Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing noise when no external noise is been made.
It is not actually a major sickness but a symptom of a hearing problem caused by damage to the inner ears resulting from ear injury, age-related problems or related hearing loss.
Do not be afraid if you suffer tinnitus, this article will give you insights on basic things you need to know about it.
1. Hearing Protectors
Hearing protectors such as earplugs can help to reduce noise when staying in a hazardous ear-splitting environment for a moment but the prevention can be effective on a temporal basis.
Using earplugs can reduce it at that time but can worsen the case in future.
2. See Your Doctor
If the hearing loss becomes annoying, try to see an Otolaryngologist who is a healthcare specialist that will visually inspect your ears to evaluate your hearing ability to know the best treatment that will help it.
3. Avoid Overdose
Some medications have toxic effects, meaning that they can cause damage to the inner ears; such medications are aspirin, analgesics, anticancer drugs, ibuprofen, certain antibiotics, and diuretics when taken in excess.
This is a result of adverse reactions when these drugs are misused, abused or overdosed.
4. Take Note of the Food You Take
It is advisable to reduce the intake of salt, nicotine, caffeine, sugars, saturated and trans-fats and alcohol to avoid making tinnitus symptoms worst.
The type of food you eat may not be the foundation of the tinnitus condition you are suffering from but the symptoms can be worsened with certain foods or their contents.
5. Don’t Give up
You don’t need to give up on this condition. Continue with the efforts you make to treat or get relieved from the condition.
An Otolaryngologist can provide you with the information you need to understand your tinnitus as to help you not to give up.
6. Get Drugs That Can Reduce The pain
There are treatments for tinnitus conditions; most of them are all about treating underlying conditions that will help to reduce symptoms of tinnitus.
Other treatments are medical solutions which don't really cure the ailment but can help to reduce the severe pains associated with it.
Go for Drugs like Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline
Tinnitus cannot be cured completely by any medical treatment but there are drugs that are mostly prescribed to subdue the severe pains tinnitus can cause.
Amitriptyline and nortriptyline are mostly prescribed drugs that can help to curb the symptoms that you might be having.
What is the Most Effective Treatment for Tinnitus?
Before undergoing any treatment, your doctor will examine your ears, neck and head to find out the likely causes of tinnitus.
The tests to undergo includes; hearing exam, which will be done by; you sitting in a soundproof room with earphones through which you will be played specific sounds into one of your ears at a time.
You will specify when you can hear the sound and the results will be measured with results considered normal for your age. By doing this, it can help to identify the likely causes of tinnitus.
Your doctor may also ask you to clench your jaw, move your eyes, or your neck, legs and arms. If your tinnitus worsens or changes, it can help to specify an underlying disorder that requires treatment.
Depending on the likely cause of your tinnitus, you may need to undergo imaging test like CT or MRI treatment. The sounds you hear can help your doctor to specify a possible underlying cause.
These Tinnitus Sounds include:
Clicking, this is caused when contractions muscle in and around your ear causes sharp clicking that you hear in bursts, and this may last from seconds to a few minutes.
Humming or Rushing, this occurs when you notice sound fluctuations when you change positions or during exercise.
Heartbeat, this is noticed through blood pressure issues like high blood pressure and obstruction of the canal of the ear can enlarge the sound of your heartbeat on your ears.
Lower Pitched Ringing, conditions that can lead to low-pitched in one ear include Meniere’s disease.
High Pitched Ringing, this occurs when you are been exposed to a very higher voice or a sound to the ear which can result in high-sharp ringing that normally disappears after some hours.
Tinnitus may be permanent if there is a hearing loss. Hearing loss associated with age, long term noise exposure or treatment can also lead to high-sharp ringing noise in both ears. And benign tumour can also cause continuous high sharp ringing noise in one ear.
In some cases, the cause of tinnitus cannot be found. Your doctor can have some interaction with you on steps you can take to reduce the severity of your tinnitus or on how you can cope better with noise.
Treatment
To treat your tinnitus, you doctor will try to identify any underlying, curable condition that may be related with your symptoms. If your tinnitus is due to health condition, then these steps will help in reducing the noise.
Earwax removal, removing the earwax that have strongly effected can help to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
Changing your medication, if the medication you are taking happens to be the cause of tinnitus, you may be asked to stop and switch to a different medication.
Giving treatment to blood vessel issues, the hidden vascular problem may need adequate treatment, undergo surgery or other treatment to cure the problem
Tinnitus Medications
Although drugs cannot cure tinnitus but there are few drugs that can help to reduce the symptoms you are experiencing. Tricyclic antidepressants like notriptyline and amitriptyline are two of the most regularly prescribed medications.
So if you are experiencing severe tinnutes, one of these drugs can be used in treating it.
These medications are likely to come with side effects such as blurry vision, dry mouth and heart issues.
It is necessary that you discuss any other conditions you have or the medication you are taking currently with your doctor.
Xanax and Niravam can also be authorized, but each of these medication can lead to nausea and drowsiness, which can be habit forming.
Can Tinnitus be Temporary or Permanent?
Please, it is necessary that you see your doctor once you notice a change in your ear. You may be experiencing a temporary tinnitus that once identified, can be corrected before it becomes permanent.
Tinnitus may occur intermittently and stop on its own or it can be a chronic or persistent issue in some case.
A situation whereby tinnitus is chronic, there is an increase likelihood that the person will face growing depression and anxiety. In some cases tinnitus occurs at irregular intervals, it can chronic or permanent.
In such a condition, the adoption of tinnitus management techniques becomes an essential part of life.
Will Tinnitus Cause me to lose my Hearing?
In most cases, tinnitus can be associated with some degree of hearing loss, but is not evidence that the individual is going deaf or losing his hearing.
Most short terms issues of tinnitus will finally resolve naturally.
Conclusion
There are effective ways by which tinnitus can be prevented if you follow the tips provided, avoid the ones you should and focus on the applicable ones to ease the worries you are having.
Take a deep breath and remember you are not alone.