“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “How can I make that noise go away?”
If you find yourself making these kinds of statements, you could be dealing with tinnitus, a common hearing issue that causes you to hear noises or experience a sound that others don’t hear. You’re not by yourself. Millions of individuals have this disorder.
Ringing, pulsing, whistling, or buzzing are the sounds that the majority of people describe.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its severity. But there are definitely times when you shouldn’t neglect it. Something more significant might be the root cause of these noises.
You need to take the following 6 symptoms seriously.
1. Your Quality of Life is Being Affected by The Ringing in Your Ears
Some studies reveal that 26% of people with tinnitus experience that ringing on an almost constant basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship problems are all possible consequences of this ever present ringing.
It can be a struggle between the tinnitus sound and something as simple as attempting to hear your friend give you a recipe over the phone. You might snap at your grandchild, who simply asks a question, because the ringing makes you stressed.
A vicious cycle can be the outcome of this constant ringing. The ringing gets louder as your stress level rises. And you get more stressed the louder the noise is and on and on.
If tinnitus is causing these types of life challenges, it’s time to address it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be decreased or eliminated with obtainable treatment choices.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Began to Ring
Doctors may try numerous different medications to treat the same condition whether you have cancer or chronic pain. You may ask for an alternative solution if you start to experience severe side effects. Contact your doctor and find out what the side effects are if you began experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Some common medications may cause tinnitus. These include some forms of:
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Loop Diuretics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Chemo
- Antibiotics
3. Headache, Seizures, And Blurred Vision Come With Tinnitus Noises
This often means that your tinnitus symptoms are being triggered by high blood pressure. When you have hypertension, the blood flow to your inner ear is compromised. Unregulated high blood pressure is also a risk to your overall health. Age related hearing loss, as time passes, will get worse because of this.
4. You Always Seem to be Leaving Work, The Gym, or a Concert When You Hear it
If you only hear the tinnitus when you leave a noisy setting like a concert, aerobics class, factory, or bar, then the place you just left had unsafe levels of noise. If you ignore this episodic tinnitus and don’t start to safeguard your ears, it will most likely become constant over time. And it’s usually accompanied by hearing loss.
If you’re going to be exposed to loud sound, use the following to protect your hearing:
- At least once an hour, go outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
- Using earplugs
- Standing a bit further away from loud speakers
Adhere to the rules pertaining to earplugs and earmuffs if you work in a loud environment. They’re designed to protect you, but they only work if you wear protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
Whether you have ringing in your ears or not, you should never ignore facial paralysis. But when you have paralysis, nausea, headaches, and you also have tinnitus, it’s possible that you might have an acoustic neuroma (a slow growing benign brain tumor).
6. Fluctuating Hearing Loss is Accompanying Tinnitus
Do you experience hearing loss that seems to worsen, then get better, then worse again? Are you sometimes dizzy? When accompanied by tinnitus, this suggests you need to be evaluated for Meniere’s disease. This produces a fluid imbalance in your ears. If left without treatment, it frequently gets worse and may increase your risks of serious falls caused by lack of balance.
Tinnitus is often a sign of hearing loss. So if you’re experiencing it, you need to get your hearing examined more frequently. Call us to make an appointment.