Tinnitus, Auditory Imagery or me!!

We received a question today on a more auditory form of tinnitus. This tinnitus isn’t what is commonly known as just ringing in the ear or even Pulsatile  in nature (Pulsatile tinnitus) but it has a unique nature of sound and varies from individual to individual.

Auditory imagery is a central type of tinnitus (tinnitus is not only related to the periphery of the auditory system).  This means your brain is replaying recently heard sounds.   Patients can hear a variety of sounds not only music and voices.

Patients often wonder is it me, am I losing it because this tinnitus does not follow the common ringing in the ear but sounds more like a tune. I have a patient whose song is a common song that plays in her ears!

Tensor Tympani Syndrome which will be discussed in our next post could some times make these symptoms worse.

I have attached an article by Patricia E. Goodwin that goes into great detail and outlines what you can expect, if you would like to know more or are experiencing this type of tinnitus let us know!

«