The ringing of tinnitus will be annoying whether or not you just hear it occasionally or all of the time. Annoying might not be the best word. Makes-you-want-to-bash-your-head-against-the-desk infuriating and downright frustrating may fit better. No matter what the description, that noise that you can’t get rid of is a big problem in your life. What can you do, though? How can you stop 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 endures 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 regularly comes with tinnitus as a side effect. It’s not really evident why tinnitus happens when there is a decline in a person’s hearing. The current theory is the brain generates the noise to fill a void.
You experience thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of sounds every single day. Some obvious examples are car horns, the radio, and people talking. The sound of air coming through a vent or the rotating blades of a ceiling fan are less obvious. You don’t normally hear these sounds, but that’s only because your brain decides you don’t need to.
It’s “normal” for your brain to hear these sounds, is the point. Now, what happens if you shut half of those sounds off? It becomes bewildering for the part of your brain that hears sound. It might be possible that the phantom noises linked with tinnitus are the brains way of producing noise for it to interpret because it knows it should be there.
Tinnitus has other possible causes as well. Severe health issues can also be the cause, such as:
- Temporomandibular disorders (TMJ)
- Turbulent blood flow
- High blood pressure
- Acoustic neuroma, a tumor that grows on the cranial nerve
- Head or neck tumors
- Meniere’s disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Head or neck trauma
- A reaction to medication
- Poor circulation
Tinnitus can be triggered by any of these. Even though you can hear fine, after an injury or accident, you might still experience this ringing. Before you look for other ways to get rid of it, you should schedule an appointment with a doctor for a hearing exam.
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What Can be Done About Tinnitus?
You need to find out why you have it before you can start to figure out what to do about it. The only thing that works, sometimes, is to give the brain what it wants. If the lack of sound is the cause of your tinnitus, you need to generate some. It doesn’t have to be much, something as simple as a fan running in the background might generate enough noise to turn off that ringing.
There is also technology made specifically for this purpose such as white noise machines. Ocean waves or rain falling are relaxing natural sounds that these devices simulate. Some include pillow speakers, so you hear the sound when you sleep.
Hearing aids also do the trick. You can turn up the sounds that your brain is looking for, like the AC running, with quality hearing aids. The brain no longer needs to create phantom noises because hearing aids normalize your hearing.
For most people, the answer is a combination of tricks. You might wear hearing aids during the day and use a white noise machine at night, for example.
There are also medications that you can get if soft sounds are not successful or if the tinnitus is more severe. Medications such as Xanax and possibly other antidepressants can silence this noise.
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You Have to Change Your Lifestyle if You Want to Manage Your Tinnitus
Making a few lifestyle changes will help, too. A good starting place is figuring out what triggers your tinnitus. Keep a record and make a note of what’s happening when the tinnitus starts. Be specific:
- Did you just take medication even over-the-counter products like Tylenol?
- Is there a particular noise that is triggering it?
- Are you drinking alcohol or smoking a cigarette?
- Did you just have a cup of coffee or soda?
- What did you just eat?
The more specific your information, the faster you’ll see the patterns that might be inducing the ringing. You should find ways to relax like biofeedback, exercise, and meditation because stress can also be responsible.
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An Ounce of Prevention
Preventing tinnitus from the beginning is the best way to deal with it. Start by doing everything possible to protect your hearing like:
- Turning the volume down on everything
- Not wearing earbuds or headphones when listening to music
- Wearing ear protection when around loud noises
- Taking care of your cardiovascular system
If you have high blood pressure, take your medication. Eat right and exercise also. To rule out treatable issues that increase your risk of hearing loss and tinnitus, schedule a hearing exam with a hearing professional.