What’s the best way to eliminate the ringing in my ears? Even though we don’t yet understand how to cure tinnitus, it’s symptoms can be reduced by recognizing what triggers it and makes it worse.
A consistent whooshing, buzzing, or ringing in the ears is experienced by 32 percent of individuals according to experts. This condition is called tinnitus, and it can wreak havoc. Individuals who suffer from this condition may have associative hearing loss and commonly have trouble sleeping and concentrating.
Because it is normally connected to some other ailment, there is no real cure for the tinnitus itself, but there are strategies you can take to quiet the noise.
What Should I Stay Away From to Minimize The Ringing in My Ears?
The first step in dealing with that persistent ringing in your ears is to steer clear of the things that are known to cause it or make it worse. Loud noise is one of the most common things that worsen tinnitus. Try to avoid using headphones, and if you are exposed to noise at work or at home, use some high-quality earplugs to minimize the damage.
Some medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even high doses of aspirin can make the ringing worse so talk to your doctor. Never stop taking your medications without first talking with your health care professional.
Here are some other common causes:
- high blood pressure
- excessive earwax
- issues with the jaw
- stress
- infections
- other medical problems
- allergies
Jaw Issues And Tinnitus
Your jaw and ears are closely connected. This is why jaw problems can result in tinnitus. The best example of this is an affliction called Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ for short), which involves a breakdown of the shock-absorbing cartilage around the joints in your jaw. The resulting stress produced by basic activities like chewing or speaking can ultimately result in tinnitus symptoms.
What can I do? The best thing you can do, if your tinnitus is the result of TMJ, is to seek medical or dental assistance.
Stress And The Ringing in my Ears
Stress can impact your body in very real, very tangible ways. Increase of tinnitus symptoms can be caused by spikes in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Stress, consequently, can activate, exacerbate, and lengthen bouts of tinnitus.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is brought about by stress, you should find ways of reducing stress. It will also help if you can lessen the general causes of your stress.
Excess Earwax
It’s completely healthy and normal for you to have earwax. But excessive earwax can irritate your eardrum, and start to cause ringing or buzzing in your ears. If you can’t wash away the earwax in a normal way because it has accumulated too much, the ensuing tinnitus can worsen.
What can be done? The easiest way to reduce the ringing in your ears caused by too much earwax is to keep your ears clean! (Do not use cotton swabs in your ears.) In certain cases, you might need to seek out a professional cleaning in order to get the buzzing and ringing to go away (some people just naturally produce a lot more earwax than others).
Tinnitus is Worsened by High Blood Pressure
A myriad of health issues, such as tinnitus, can be caused by high blood pressure and hypertension. It becomes difficult to ignore when high blood pressure escalates the ringing or buzzing you’re already hearing. There’s no cure for tinnitus, but there are treatments for high blood pressure.
What can I do? High blood pressure isn’t something you want to neglect. You’ll probably want to seek out medical treatment. But a lifestyle change, including avoiding foods with high salt content and exercising more, can go a long way. Stress can also raise your blood pressure, so try doing relaxation techniques or making lifestyle changes can also help hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Will Using a Masking Device or White Noise Device Help my Tinnitus?
You can decrease the impact of the continual noise in your head by distracting your ears and your brain. You don’t even have to buy special equipment, your radio, TV or laptop can work as masking devices. If you prefer, there are hearing aids or special devices you can get to help.
If you’re experiencing a continuous ringing, whooshing, or buzzing sound in your ears, be serious about the problem. It might be a warning sign that you also have hearing loss, or that you are going through a medical problem that should be dealt with before it worsens. Before what started as an annoying problem becomes a more serious concern, take measures to safeguard your ears and if the ringing persists, find professional hearing help.