According to a new survey, almost 1 in every 10 residents in the US is suffering from Tinnitus, which is the perception of continuous noise or ringing in the ears or head. This exasperating ringing or buzzing is known as tinnitus, which results from a person being persistently exposed to loud noises. The condition involves the symptoms of a person hearing sounds even when externally no sounds are present.

In case Tinnitus continues to exist over elongated period of time, it is likely to have adverse impact on emotions, thinking, hearing, sleep and concentration, along with the possibility of resulting in loss of hearing. To arrive over an approximate figure for the number of people in the US those are affected by tinnitus, the data from 2007 National Health Interview Survey was assessed by researchers.

The survey involved over 76,000 adult males and females. The assessment of the participants revealed that almost 1 in every 10 participants had gone through the irritating roaring, buzz or whistling in their ears or head during the last one year. Out of the nearly 10% people who reported of suffering from tinnitus, 27% of the participants suggested that they have been suffering from the condition since over 15 years.

Also, one-third of those suffering the tinnitus experienced more or less persistent symptoms. It is identified that participants who were continuously around the environment with loud noises, either due to nature of their work or during their leisure time, were most vulnerable to suffering from tinnitus.

“Noise exposures at work and at home seem to correlate with the prevalence of chronic tinnitus, and accordingly these noise exposures should be addressed and minimized”, said the lead researcher, Dr. Harrison Lin from University of California, Irvine. This is merely a speculation by Dr. Lin because no such relationship is revealed by the research.

A report published in Tech Times revealed, "Hearing a ringing or buzzing in your ear when there is no outside noise causing it is known as tinnitus. While tinnitus itself isn't a sign of something serious, it could be a symptom of an underlying condition such as hearing loss or a circulatory system disorder."

Researchers analyzed data from more than 75,000 participants ages 18 and older from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey who were asked if they have experienced their ears ringing, and if so, how severe was it and how often it happens.

Interestingly enough, almost 40 percent of participants who reported having tinnitus noticed the ringing sensations close to bedtime. This could be because the quiet allows people to pick up on the sounds more easily.

According to a report in The News Independent by Namrata, "According to the findings of a recent study, it has been noted that at least one in ten people in the United States suffers from an annoying ringing or buzzing in their ears. This condition is called tinnitus."

The researchers said that if a person begins losing the ability to hear a particular range of sound, that person’s brain may contribute its own iteration. The researchers also noted that the condition is more common than it was previously though and the people who have the condition do not discuss this issue with their doctors.

The study noted that the higher rate of the condition was noted in those people who were continuously exposed to loud noises, it could be at work or during their recreational time. The researchers also noted that during the survey about 7.2% of the participants thought that their problem was serious while about 42% of the participants were of the opinion that it was a “small problem.”