Synonym
to the main topic: Tinnitus Ear noises, ringing in the ears English tinnitusThe cause of tinnitus is not known until today. Although many scientists have published different theses about the cause, a real scientific proof is still missing. Some assume a circulatory disorder of the inner ear, others assume a nervous involvement but also a strong psychological component is discussed in the mechanism of the development of tinnitus.
Ear noises. There are different ways of classifying tinnitus. First of all, tinnitus can be classified according to whether it is an objective or a subjective development mechanism.
The objective cause of tinnitus is a sound source that is both endogenous and close to the ear (vessels or nerves that run close to the ear and are stimulated by pulsations etc.). pulsations etc. ), which triggers a noise in the ear.
In subjective tinnitus, a sound-triggering source cannot be located. Furthermore, a classification according to the place of origin (outer ear, middle ear or inner ear) can be made. Also with the help of the temporal course of the complaints a classification into: Also the so-called secondary symptoms, i.e. the symptoms that can occur in addition to tinnitus, can be used to make a classification.
A distinction is made here between compensated courses in which the patient perceives the ringing in the ear, but can deal with it so well that it does not affect him further. In the decompensated course, the patient’s level of suffering is so high that his or her daily life is in part massively impaired. These include sleep disorders, depression, irritability, concentration problems and anxiety.
- Acute (symptoms last less than 3 months),
- Subacute (duration between 3 months and 1 year) and
- Chronic (duration longer than one year).
A further classification refers to the type and intensity of the actual ear noise. A grade 1 tinnitus is a sound in the ear that does not cause any distress and the patient has learned to live with the sound. Tinnitus grade 2 would describe a tinnitus that occurs mainly in silence and disturbs the patient especially in stressful or psychologically stressful situations.
Tinnitus grade 3 would describe a tinnitus that already has a strong impact on private life. The patient’s level of suffering is already increased. He also experiences secondary symptoms such as irritability, sleep disorders and depression. Finally, tinnitus grade 4 refers to a completely decompensated state that affects all physical and psychological areas of daily life, sometimes massively. In extreme cases it can also lead to suicidal thoughts
