“Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, is a problem that can afflict the entire population over the course of a lifetime. 750 million people suffer from it worldwide. The perception of hearing a sound that is not actually present is a very common and at least for once all human beings have had experience with this problem. But beware of neurodegenerative diseases that have tinnitus as a symptom”. This was stated by Arianna di Stadio, professor at the University of Catania and honorary researcher of the Neuroinflammation Laboratory of UCL Queen Square Neurology in London, on the occasion of World Hearing Day which occurs on 3 March.
“The perception of sounds and of the voice – explains di Stadio – is a complex process that begins in the ear. Once the cells of the ear are stimulated by a sound, such as a horn, they move, generating a nerve impulse that reaches the brain where then the horn is identified. In the case of tinnitus, the external auditory stimulus is missing and the cells move by themselves generating these phantom sounds. This motility without stimulus is indicative of the suffering of the cell, it can manifest itself following an acoustic trauma, such as first sign of presbycusis (physiological phenomenon of hearing aging) and in various other conditions that alter the micro-environment of the ear.This phenomenon, however, is transient, in fact the cells either recover their well-being or they die and the tinnitus disappears ”.
It is different when “the tinnitus is persistent – adds the expert -. This persistence is caused by inflammation of the auditory area in the brain (neuro-inflammation) following the peripheral stimulus from the ear. If the cells in the ear die they can no longer send signals, so the tinnitus should go away. In some individuals, however, this overstimulation can cause inflammation of the specific area of that sound in the brain, which remains active even in the absence of a stimulus from the ear. In fact, we know that some diseases such as multiple sclerosis can give tinnitus as a symptom”.
However, there are various methodologies to treat the problem based on its origin. “In the case of an aging problem – underlines di Stadio – you can protect yourself by using supplements, if the damage is caused by chronic exposure to noise you need to use hearing protection. When the problem is of central origin, first of all it is necessary to exclude neurological problems such as multiple sclerosis, then the problem can be treated using methodologies capable of counteracting neuro-inflammation”.
We are currently studying a series of anti-neuroinflammatory molecules to treat patients with persistent tinnitus (over 6 months). My advice is not to neglect ringing in the ear, especially if it is persistent and not occasional; if it does not disappear within 72 hours, contact the specialist who will thus be able to suggest the best treatment and prevent it from becoming chronic”, concludes the expert.