Incredible but true, is the little known fact that one in every six people experience some form of ringing, whistling or ‘rushing’ sounds in their ears at some time in their lives. If experienced only temporarily, it may not even be especially noticed or recognised as an episode of tinnitus, and considered possibly symptomatic of hearing damage.

While the number of tinnitus sufferers is increasingly on the rise, with a possible estimated global figure of 440 million, in the majority of circumstances, only the sufferer actually hears the noise, which makes it crucial to be aware that tinnitus is not a single disease, but may be a symptom of an underlying and deteriorating noise induced hearing loss.

Studies tend to show that nearly three quarters of all young people would have experienced a brief loss of hearing due, for example, to exposure to excessive decibels at live music venues. However around 8 per cent of urban industrialised populations experience noise interference within the ear every single day, either at, or travelling to and from their workplace, causing disturbed sleep patterns or in worst case scenarios, leading to eventual industrial deafness. Yet only around 0.5% thought the noises in their ears could be an illness in itself.

The most commonly-heard sounds are:

Whistling   38.8 Per cent
Rustling     27.9
Humming  10.9
Hissing        5.5
Ringing        4.2
Beeping       3.0

Of concern is that while tinnitus can occur at any age, there is a rise in probability corresponding with increasing age, especially if constantly exposed to excessive workplace noise. It is all the more unfortunate that most individuals tend to delay consulting their GP for an average of 5-8 years to enquire into a persistent, frequent or almost continuous bout of tinnitus.

Many sufferers can sometimes mistakenly conclude that their tinnitus was brought on after an emotional event or a stressful period in their lives rather than link to a specific or physical cause.

There are numerous possible physical causes for tinnitus, which can include high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol problems, heart valve problems, auditory canal or middle ear infections, inner tumours, blood vessel constrictions or swellings. It is mostly found to be a disruption in the function of a number of the 16,000 hair cells producing constant electrical-mechnical activity in the cochlea, which triggers perceived sounds, and magnified by stress.

Persistent tinnitus, which cannot be adequately explained, will require an audiogram, or hearing test, in order that measures may be taken to try and lessen the victim’s severity of suffering.