Living A Normal Life With Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a ringing in your ears all of the time, as well as a whirring or buzzing sound. If you have tinnitus, you may find it bothersome or problematic. Tinnitus, at its worst, can interfere with sleep and attention. It can make the person who is experiencing it irritable and if left untreated, it can lead to depression and anxiety.

Tinnitus can be temporary or permanent, and it’s important to have an assessment to figure out how to treat or manage it so you can live a normal life. Tinnitus affects around 50 million Americans, however only about half of these instances can be classified as chronic. This condition is more common in those over the age of 60, however it is not limited to that age bracket.

What Exactly Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a condition that is caused by a variety of medical issues. Ear infections or high blood pressure are two examples. In certain circumstances, the cause of the tinnitus may be treated and the tinnitus cured. Allergies could also be a factor. Tinnitus can be more acute in some cases, and treating the problem might be more challenging. Injuries to the neck or head, sensorineural hearing loss and jaw difficulties are all examples.

A slight to severe buzz, hum or ringing in the ears may be your main symptoms. This can sometimes overpower all other noises, making it difficult for people to distinguish certain sounds and voices.

What Problems Can It Cause?

Sleep is essential for your health and well-being but getting enough of it while you have tinnitus can be difficult. You can’t just stop paying attention to the sound because it will become much more obvious in a quiet atmosphere. Communication is important at work, at home and when socializing with friends, but if you have a severe case of tinnitus, it will be difficult to hear what others are saying.

It’s difficult to focus on a task when there’s noise around you, and persons with tinnitus nearly always have noise in the background.

I Think I Have Tinnitus, What Should I Do?

If you suspect you might have tinnitus, the first thing you should do is schedule a consultation with an audiologist. Your audiologist will have a decent notion of what the problem is after a thorough examination of your ears and a talk about your general health. It will be possible to determine the best course of action to lessen symptoms, enhance hearing quality and possibly address the fundamental cause of tinnitus based on the results of this evaluation.

What Are the Treatment Options Available?

The treatment for tinnitus will be determined by the underlying cause. Hearing aids can help you hear better by minimizing background noise and amplifying the sounds you need to hear. This will allow you to process sound in a far more efficient manner. This can be a very useful treatment when hearing issues are the main source of tinnitus.

Tinnitus retraining therapy may be a possibility for you, as it teaches your brain to ignore the ringing, whirring or buzzing sounds you’re hearing and allows you to focus on the actual sounds you should be hearing.

Is Tinnitus Curable?

Tinnitus has no known cure at this time. However, the underlying reasons of your problems may be curable, allowing you to notice a reduction in the condition’s symptoms. Changes in diet, reduced salt and alcohol consumption and the introduction of an exercise routine, for example, could lower blood pressure, which could be the source of much of the tinnitus. If it’s caused by an infection, medicines may be able to assist alleviate the symptoms. And professional therapy or the use of a hearing aid may help with many of the other sources of symptoms.

Sometimes tinnitus is caused by earwax build up. When you visit your audiologist, they will immediately be able to tell if this is the cause of your tinnitus. It’s important to let your audiologist treat your earwax build up and not try to tackle the problem yourself. If you do, you could risk impacting the wax further into your ear canal, potentially causing pain and further hearing loss.

The best course of action for anyone experience tinnitus is to schedule an appointment with a skilled audiologist, who will be able to explain the cause of your tinnitus and provide you with treatment, counselling and techniques to cope with any hearing loss you may be experiencing. Call Desert Hearing Care at (480) 374-1846.