Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a subjective sensation, described by the patient according to its tone in different ways: bells, chimes, the sound of the sea or a snail, etc. In many cases, the patient describes pulsatile tinnitus, synchronous with the heart rate. They can be permanent or appear in certain situations, in the decubitus position, after physical exertion, in the presence of variations in atmospheric pressure, etc. Regarding their location, they are referred to the ears or lateralized or diffuse throughout the cranial area.
Whatever its manifestation, tinnitus is a social dysfunction, which prevents the normal activity of the person who suffers from it, causing changes in mood, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, insomnia.
To the extent that the sensitive cells of the auditory and balance organs are intact, there are good prospects for an improvement and even the disappearance of the symptoms. Otherwise, only a delay in the progression of the symptoms could be achieved. The sooner tinnitus is treated, the greater the chances of success. The causes of tinnitus are very varied.
In addition to structural dysfunctions, stress seems to play an important role. Psychic tensions can give rise to tinnitus through the muscular insertions in the temporal bone.
An important cause has to do with the state of the auditory canals. Surely, this tone is produced by the blood flow in the internal carotid artery at its elbow in the petrous portion of the temporal bone. It is separated from the inner ear only by a thin bone plate, so that structural alterations in this area can give rise to tinnitus.
The vestibular nerve of the vestibulocochlear nerve can also be affected by tensions in the dura mater in the internal acoustic meatus, being the cause of hearing disorders. The techniques to choose are temporal bone techniques, including treatment of the temporomandibular joint, separation of the temporal bone sutures, work with the pterygoid muscle, gentle decompression and uncoiling of the neck, and work on the jaws.
On an energetic or emotional level, tinnitus can be related to “I don’t want to hear it anymore” and stress seems to play a significant role in some cases.
Article by Alberto Panizo and Greta Adam.