Whether it’s only with you occasionally or you hear it all of the time, the ringing of tinnitus in your ears is annoying. Annoying might not be the best word. How about frustrating or makes-you-want-to-bash-your-head-against-the-desk irritating? However you decide to describe that sound that you can’t turn off, it’s an issue. Can anything be done? Is even possible to prevent that ringing in your ears?
Know Why You Have Tinnitus And Exactly What it is
Begin by learning more about the condition that is responsible for the buzzing, ringing, clicking or roaring you hear. It’s estimated as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population experiences tinnitus, which is the medical term for that ringing. But why?
Tinnitus is a symptom of something else, not a condition in and of itself. For many, that something else is hearing loss. Hearing decline commonly comes with tinnitus as a side effect. When there is a change in a person’s hearing, it is still not clear why tinnitus happens. Presently the theory is that the brain is filling the void by creating noise.
You come across thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of sounds every day. There is conversing, music, car horns, and the TV, for example, but those are only the noticeable noises. The sound of air coming through a vent or the rotating blades of a ceiling fan are not so noticeable. These kinds of sound are not normally heard because the brain decides you don’t need to hear them.
The point is, hearing these sounds is “normal” for your brain. If half of those sounds are shut off, what happens then? The portion of your brain that deals with hearing gets confounded. It may be possible that the phantom sounds associated with tinnitus are the brain’s way of creating noise for it to interpret because it knows it should be there.
There are also other possible causes of tinnitus, however. Severe health issues can also be the cause, like:
- Atherosclerosis
- Poor circulation
- Temporomandibular disorders (TMJ)
- Acoustic neuroma, a tumor that grows on the cranial nerve
- Head or neck trauma
- Turbulent blood flow
- Head or neck tumors
- High blood pressure
- Meniere’s disease
- A reaction to medication
Tinnitus can be caused by any of these things. Despite the fact that you can hear fine, after an injury or accident, you might still experience this ringing. Before looking for other ways to get rid of it, you need to see a doctor to have a hearing exam.
What to do About Tinnitus
You need to know why you have it before you can start to determine what to do about it. Sometimes, the only thing that works is to give the brain what it wants. If tinnitus is because of the lack of sound, generate some. It doesn’t need to be very much, something as basic as a fan running in the background could generate enough noise to shut off that ringing.
There is also technology designed just for this purpose such as white noise machines. They simulate relaxing natural sounds like falling rain or ocean waves. You can hear the sound when you sleep if you get one with pillow speakers.
Investing in hearing aids is also a good solution. The sounds the brain is looking for can be turned up using quality hearing aids. The brain doesn’t need to generate phantom noises because hearing aids normalize your hearing.
For many people, the solution is a combination of tricks. For instance, you could use a white noise generator at night and hearing aids during the day.
If soft sounds aren’t helping or if the tinnitus is severe, there are medications that might help. Certain antidepressants can silence this noise, for example, Xanax.
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Your Tinnitus
Making a few lifestyle changes can help, as well. Determining if there are triggers is a good place to start. When the tinnitus starts, note what’s happening and write it down in a journal. Be specific:
- Did you just take medication even over-the-counter products like Tylenol?
- Is there a specific sound that is triggering it?
- Did you just drink a soda or a cup of coffee?
- Are you smoking or drinking alcohol?
- What did you just eat?
You will start to notice the patterns that trigger the ringing if you record the information very precisely. Stress can also be responsible, so try to find ways to relax like exercise, meditation or even biofeedback.
An Ounce of Prevention
Take the appropriate steps to prevent tinnitus in the first place. Begin by doing everything possible to protect your hearing like:
- Taking care of your cardiovascular system
- Not wearing earbuds or headphones when listening to music
- Using ear protection when around loud noises
- Turning the volume down on everything
If you have high blood pressure, take your medication. Eat right and exercise as well. Lastly, schedule a hearing exam to rule out treatable issues that increase your risk of hearing loss and the tinnitus that comes along with it.
