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Tics, Tinnitus, Tremor...

Tics, tremor, nistagmus, tinnitus, cramps...
...can all appear as standalone symptoms or as a consequence of a proven disease.

Tics are uncontrolled muscle twitches or sounds (blinking, clearing the throat, grimacing, sighing...). They can appear at 3 years and are often prominent between 9 and 13 years of age. They can be aggravated by stress, anxiousness or drugs like Ritalin in Attention Deficit Disorder. They can be part of Tourrette's syndrome which runs in families, but it still hasn't a clear cause. Tics in most cases vanish until early adulthood.

This occasional and stress related nature of tics strongly suggests a psychic origin. But it is also interesting how tics stop - children being solved their psychic troubles or not.

Tinnitus on the other side usually starts in adults.

Few tinnitus sufferers had tics in childhood. It seems that the cause - which is obviously not organ-fixed - remained, only the symptom changed. Other symptoms with possibly psychic origin: tremor (as shaking or shivering), nistagmus (rapid eye movements), behavior or speech disorders, depression, anxiousness, asthma, allergies, phobias, panic attacks, cramps, palpitations, digestion/bowel problems, peptic ulcer, headache, migraine, backache, muscle/bones pains, angina pectoris.

Low Blood Pressure and Tinnitus

When you get up from the bed in the morning, do you hear a hiss within your head (or in the ears)? Do you feel like you'll faint?
It can mean that you have a low blood pressure (BP).

In healthy adults BP is between 140/90 and 90/50 mm Hg. Normal BP level varies from person to person, so more than absolute value the change of BP level is important. Fall of BP for 20mmHg in a short time can cause hypotension symptoms even if the absolute value of BP is within normal range.

How low BP causes a hiss?
Low BP leads to low pressure within the head (intracranial pressure) consequently changing the pressure in an ear cohlea fluid (endolymph), which affects the normal way of stimulation of hearing receptors what results in a hiss. In addition: blood supply to inner ear vessels is not sufficient what results in inappropriate operation of the inner ear.

Other causes of hiss related to vessels/blood:
High blood pressure
Atherosclerotic artery or thrombotic plug in veins near the ear causing turbulent blood flow.
Brain artery aneurysm
Changes in blood composition (anemia, leukemia...)
Dehydration

Psychosomatic Pain vs. Tinnitus

Pain is considered as a helpful sign in medicine. It tells us there is something wrong with our body or with our life...It suggests us to check and remove the cause.

Pain can be a consequence of a disease arising from the body or from environment (e.g. ear pain from noise).

All other causes of pain arising in person's relationships, memories, life attitudes...are referred as psychosomatic. Headache, migrain, stomach pain and backache are examples. Tinnitus - felt as pain or not - can fit in this group also.

These pains are not imaginary, they are true. If you feel tense, muscles will be tense and if this lasts for some time, the pain will be felt. Excessive activity of an auditory nerve caused by psychic tension is a physiological explanation for the tinnitus, where no other causes are found.

Have you ever experienced a headache after sitting in the front of a computer for a long time? I think that such a headache is a nice warning that you are doing something bad to your eyes and to your life maybe. Thus the solution (on a long term) is not in taking some analgesics, but to make a break, go to sleep or on a walk. And to consider - is it O.K. that I use computer so much?

And have you ever experienced your eardrum is twitching in an exciting situation where you were feeling that you were doing something wrong?

What can Affect Hearing Process

I will explain here a hearing process and what can affect it.

Sound waves come through ear canal, reach eardrum and swing it. Vibrations are carried via three hearing bones (in the middle ear) toward the cohlea and causes the liquid within to oscillate. This stimulates hearing receptors. At this point mechanical vibration is converted in nerve excitation which propagates via auditory nerve through brainstem and reaches the brain. Excitation of brain cells in auditory area is recognised by a person as a sond.

**At all this points a sound can be impaired by objective and subjective causes**.

Objective causes:
A
foreign body, injury, infection... in ear canal.

