Tinnitus is a condition experienced as noises or ringing in the ears or in the head when no such external physical noise is present. Tinnitus is usually caused by a fault in the hearing system; it is a symptom, not a disease in itself. Approximately 17 -20 % of Australians suffer from tinnitus, and a high proportion of those have a recognised hearing loss.

Recognised factors that exacerbate tinnitus are:

• Loud noise
• Stress and fatigue
• Caffeine (tea and coffee)
• Nicotine
• Alcohol
• Certain medicines (Prescribed and non-prescribed)

It is an extremely complex subject and can be a very serious issue for some sufferers. If you are one of those people we suggest you visit your GP as an initial point of contact. It is recommended that the sudden onset of unilateral (in one ear only) be followed up with your GP.

There is a link between hearing loss and tinnitus and it is recognised that a proportion of suffers obtain significant relief from wearing hearing aids.

Below are some links to reliable websites with fuller explanations and very useful information.
http://www.tinnitus.asn.au/tinnitus.htm
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

There is a direct relationship between the times we can safely be exposed to a noise, and the levels (or volume), of that noise. In Australia, it is considered 'acceptable' to be exposed to 85 decibels of noise for up to 8 hours.

Most of us are familiar with the term decibel, but what we might fail to appreciate is that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale. For every 3 decibels added, the volume doubles. Thus 88 decibels is twice as loud as 85 decibels. The significance of this is that we can only safely spend half as long in 88 decibels of noise as we could at 85 decibels. At 94 decibels we are down to 1 hour, and at 100 decibels the safe time is reduced to 15 minutes.

When we relate this to everyday noise, we start to appreciate the true significance of this table. For example, a tractor's engine runs at about 100 decibels, while a drum kit will normally exceed 120 decibels! So be aware that continual exposure through work or recreation will cause an acquired permenant hearing loss, which is both avoidable and frustrating. Therefore, start protecting your ears with approved protectors.

• Lawn mower 80-95 dB
• Tractor 100dB
• Chainsaw 110-120 dB
• Drumkit 120 dB
• Rifle 156-167 dB
  Always use hearing protection when hunting or target shooting. A single exposure to gunfire can cause permanent hearing loss.