Is tinnitus physical or psychological?

Tinnitus, a chronic hearing condition, is often thought of as a physical health issue. However, not as many people know that tinnitus has been tied to declining mental health, too. October is Audiology Awareness Month, and is a good time to draw attention to what can be a very serious concern.

Can tinnitus be psychogenic?

From a psychodynamic point of view it makes sense to consider tinnitus as an expression of a psychogenic disorder and to code it accordingly. The ENT-diagnosis H 93.1 is then combined with an F-diagnosis from the area of somatoform disorders (F. 45.0), anxiety disorders (F. 41) or depressive disorders (F.

How much of tinnitus is psychological?

The evidence that stress is related to tinnitus is based on studies that show high psychiatric comorbidity related to the symptom. About 10– 60\% of chronic tinnitus patients suffer from depressive disorders and 28–45\% present with clinically relevant anxiety symptoms [4, 5].

Is tinnitus a somatic symptom disorder?

Most investigators agree that tinnitus can develop as part of a somatic disease; for example, cochlear dysfunction due to acoustic trauma or in connection with presbyacusis, Menière’s disease, acoustic neuroma, or otosclerosis.

Can somatic tinnitus go away?

Somatic tinnitus: Related to the sensory system. This form is caused, worsened, or otherwise related to the sensory system. Objective tinnitus: A rare form of tinnitus that may be caused by involuntary muscle contractions or vascular deformities. When the cause is treated, the tinnitus usually stops entirely.

Is Somatic tinnitus curable?

Somatic tinnitus is defined as tinnitus in which forceful contractions of jaw and neck muscles modulate its psychoacoustic attributes [19]. Similar to chronic neck pain treatments, various physical therapies have been proposed for the treatment of somatosensory tinnitus although there is no definitive cure for it.

Do antidepressants help tinnitus?

The types of antidepressants used in treating tinnitus‐related symptoms are most commonly tricyclic antidepressants (including amitriptyline, imipramine and nortriptyline). Newer drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (e.g. fluoxetine, paroxetine or other heterocyclic compounds) can also be used.

Can high serotonin cause tinnitus?

However, some antidepressants elevate serotonin levels, and there are nerve cells in the brain that become hyperactive when exposed to these increased levels of serotonin. This can raise anxiety levels and can result in tinnitus.