Any procees which press on auditory nerve on his path toward the brain
.
Changes within the auditory nerve
.
Vascular (aneurysm) or blood disturbance (thrombosis, policythemia).

Subjective causes:
Psychic tension, Pain...
Tension can cause the muscles in the middle ear to contract, which can objectively affect the perception of loudness.

All these causes can not only prevent hearing but can also distort a sound or can pruduce tinnitus.

Sound related Terms

The Sound is a propagation of vibration (with 20-20,000 Hz frequency) through the medium (air, liquid solid matters). It is a mechanical force which causes vibration of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

Loudness of a sound is determined by pressure of sound waves puts on an eardrum. Measure unit is decibel (dB).
Hearing threshold is at 0 dB.
Normal Talking at 1m distance ...40-60 dB.
Major Road at 10m distance... 80-90 dB.
Prolonged exposion to 85 dB can cause hearing imparmient.
Short exposion to 120 dB can cause hearing damage.
Plane on the airport...120-140 dB.
Treshold of Pain...135 dB.

Hight of the sound is determined by frequency of sound waves.
High frequency means high sound.
The hearing range is between 20Hz to 20,000 Hz and it changes with age. Old people usually can't hear sounds over 16,000 Hz.
Sound out of this frequency range cannot be heard. Sound over 20,000 Hz is called Ultrasound, below 20 Hz is Infrasound.

Tone is a sound of a particular frequency. 'Middle C' has 262 Hz, 'high C' has 512 Hz.
Monophonic sound is composed from one tone
Polyphonic sound is composed from two or more tones.
Hiss is a sharp sibiliant sound like sustained 's'.
Noise can be defined as unwanted sound.
Resonance is a relatively high amplitude of vibration produced when a frequency of some source matches the natural frequency of other object.

What Happened to the Experiment ?

A few months ago I started an experiment using a tinnitus formula. The formula involved was in fact a high dosage of Gingko Biloba ( 240mg). I was advised to take 2 caps a day for a period of approx. 3 months. I did receive a lot of feedback from people and friends advising not to experiment using drugs but after careful thought and consultation with my doctor I decided to try anyway.

I figured "nothing from nothing leaves nothing" and since I had nothing to loose anyway I stated taking the capsules on a daily basis. So after 3 months of downing 2 tabs a day without missing any out, the results left a lot to be desired. I must admit the capsules did not harm me in any way but regardless of this the tinnitus remains unchanged.

So...where does this leave me?

I have been speaking to many tinnitus victims lately and they all have one thing in common. Whenever taking tinnitus remedies or other drugs and therapies a pattern develops which is evident in the majority. Most tinnitus victims tend to be unpatient and expect results quicker than can be expected. This is no surprise when you stop to think of what these people are listeng to on a 24/7 basis.

It is a fact that when someone taking capsules which promises Tinnitus relief they will expect something to happen which in fact beats the object itself. Waiting for results can be frustrating for someone who has paid anything in excess of $ 100,00 for their tinnitus remedies. When taking taking remedies or going through therapy one adapts an attitude of "great expectations". I found myself checking the tinnitus sound after only 5 days to see if it was changing.

After 1 month I couldn't detect any difference but kept taking the caps anyway. I do remember even trying hard to detect a difference, in fact I even once made myself believe that the caps were having an positive effect on the tinnitus. After 3 months I conceded and gave up. I still have the caps here but I think I´ll throw them and forget the whole matter.

This doesn't mean that a tinnitus remedy wont work for you though, it just didn't work for me. I would strongly recommend anyone to think about what they are doing and what results they expect before embarking on a tinnitus remedy therapy and be ready to accept the fact that taking caps MAY not work. That's the thing about tinnitus I hate so much. One is always on the lookout for new therapies. One is always good bait !

Definition of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a perception of a sound in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present. It is often described as ringing in the ears but also as hissing, roaring, whistling etc. - but common to all - as a completely different sound as previously experienced from their external environment.
It can be intermittent or continuous; occasional or long term symptom.

