Subject: Re: sounds too loud From: Tom Brennan <g_brennantg(at)TITAN.SFASU.EDU> Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 18:03:25 -0600Hi Jeff. While tinnitus and hyperacusis (for whatever cause) can coexist, to say that one causes the other is a bit like saying that heart problems cause kidney dysfunction. While they can be related, the existance of one is not usually considered a sign to look for the other as either can exist separately and even if they coexist have no relation to one another. In the case of cochlear problems however, hair cell damage can cause either problem (hyperacusis or tinnitus) but this need not be the case. One other thing I should point out is that "ringing" tinnitus is only one of multiple types. This generally indicates a higher frequency component to the tinnitus but is definitely not the only type that exists. Other common types are whistling, popping, clicking, buzzing, hissing, and roaring. Having been a referal source for the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) for a number of years, I have seen forms of tinnitus that do not even appear in textbooks. You migh want to check out the ATA page at http://ata.org. Tom Tom Brennan, CCC-A/SLP, RHD web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html web master http://titan.sfasu.edu/~f_freemanfj/speechscience.html web master http://titan.sfasu.edu/~f_freemanfj/fluency.html