Tinnitus occurrence and characteristics vary from person to person. The sound may be continuous or fluctuating and it can occur in one or both ears. Pitches range from low roars to high chirps and are experienced by people of all ages. There are two types of tinnitus that can be experienced. They are referred to as objective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is a rare form caused by “abnormalities in blood vessels around the outside of the ear or by muscle spasms, which may sound like clicks or crackling inside the middle ear”. (American Academy of Otolaryngology) Other people besides the affected individual can often hear the ringing noi

It is apparent, from the significant number of treatments that are prescribed for tinnitus, that no one seems to be sure exactly what works to reduce or cure this perception of internal noise. The major problem lies in determining where tinnitus originates. If the origin of the problem is unknown, a cure is practically unreachable. Until researchers are able to pinpoint exactly what is causing thousands of Americans to live their lives with the annoyance of ringing in their ears, physicians will be reaching to find the right treatments or drugs to aid tinnitus suffers.

Another philosophy of treatment for tinnitus, that proved to fail early on, was first presented in 360 B.C. by Aristotle. This famous philosopher believed that the human ear had air within it. Alexander of Tralles (525-605 A.D.) took Aristotle’s idea and went on to say that if this air within our ears was dense and began to expand without having an outlet from the ear, tinnitus would result. (Hazell, 1987) In the 17th century A.D. jean Riolan, the Younger expanded on this theory of expanding air. He suggested that by removing a section of the mastoid bone one would be able to release the expanding air and by doing so cure the patient’s tinnitus. This was a well-excepted theory of that time, but Jean Riolan was later discredited after two prestigious individuals died from the procedure. (Hazell, 1987)

Sound therapy is an approach that is supposed to improve the responsiveness of the middle ear muscles. Sound is alternated from high and low tones with the low frequencies progressively being filtered out. This causes the ear to respond to higher tones, which allows he sensory cells of the inner ear to restore their correct position. (Hazell, 2000)

Alfred Tomatis developed a treatment known as auditory integration training, or AIT. AIT involves listening to music, through headphones, in which high and low frequencies have been manipulated to randomly shift in and out, making the music sound distorted. Patients typically complete two thirty-minute sessions daily. Listening to distorted music is intended to involve the ear in an exercise comparable to physical therapy. Patients are cautioned that listening to music through headphones after therapy may undo treatment. (Modeland, 1989)

Hearing aids are a common answer for the treatment of tinnitus. Hearing aids will increase the ears ability to hear which brings normal sounds above the level at which the patient perceives their tinnitus. (Caster, 2000)

c tinnitus, which was believed to be very rare. It was believed that the tinnitus in this case was a result of a psychological disorder and the best way to treat it was to treat the disorder. (Hazell, 1987)

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, referred to as HBO treatment, is thought to be beneficial when tinnitus is caused by a lack of oxygen. The procedure involves presenting pure oxygen to the patients while the air pressure in a sealed chamber is gradually increased. Treatment covers a two-hour time span and is administered for ten consecutive days. This management approach is based on the idea that tinnitus is caused mainly by a shortage of oxygen in the inner ear, and is typically done for those who have exhausted other treatment possibilities. (Scott, 2000)

To begin our discussion on tinnitus, we will highlight events in history surrounding the discovery, treatment, and early beliefs behind the causes of tinnitus. It is uncertain when the symptom of tinnitus was first discovered. The earliest medical records available are the records of the ancient Egyptians found on papyruses. In many of the ancient Egyptian writings, there is a mention of a bewitched ear. A papyrus written on by Crocodilopolis in the 6th century B.C. described a phenomenon of humming in the ears. The people of this time believed the humming could be decreased by pouring herbs, oils, and salts into the “diseased ear.” (Hazell, 1987)

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