Objective tinnitus has mostly physical/physiological origin e.g. noise injury or arterial aneurysm in the brain. It is thereby only a symptom and not a disease itself. The sound can be heard by an observer (with using an stethoscope or other sound recording device). It is treated by eliminating the cause.

At subjective tinnitus no sound can be detected by an observer. An abnormal auditory nerve activity is the only recordable change. It is a standalone disturbance which is not physical/physiological but rather arise from psychic tension. Medications or other physical measures rarely help. Personal approach toward the patient (understanding, discussion) is needed.

What cannot be considered as tinnitus:
-any external sound
-sounds caused by change in external air pressure (at diving or quick changes in altitude (car on mountain road, plane...)
-"voices" as psychiatric patients describe them.

How to Cope with Tinnitus

If you have heard of Tinnitus, chances are you cringe at the thought of developing such a problem. With constant high pitch sounds resonating throughout your ears, it is a wonder that anyone can focus on other areas of life. Surprisingly, at least half of the 35 million Americans suffering from this disease can deal with it. While it is one of the most difficult things anyone will have to face, it is possible to take control.

Tinnitus may make the person feel like they have been defeated, but there are ways to control the sound, and perhaps decrease it. Otolaryngologists will teach you how to take the sound and alleviate it to an extent. For instance, there are concentration exercises that focus on relaxation. By calming your ear muscles down, it can actually decrease the stress, and thus control the constant ringing that you hear. Some patients actually claim that it stops the sound all together, while others say it only helps a little. Nevertheless, it is an exercise that should be tried.

If the ringing sound is driving you crazy, doctors will suggest covering it up with another sound. White noise from a radio or a clock that ticks loudly can make you focus on other things, especially if you are in a very quiet environment. When you go to bed, there are peaceful sounds that you can try. The majority of Tinnitus sufferers buy pillow speakers and suggest using relaxation music that is similar to yoga or relaxation techniques. Still not helping? It is imperative that you find other areas in life to focus on. Go for a walk, hang out with friends, or simply ride a bike. By doing all of these other hobbies, you will most likely be able to block out some of the noise.

It has been shown that stress actually increases the ringing in people’s ears. Therefore, it is essential to always stay stress free, or at least keep it to a minimum. Exercising daily to alleviate anxiety, listening to soothing music, or writing may help you cope with this. It is also recommended that you avoid salty foods. By eating healthy and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, you could be doing your ears a huge favor.

Although Tinnitus can drive people to serious places, it is possible to enjoy life and ignore the ringing. Most people feel that support groups are actually the most helpful. For this reason, you should try and locate an organization or group that deals with this kind of issue. You will be able to hear other people’s stories, and learn a lot from the techniques that they use. Nevertheless, having Tinnitus doesn’t mean that your life has to end. It may bring extra hurdles that you have to overcome, but it is possible to walk a smooth path. By living stress free and surrounding yourself with amazing people, the disease does not have to win. You can still accomplish whatever you’d like, even if there is a ringing in your ears.

What Causes Tinnitus?

For any tinnitus sufferer, it can be overwhelming to try and stop the ringing. When doctors tell you that there is only so much you can do, and stress becomes a major setback, life just doesn’t seem fair. Often patients fear the worst and begin to feel like there is no way out for this problem. It also is extremely frustrating when you know that you can hear the overpowering sound, yet no one else around you can.

For any person who suffers from Tinnitus, it is important that you recognize how you acquired it. Many people do not learn as much as they can about the disease, because they feel like it is no use. However, it is extremely imperative that you learn as much as you can about the disease and what causes it. This may help you start coping with what you have, regardless of how frustrated you feel.

