Ringing In Your Ears
Tinnitus is most often described as ringing or buzzing in one or both ears.
Tinnitus affects approximately 20% of the population and can be very debilitating, depending on the severity and the effects it can have to your life. Tinnitus is not a disease, but may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Individuals suffering from tinnitus should have a comprehensive hearing assessment.
TINNITUS SYMPTOMS
Tinnitus is defined as a perceived sound in the absence of an external noise. In other words, you may hear ringing in your ears but there is no external sound causing the noise.
The volume of your tinnitus may fluctuate throughout the day but is typically heard most at night or in quiet. Your tinnitus may be present all of the time or it may come and go throughout your life.
Tinnitus can sound like many things. The most common sounds described are: ringing, buzzing, pulsating, whooshing, clicking, whistling, humming, roaring, sizzling and ocean sounds.
CAUSES OF TINNITUS
It is believed that most causes of chronic tinnitus are caused from damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. Some recent research suggests that tinnitus can be caused from issues at the brain level as well. It is important to remember that tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease in and of itself. While most people with tinnitus also have hearing loss, the presence of tinnitus does not necessarily mean that hearing loss exists as well.
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COMMON CAUSES:
- Disorders of the outer ear (excessive ear wax, foreign object in the ear canal, hole in the eardrum, hair touching the eardrum).
- Disorders of the middle ear (ear infection, otosclerosis, benign tumor).
- Disorders of the inner ear (noise exposure, hearing loss due, Ménière’s Disease).
- Trauma to the head or neck (concussion, whiplash).
- Certain medications
- Vestibular schwannoma/acoustic neuroma
- High or low blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Vascular disorders
- Temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) disorders
- Allergies
- Thyroid dysfunction
Tinnitus Treatment and Management
Although there is no cure for tinnitus, it can often be successfully managed. Most people with tinnitus merely accept it and are able to ignore it and move on with their day. A small percentage of tinnitus suffers (5%) have a more difficult time coping. They dwell on it and become increasingly stressed about it, desperately searching for a cure. Unfortunately, stress can increase the loudness of tinnitus, causing a vicious cycle to occur. The good news is there are many coping strategies that are very helpful for tinnitus management.
Counselling
Reduces tinnitus-associated stress, distraction and negative perception.
Amplification/Hearing Aids
People with tinnitus have found hearing aids to be very effective in relieving tinnitus even if they do not have hearing loss.
Masking
The use of an electronic device to produce sound that covers up or masks tinnitus. Some examples include hearing aids and noise generators such as bedside maskers and pillow speakers.
OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS:
Change of Diet
Often high levels of salt, alcohol, and caffeine can cause an increase in the perception of the loudness of tinnitus.
Support Groups for Tinnitus
These groups can offer emotional support by sharing experiences and strategies for dealing with tinnitus.
Auditory Habituation
Also known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, is a therapy whereby noise is presented via noise generators to both ears at a soft enough level such that the brain perceives both the noise and the tinnitus. Over 18-24 months of use, the brain may learn to de-emphasize its negative reaction to the tinnitus (habituation).
Stress Management and Relaxation
There is a high correlation between stress and an increase in the loudness of one’s tinnitus. Many strategies aimed at reducing stress can be very effective at controlling tinnitus.
Medication
There is no single medication that works on all tinnitus patients. Some anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and herbal medications have seen some success in treating anxiety/stress surrounding tinnitus.
Alternative Approaches
Some tinnitus patients have reported benefit from hypnosis, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, naturopathy etc. although none have been proven scientifically.
TINNITUS COPING STRATEGIES
- Avoid silence!
- Take concentration away from your tinnitus by keeping busy.
- Stress can have an affect on your tinnitus so try to reduce stress in your life.
- Maintain a healthy diet. Avoid or cut down on caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, ASA (aspirin) and excessive amounts of salt and sugar.
- Stay physically active and exercise (including breathing exercises).
- If you are having trouble falling asleep, try using sound therapy at a low level (relaxation/music/nature sounds). Pillow speakers are also available so that your partner will not be disturbed.
- Join a self-help group.
- Wear hearing protection in excessive noise. Loud sounds can make tinnitus louder temporarily and can permanently damage your hearing.
- Ensure your family, friends, family doctor and ENT specialists understand your tinnitus.
- Understand that if you have a hearing loss your world is quieter than it should be which allows your tinnitus to be more bothersome. Wearing hearing aids not only allows you to hear better but also masks (covers up) your tinnitus.
TIPS ON FALLING ASLEEP WITH TINNITUS
The following guidelines are directed towards altering your conscious and subconscious thoughts/attitude towards your tinnitus while trying to sleep.
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Only use your bedroom to sleep at night. Do not use your bedroom for reading, watching TV, work, hobbies etc.
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Avoid napping during the day. If you need to nap, use a room that is not your bedroom.
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Remove all unnecessary electronics from your bedroom. Television, VCR, telephone, answering machine etc.
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If you are unable to fall asleep after 15-20 minutes, get up! If you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back asleep, get up! Leave your bedroom and read a book, watch TV, do a puzzle, drink a warm caffeine-free beverage etc. When you start to feel tired again, go back to bed.
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AVOID SILENCE! Inexpensive bedside noise generators are available. They play a constant sound (e.g. ocean, tropical rain, stream, white noise etc.) that is loud enough for you to hear but softer or around the same loudness level as your tinnitus. You can also connect a pillow speaker to your noise generator if you are worried about keeping your partner awake.
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Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco during the day and especially after supper. Avoiding large meals before bedtime is also helpful.
For more information on tinnitus, visit the following websites:
- American Tinnitus Association: https://www.ata.org/
- Canadian Hearing Society: https://www.chs.ca/
- Canadian Academy of Audiology:https://canadianaudiology.ca/
- The British Tinnitus Association: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/
- Tinnitus “First Aid Kit” from the Ida Institute: http://www.tinnituskit.com/
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