
apparently referring to the malady as " a bewitched ear ."
Today it is called tinnitus, and an estimated 15 percent of
the population of the Western world have it frequently or constantly.
About 5 percent out of 1,000 are afflicted severly.

Just what is this annoying malady ?
The world " tinnitus " comes from the Latin tinnire, " to tinkle, "and it is described as a " sound in the ears not caused by any external stimulation."

According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, it may be
" buzzing, roaring, whistleing, or hissing quality or may involve more complex sounds that vary over time.

It may be intermittent, continuous, or pulsatile. "
The volume of this noise can range from hardly audible to disturbingly loud.
And it is a sound that sufferers cannot turn off.
The unrelenting noise can thus trigger a host of side effects:
emotional distress , sleeping problems , pain , concentration difficulties,fatigue, communication problems and depression.