If you experience a buzzing, ringing or whistling sound in your head throughout the day, then, no doubt, you’re suffering from tinnitus. Sometimes, these noises may be inside your head and sometimes, in one or both of your ears. Though tinnitus is neither a psychiatric condition nor a hallucination, it could lead to adverse psychological and emotional issues in the affected individuals if the condition continues to prevail.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus, or perception of a ringing noise in the ears, is a condition that surfaces with age. It usually occurs in people aged above fifty years. However, in some cases, youngsters and adolescents are found to be affected by it. This condition is commonly a symptom of an underlying health issue like hearing loss or ear injury. Tinnitus is estimated to affect one out of every five individuals and is quite common in its occurrence.
Tinnitus is typically of 2 types:
Subjective tinnitus
In this kind of tinnitus, the ringing sound will only be heard by the person suffering from it. Subjective tinnitus is the most common kind of tinnitus and is commonly caused by an injury to one’s ear.
Objective tinnitus
When a doctor or anyone apart from the affected individual is able to listen to the noisy or ringing sound, it’s the objective kind of tinnitus.
Tinnitus might be a result of a number of underlying health problems or physical trauma. Let’s know about the most common causes of tinnitus.
Causes of Tinnitus
Age
The chances of suffering from hearing loss increase after 60 years of age. The hearing disorder usually triggers the onset of tinnitus.
Smoking
Tobacco users are at a higher risk of developing tinnitus.
Gender
Tinnitus is found to occur more in men than in women.
Loud Noise
Being exposed to loud noises for an extended period has the potential to cause ear injury, and this might subsequently result in tinnitus.
Otosclerosis
This term is used to define the stiffening of the bone in the middle ear. Otosclerosis has the potential to cause tinnitus in the affected people.
Blockage By earwax
Accumulation of an excessive amount of earwax might result in hearing disorder and ear irritation. This may additionally result in tinnitus.
Medical Conditions
Tinnitus is commonly a symptom of other medical conditions like an inner ear disorder like Meniere’s illness, head or neck injuries, blood vessel disorders like atherosclerosis, head and neck tumors, and high blood pressure.
Medications
Tinnitus may additionally be a side effect of certain medications like antibiotics, cancer medications, diuretics, certain antidepressants, and aspirin.
Now that you are aware of the factors that have the potential to cause tinnitus, let’s take a glance at the symptoms related to this condition.
Signs and Symptoms of tinnitus
Some of the common symptoms related to tinnitus include:
- Buzzing, ringing or whistling sound in one or both the ears
- Sensitivity to certain sounds
- Hearing issues
- In some cases, tinnitus may additionally cause stress, depression, and fatigue.
A permanent cure for tinnitus is yet to be discovered. However, some natural remedies may be used to scale back the severity and impact of this condition.
Preventive Tips
Follow A Healthy Diet
Avoid the intake of salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and fast food. Instead, choose a healthy diet that consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Consume Dry Fruits
Include dry fruits like apricots, walnuts, and pistachios in your diet. These are found to treat tinnitus naturally.
Engage in Aerobic Exercises
Engaging in gentle to moderate kinds of aerobic exercises might facilitate in naturally relieving the symptoms associated with tinnitus. However, you ought to be careful in your attempts as high-impact aerobic exercise might worsen your condition.
Try Finger drumming
Finger drumming is observed to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus. All you have to do is wrap your fingers around the back of your neck and place your palms on both your ears. Place your index finger on your middle finger and snap them by applying a bit pressure. Repeat this a minimum of 50 times.
Sound therapy
Some devices and applications give subtle or ambient sounds that may provide relaxation from tinnitus.
Avoid Consuming Alcohol
Alcohol consumption might worsen your condition if you’re suffering from tinnitus.
Quit Smoking
Smokers are vulnerable to developing tinnitus. Thus, you need to quit smoking if you are already affected by this condition.
Get Your earwax Removed
The accumulation of earwax in your ears can also cause tinnitus. In such an instance, it’s suggested to check your doctor and get the earwax removed.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a practice that involves inserting needles into certain points of your body. It’s done under medical supervision and is found to scale back the symptoms of tinnitus to a good extent.
Try Relaxation Techniques
Meditating and listening to calming soundtracks will help you relax and overcome the symptoms of tinnitus.
Even though the precautions mentioned in this article will help in treating tinnitus to a good extent, a visit to your doctor is usually recommended to find out if there are any underlying medical problems. And the next time you choose to go to a concert or anywhere with high pitch sounds, take the required precautions and save your ears from the trauma.
