Tinnitus or tinnitus, no matter how you pronounce it, the persistent ringing in the ears can be annoying or even debilitating.

A simple way you can think about it is a phantom sensation of sound in the absence of an external

sound.

I'm Cyfry producer Charlesburgquist. It's Wednesday, May 15th, and you're listening to Science Friday.

Tenidus affects millions of people around the world, but despite it being so common, the exact causes of some

tinnitus and how best to think about treating the condition are still unclear.

Dr. Gabriel Corfe, director of the Kresky Hearing Research Institute at the University of Michigan,

joined guest host Sophie Bushwick to talk about Tinnitus and some research into possible ways to mute the buzz.

Welcome to Science Friday.

Thank you very much for having me.

Let's start with some definitions.

What is Tinnitus?

A simple way to think about it is a phantom sensation of sound in the absence of an external sound.

And I've said ringing in the ears, but it can have other sounds as well, right?

Yes, some people feel it like constant buzzing.

Some people feel it like chirping. It can be of different frequencies as well as different

intensity. And sometimes they are constant and for some people they come up and go away in jumping.

And these phantom sounds, do we know where in the auditory system they're being produced?

Like is it something in the ear or in the brain or somewhere in the connections between them?

All the evidence points out about Tynitals or tinnitus is created in the brain.

Most probably cause in response to changes in the periphery in the inner ear, but the sound itself is generated by activity most likely in the brain system.

If we were talking about a mechanical system, you know, something like a microphone,

...