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A police officer fires his handgun while target practicing. He forgot to put on his ear muffs and suddenly after the shot, he hears a faint buzzing sound. In this example, over time, the ringing will probably fade for the officer. Almost everyone will experience tinnitus in their lifetime. After all, loud noises are impossible to avoid completely. There is only a problem when the sound from the tinnitus does not stop, or it continues to get louder with time. For many people around the world, the ringing, buzzing, hissing or chirping sounds that make up tinnitus (tin-Night-us; Tin-nit-us) or acoustic trauma never go away (Alliance). There are several definitions of the word tinnitus. Tinnitus Away defines it as "a noise heard in the ear, or the sensation of noise as a ringing that is purely subjective." Hear USA says tinnitus is "a noise heard in the ears." According to Tinnitus.com, Tinnitus was defined in 1999 as a sensory disorder. What does all of this mean? Basically, tinnitus is the perception of sound by an individual when there is no external source of that sound. Sound burst hearing loss is due to damage to the auditory receptors, the hair cells, inside the ear. The vibration of these hair follicles is what allows humans to hear so when they become damaged, the auditory sense is set off, and the resulting noise is the sound heard by millions of tinnitus sufferers. The other damage done to the ear by sound bursts that creates hearing loss is the deflation of the cochlea. This damage is usually caused by prolonged exposure to a continuous loud noise. Acoustic traumas are caused by an explosive sound, sudden and loud, that can cause hearing loss (Goldstein, 2002). The effects of these traumas can fade. However, they do not always go away. A college student who had a fire cracker explode in his hand only fifteen inches from his ear still had a ringing sensation two years after the incident.

According to the Internet Armory, sound is physically just a rapid change in air pressure above and below the atmospheric pressure. The decibel, dB, named after Alexander Graham Bell, is used to describe this change in pressure. Zero dB is the threshold of human hearing, and 120 dB is the pain threshold. Decibels increase logarithmically so 10 dB is 10 times as powerful as one dB, and twenty dB is ten times as powerful as that. An average home bedroom is very quiet, usually thirty to forty dB. A lawn mower can possibly cause hearing damage since it cranks out 90 dB. However, when sound bursts cause hearing loss, the cause is usually a gunshot. Gunshots are above the pain threshold and rank in with 140 dB.

Almost fifty million Americans have a communication disorder. Of these fifty million, thirty-six million people suffer from tinnitus. Normally, humans are able to adapt and continue with a normal life despite the constant ringing they hear. However, between four to seven million people have tinnitus that is severely debilitating. There are many causes of Tinnitus. The most common cause is exposure to loud sounds. Ear disease, infection, drugs, salt, smoking, caffeine and stress can also be linked to the development of tinnitus.

In society today, the normal activities are getting louder. In one study, it was determined that the loudest leisure activities that today's youth participate in are playing in a band, going to music concerts, and shooting (Jokitulppo, Bjoerk, Akaan-Penttilae, 1997). In the corresponding experiment, fifty-one percent of the subjects voluntarily participated in activities with noise levels that are detrimental to hearing. The cases of hearing loss symptoms were directly correlated with increased noise exposure.

It is sad to say that there is not much that can be done about tinnitus or hearing damaged by pulse sounds. Only within the past few decades has tinnitus even been recognized by the medical profession. It seems that the best "cure", in this case, is truly prevention. Most of the information says to use personal ear protectors. These are ear muff that seal tightly around the ear. If used, they should decrease the sound of a gunshot from 140 dB to a level that does not impair hearing or cause ringing. If exposure to sound has already caused a permanent ringing in the ears, physicians are working on ways to reduce the distracting effects.

Several organizations are offering possible solutions to tinnitus. One of the common treatments aim to decrease the intensity of the tinnitus. This is done by finding any correctable conditions that could be compounding the tinnitus. Everyone with tinnitus should consult a otolaryngologist, an ear, nose and throat specialist, before seeking any other form of treatment. Any form of blockage, such as a buildup of wax or fluid in the ear canal, can add to or even be the cause of tinnitus. Certain diseases such as hypertension or Meniere's Disease can cause a ringing in the ears. A change in the diet can also decrease the effects of tinnitus. Decreased caffeine intake can drastically improve the ringing. Some behaviors also can increase the influence of tinnitus. Noise exposure, jaw clenching, and taking drugs such as aspirin are all things that can be changed to lower the susceptibility to tinnitus.

After exposure to a loud sound that causes a ringing in the ears, a person should find a nice quiet place to relax for a while. If this is not possible at the time, then the person should wear some sort of hearing protection. Ear muffs or foam expanding ear plugs will usually decrease noises to a safe level. When subjected to loud noise, hearing protection is vital. Damage done to hearing of higher frequencies is not often noticed until well after the fact since it is painless. The damage to the hair cells adds up over time. The more time spent in the presence of excessive noise, the more likely damage is to occur. However, no previous exposure to loud noise does not guarantee safety. Just one incident can result in permanent hearing loss or tinnitus.

