You may want to try these treatments:. A masking device. This device makes a low-level sound. It helps you to ignore the tinnitus and fall asleep. Listening to radio static at low volume also can help.
A tabletop sound generator. This device uses nature sounds to help you ignore tinnitus. This includes sounds such as a babbling brook, ocean waves, or forest life. Medicine therapy. Medicines are available that may ease tinnitus. But more research is needed to confirm how well they work.
If your provider prescribes a medicine, ask if there are any side effects. Tinnitus retraining therapy. This method also uses a masking device. But this is done at a lower intensity than the tinnitus.
This can help the brain filter out habituate to the sound. Cognitive behavioral therapy is included to help treat the person's emotional reaction to tinnitus. This relaxation method often helps to ease tinnitus symptoms, by helping to reduce stress.
Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT can help relieve depression in people with tinnitus, although it does not appear to reduce the sound. Improving wellness will not stop tinnitus, but overall wellbeing can help limit its intensity and provide physical and emotional benefits. Exercise, healthy eating, good sleeping habits, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, recreational and social activities, and stress management and relaxation techniques can all help achieve optimum wellness.
Anyone who is experiencing tinnitus should visit a doctor for an examination and evaluation to determine the underlying cause. A medical evaluation can exclude any rare but life-threatening causes of tinnitus.
A referral to an otolaryngologist, or ear, nose, and throat specialist, may be necessary. Tests may include :. The most common cause of tinnitus is damage and loss of the tiny sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. This tends to happen as people age, and it can also result from prolonged exposure to excessively loud noise.
Hearing loss may coincide with tinnitus. Research suggests that the sensory loss of certain sound frequencies leads to changes in how the brain processes sound. As the brain receives less external stimuli around a specific frequency, it begins to adapt and change. If a foreign body or earwax causes tinnitus, removing the object or wax often makes the tinnitus go away. Tinnitus that sounds like a heartbeat may be more serious.
It could be due to an abnormal growth in the region of the ear, such as a tumor or an abnormal connection between a vein and artery. One study found that out of teenagers, over half had experienced tinnitus in the previous year. However, the investigators found that those who were prone to tinnitus tended to keep their music volume down, suggesting they may already have a hidden susceptibility to hearing loss in the future.
They propose monitoring for tinnitus and a low tolerance for loud noise from an early age, as these could be early signs of future hearing loss. Tinnitus is a common problem in the general population, especially among those with certain risk factors. Most people who have tinnitus have subjective tinnitus, or tinnitus that only you can hear. The noises of tinnitus may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal, and you may hear it in one or both ears. In some cases, the sound can be so loud it interferes with your ability to concentrate or hear external sound.
Tinnitus may be present all the time, or it may come and go. In rare cases, tinnitus can occur as a rhythmic pulsing or whooshing sound, often in time with your heartbeat. This is called pulsatile tinnitus. If you have pulsatile tinnitus, your doctor may be able to hear your tinnitus when he or she does an examination objective tinnitus.
Some people aren't very bothered by tinnitus. For other people, tinnitus disrupts their daily lives. If you have tinnitus that bothers you, see your doctor. About 1 in 5 people experience the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. It's called tinnitus.
Gayla Poling says tinnitus can be perceived a myriad of ways. Poling says the tiny hairs in our inner ear may play a role. That's what is actually damaged with noise exposure. Poling says there's no scientifically proven cure for tinnitus, but there are treatment and management options.
If ringing in your ears bothers you, start by seeing your health care provider for a hearing test. A number of health conditions can cause or worsen tinnitus. The sound could be ringing. It may also sound like blowing, roaring, clicking, buzzing, hissing, or humming.
The noises can be soft or loud. They can be high pitched or low pitched. Tinnitus is not a disease itself. Here are some other common causes of tinnitus:. Allergies, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, diabetes, tumors, and head injuries can also cause tinnitus. If you have a foreign object in your ear or a build-up of ear wax, you may also experience tinnitus.
Your doctor will probably take a detailed medical history. They will want to know about any medical conditions you may have and any history of infections. They will check your ears. They may give you a hearing test.
They may also order other tests to find out what is causing your tinnitus. Your doctor might refer you to an otolaryngologist.
This is a doctor that specializes in the ear, nose, and throat also called an ENT doctor. To prevent tinnitus or keep it from getting worse, avoid long-term exposure to loud noises and activities that put you at risk for hearing loss. If you listen to music through headphones, keep the volume low. If you have tinnitus, avoid things that seem to make it worse. These may include nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine. Treatment will depend on what is causing your tinnitus. If earwax is causing your tinnitus, your doctor will remove it.
But never stop taking a prescription medicine without talking to your doctor first. If an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure, is causing your tinnitus, your doctor can create a treatment plan for you to follow.
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