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How to Get Rid of Ringing in your Ears
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September 22nd, 2008 by admin
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Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that eventually resolves itself. Tinnitus is not a disease, just the ability to perceive sounds generated by the auditory (hearing) system; an evidence of compensatory mechanisms that are part of its normal function, if you will. The problem is the distress created by tinnitus, not the type of sound.

As such, tinnitus is usually a symptom of an underlying condition, including ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear and injury from loud noises. Tinnitus is also a side effect of some oral medications, such as aspirin (For other uses of aspirin,read 15 surprising uses for aspirin), and may also result from an abnormally low level of serotonin activity.

Treatment of Tinnitus

After a careful evaluation, your doctor may find an identifiable cause and be able to treat or make recommendations to treat the tinnitus. Once you have had a thorough evaluation, an essential part of treatment is your own understanding of the tinnitus (what has caused it and your options for treatment).

In many cases, there is no specific treatment for tinnitus. It may simply go away on its own, or it may be a permanent disability that the patient will have to "live with." Some otolaryngologists have recommended niacin to treat tinnitus. However, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that niacin helps reduce tinnitus, and it may even cause problems with skin flushing.

Although there are no specific cures for tinnitus, anything that brings the person out of the "fight or flight" stress response helps symptoms recede over a period of time. Calming body-based therapies, counseling and psychotherapy help restore well-being, which in turn allows tinnitus to settle.

Chronic tinnitus can be quite stressful psychologically, as it distracts the affected individual from mental tasks and interferes with sleep, particularly when there is no external sound.

Additional steps in reducing the impact of tinnitus on adverse health consequences include a review of medications that may have tinnitus as a side effect, a physical exam to reveal possible underlying health conditions that may aggravate tinnitus. receiving adequate rest each day and seeking a physician's advice concerning a sleep aid to allow for a better sleep pattern.

Objective Tinnitus: In a minority of cases, a clinician can perceive an actual sound (e.g., a bruit) emanating from the patient's ears. The treatments for this condition are as follows:

Gamma knife radiosurgery (glomus jugulare).
Shielding of cochlea by teflon implant.
Botulinum toxin (palatal tremor).
Propranolol and clonazepam (arterial anatomic variation).
Subjective tinnitus: This is tinnitus where the sound that the patient hears is only heard by the patient, thus the tinnitus being subjective only to his interpretation of the supposed sound in the absence of outside stimuli. Treatments for this condition are as follows:

Lidocaine, an injection into the inner ear found to suppress the tinnitus for 20 minutes, according to a Swedish study.
Benzodiazepines (xanax, ativan, klonopin).
Avoidance of caffeine, nicotine and salt.
Avoidance of or consumption of alcohol.
Zinc supplementation (where serum zinc deficiency is present).
Acamprosate.
Etidronate or sodium fluoride (otosclerosis).
Lignocaine or anticonvulsants (usually in patients responsive to white noise masking).

Carbemazepine.
Melatonin (especially for those with sleep disturbance).
Sertraline.
Vitamin combinations (Lipoflavonoid).
Electrical stimulation.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Direct stimulation of auditory cortex by implanted electrodes.
Surgery.
Repair of perilymph fistula.
Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can arise in any of the four sections of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear and the brain. Some tinnitus or head noise is normal. If one goes into a sound proof booth and normal outside noise is diminished, one becomes aware of these normal sounds.

People are usually not aware of these normal body sounds, because outside noise masks them. Anything, such as wax or a foreign body in the external ear, that blocks these background sounds will cause us to be more aware of our own head sounds. Fluid, infection or disease of the middle ear bones or ear drum (tympanic membrane) can also cause tinnitus.
One of the most common causes of tinnitus is damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear. Advancing age is generally accompanied by a certain amount of hearing nerve impairment, and consequently tinnitus.

Today, loud noise exposure is a very common cause of tinnitus, and it often damages hearing as well. Unfortunately, many people are unconcerned about the harmful effects of excessively loud noise, firearms and high-intensity music.
Some medications (for example, aspirin) and other diseases of the inner ear (Meniere's syndrome) can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus can, in very rare situations, be a symptom of such serious problems, like an aneurysm or a brain tumor (acoustic tumor).
Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling or other sounds. Some people hear more complex sounds that vary over time. The sounds may be intermittent, continuous or pulsating in time with your heartbeat. A pulsating sound may result from a blocked artery, an aneurysm, a tumor in a blood vessel or other blood vessel disorders.

In almost all cases, only the patient can hear the noise. Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, humming or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "tree frogs" or "locusts", tunes, songs, or beeping. It has also been described as a "whooshing" sound, comparable to the wind or sea waves. The noise can vary in loudness; it is often worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you're trying to fall asleep in a quiet room.

Prevention of Tinnitus

Tinnitus and hearing loss can be permanent conditions; thus, precautionary measures are advisable. If a ringing in the ears is audible after exposure to a loud environment, such as a rock concert or a work place, it means that damage has been done.

Prolonged exposure to noise levels as low as 70 dB can result in damage to hearing. For musicians and DJs, special musicians' earplugs can lower the volume of the music without distorting the sound and can prevent tinnitus from developing in later years.

It is also important to check medications for potential ototoxicity. Ototoxicity can be cumulative between medications, or can greatly increase the damage done by noise. If ototoxic medications must be administered, close attention by the physician to prescription details, such as dose and dosage interval, can reduce the damage done.

Furthermore, do not place objects in your ear such as cotton swabs (Q-tips) to clean your ear. This can cause a wax impaction against your eardrum which, in turn, can cause tinnitus. Take blood pressure medicines and other prescribed medications as they are ordered by your doctor.

According to the American Tinnitus Association there are several things you can do to protect yourself from excessive noise related tinnitus:

Protect your hearing at work. Your work place should follow Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Wear ear plugs or earmuffs and follow hearing conservation guidelines set by your employer.
When around any noise that bothers your ears (a concert, sporting event or hunting) wear hearing protection or reduce noise levels.
Even everyday noises, such as blow drying your hair or using a lawnmower (Tips on how to mow the lawn), can require protection. Keep ear plugs or earmuffs handy for these activities.