All too often, there is nothing medically that can be done medically for sound trauma victims. In such cases where there are no medical remedies, several companies offer tinnitus maskers. These devices are worn much like a hearing aid and produce a constant sound and distract the wearer's conscious from noticing the sounds of tinnitus. Hearing aids produce a background noise that can act as a blockade against the sounds of tinnitus. Some people with tinnitus create their own maskers by having objects that produce constant noise around at all times. Even though these maskers do nothing to cure tinnitus, they are acceptable ways of keeping the sense preoccupied to decrease its noticeable effects.

Masking does not always work. In some cases, no matter what is done, the effects of tinnitus are still noticeable and distracting to the person suffering. In these cases, the main goal is to increase the tolerance of the person to the effects of tinnitus. There are certain drugs which have been used for short term relief, but long term use leads to addiction. The most common are sleep aids and anti-anxiety medications. There has been some Biofeedback therapy that has been shown to improve the patients' perception of tinnitus, and therefore has increased their tolerance levels. One such therapy is the Jastreboff Technique. This technique, also known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), was created by Dr. Pawel Jastreboff. Treatment includes intensive counseling, the use of sound therapy devices and hearing aids to increase the patients susceptibility to the sound of tinnitus. This treatment could take from one to two years. The goal is to train the patient not to focus on his or her tinnitus. TRT is not a cure for tinnitus (Ear Clinic).

In this day and age, natural cures are sought out by many people. Huge numbers of patients have claimed that Ginkgo Biloba has assisted with their tinnitus symptoms. Where some people have found relief with Ginkgo, however, others have not. The reaction seems to be on a purely individual basis.

Another form of counseling is hypnosis. A group called Tinnitus Away promotes hypnosis as the most widely accepted remedy for tinnitus. This company offers a series of tapes that are each thirty minutes long and which are supposed to reduce the effects of tinnitus through self hypnosis. They make claims that hypnosis puts the patient into a state called the alpha state, which heightens awareness and improves learning.

Despite the wide variety of techniques, TRT seems to be the most effective out right now. Not far behind TRT is masking. Avoiding environmental silence seems to be the easiest way to deal with tinnitus. This can be done by introducing noise into every place one goes with devices such as "walkman's" or a stereo.

Sudden sound bursts only account for a small number of the tinnitus and hearing impaired people on the planet. The majority of people damage their ears by prolonged sound exposure. The constant ringing in the ears caused by the degeneration or breaking of hair cells is an unpleasant experience which can cause people to be seriously debilitated. Most people who have tinnitus manage to live their lives in relative happiness, but to those it affects more harshly, there is hope. The main cure for this disease is prevention. Avoiding exposure to loud noises without the proper protection would be the best route to take. However, even if damage is done, there are several possible treatments that span a wide variety of options. There is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, which teaches the person not to notice the constant ringing. There is hypnosis, that also holds the same claim. Masking also offers an effective method for coping with tinnitus simply by increasing the environmental noise. Unfortunately, hearing loss caused by pulsed sounds is typically permanent and can only be corrected with hearing aids. Changes in diet can also help people with tinnitus. A decrease in caffeine intake, or an increase in Ginkgo Biloba can effect the constant ringing.

If tinnitus or hearing loss has not already occurred, loud sounds should be avoided. If it becomes necessary to be around excessive noise, wear the proper protection. Even if tinnitus or hearing loss is already present, exposure to loud sounds can worsen the problems. Also, the excessive use of alcohol, aspirin and caffeine should be avoided. Some use of these should be fine.

Fastl, Hugo ; Schorn, Karin. (1981). Discrimination of level differences by hearing impaired patients. Audiology. Vol 20(6), 488-502.

Jokitulppo, Jaana S. ; Bjoerk, Erkki ; Akaan-Penttilae, Eero. (1997). Estimated liesure noise exposure and hearing symptoms in Finnish teenagers. Scandinavian Audiology, Vol 26(4), 257-262.

Marshall, Lynne ; Brandt, John F. (1974). Temporary thresholdshifts from a toy cap gun. Journal of Speech & Hearing Disorders. Vol. 39(2), 163-168.

Micheyl, C. ; Arthaud, P ; Reinhart, C. ; Collet, L. (2000). Information masking in normal hearing and hearing impaired listeners. Acta Oto-Laryngologica. Vol 120(2), 242-246.

Alliance Tinnitus and Hearing Center. http://www.tinn.com

American Tinnitus Association. http:www.ata.org/

Ear and Eye Protection is Foremost when Shooting. http://www.internetarmory.com/ear_protection.htm

Ear Clinic Information Center. http://www.earinfosite.org

Goldstein, E. Bruce. (2002). Sensation and Perception. (6th ed.). United States, Wadsworth. 567-568

Hear-It. http://www.hear-it.org

Hear USA. http://www.hearusa.com/tinnitus

Tinnitus.com. http://www.tinnituscenter.com

Tinnitus Information - Treatment for Tinnitus. http://www.tinnitusaway.com/