There are actually two different types of Tinnitus. Objective Tinnitus is when other people around you can also hear the noises. This may make patients feel a little bit better, since they know they aren’t crazy. Unfortunately, this is an uncommon type of Tinnitus, and generally the majority of people do not have this kind. Subjective Tinnitus, on the other hand, is when an individual only experiences these isolated sounds. No one else can hear the ringing, and it becomes a difficult situation to treat. At least with Objective Tinnitus, other people can hear what you are hearing.

While there are two different kinds, both usually stem from many different sources. For many sufferers, it stemmed from a traumatic event. If you were present during loud gunshots or a massive explosion, chances are your hearing would be damaged. When nerve endings become harmed, ringing usually starts to bother the patient. Serious accidents can also be a factor for Tinnitus patients. For instance, if you were in a car accident and had tremendous head injuries, you could also end up with this ringing sensation. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of different factors and reasons why this disease occurs. It could be as simple as buildup wax. Nonetheless, it usually means that there is a more serious issue lying underneath.

Tinnitus has also been liked to Thyroid problems. If your Thyroid begins to produce too much of the substance, it will begin to bother your other organs. While your heart beat begins to increase, patients may also hear a ringing or piercing pulsating noise in their ears. For others, a B12 or Vitamin A deficiency could be the problem.

Due to the fact that Tinnitus is caused by hundreds of different factors, it can be difficult to treat. After all, how can a Doctor treat a predicament when they can’t trace the cause of the disease? Senior citizens often suffer from hearing loss, while others actually have heart problems and Tinnitus is only a symptom within another disease. With all of these potential factors, it is frustrating for medical professionals and patients alike to move forward. Luckily, with medicine and technology constantly improving, better treatment will be in attendance in no time.

What is Tinnitus?

Silence.

Regardless of how talkative we are, we all crave the peacefulness of silence every now and then. It relaxes us, and allows us to listen to our own thoughts, without have to hear deafening noise in the background. Yet imagine if we had no choice but to hear the persistent ringing in our ears. Would you be able to deal with it? For a group of unlucky people, this is actually the case. It is a medical condition that has caused many to feel like they are going crazy.


Tinnitus, a disease that causes the ears to ring, has affected over 35 million Americans each year. While it can disappear from time to time, most patients suffer from this deafening sound frequently. Depending upon how severe the Tinnitus is, the noise can be very low or a high squeal that is similar to nails on a chalkboard. For this reason, the majority of people with tinnitus cannot seem to live normal lives. After all, would you be able to go on your merry way, if all you heard was ringing?

For most people who suffer from Tinnitus, the causes can be vague. For instance, if you heard a loud gun shot or was present during an enormous explosion, you could damage your inner ear. If these nerve endings become harmed, you could develop Tinnitus. However, this is not the only way to develop the disease. For older people, it may be a sign of hearing loss. If you have another disease, this may be a sign that you have other problems. From a heart disorder to blocked ear canals, tinnitus is an indication that something else is seriously wrong. Therefore, it is imperative that you get your ears checked out.

Unfortunately, if you suffer from Tinnitus, chances are no one else can hear the sound. If you begin hearing this ringing sensation, you need to go to a doctor immediately. Regardless how crazy you feel, this problem can be treated and will fix many of the issues you face. Although there are no real medicines that can stop the ringing, there are tests that can be done. Once your Otolaryngologist performs an array of x-rays on your ears, and conducts hearing tests, he can assess the situation. He will most likely tell you to avoid areas with loud noise, decrease your salt intake, and exercise as much as possible. It also has been shown that stress can severely make the ringing worse. Therefore, you must stay calm when you can. While these suggestions can help with the ringing, it will not go away. For that reason, you need to ignore the sound as much as you can, and continue to live life as you would without the noise.

Tinnitus may sound like a major road block in life, but it is possible to cope with the problem. Dealing with stress is imperative no matter how healthy you are, since it will reduce the risk of other diseases. Consequently, you need to find a balance. Exercise, avoid fatigue, and focus on the better things in life. For many people who suffer with Tinnitus, it has become a regularity that can be dealt with. They continue their daily routines, trying to ignore the fact that they are just a little different.