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What does it mean when ears are ringing. Understanding Tinnitus: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

by alexxlab

What are the common causes of tinnitus. How can tinnitus be diagnosed and treated effectively. What lifestyle changes can help manage tinnitus symptoms. When should you see a doctor about ringing in your ears.

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What is Tinnitus? Exploring the Phantom Sounds in Your Ears

Tinnitus, often described as a ringing, buzzing, or whistling sound in the ears, is a common condition affecting millions of people worldwide. This phantom noise, which only the person experiencing it can hear, can range from mildly annoying to severely disruptive. Tinnitus is not a condition itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying condition.

The sounds associated with tinnitus can vary greatly from person to person. Some may hear a high-pitched ringing, while others experience a low rumbling or even musical tones. The noise can be constant or intermittent, loud or soft, and may affect one or both ears.

Types of Tinnitus

  • Subjective tinnitus: The most common form, only heard by the individual
  • Objective tinnitus: Rare cases where a doctor can hear the sound during an examination
  • Pulsatile tinnitus: Rhythmic sounds that often beat in time with the person’s pulse

Is tinnitus always a sign of hearing loss? While tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, it’s important to note that not all people with tinnitus have difficulty hearing, and not all people with hearing loss experience tinnitus. In some cases, individuals with tinnitus may even develop hyperacusis, an increased sensitivity to certain frequencies and volumes of sound.

Unraveling the Causes: Why Do Your Ears Ring?

The causes of tinnitus are diverse and can range from simple to complex. Understanding the root cause is crucial for effective treatment and management. Here are some of the most common reasons behind the ringing in your ears:

Noise-Induced Tinnitus

Exposure to loud noises is the leading cause of tinnitus, accounting for up to 90% of cases. This type of tinnitus often accompanies noise-induced hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds can damage the delicate hair cells in the cochlea, leading to both hearing loss and tinnitus.

Who is at risk for noise-induced tinnitus? Individuals in professions involving loud machinery or music, such as construction workers, musicians, and military personnel, are particularly susceptible. However, even a single exposure to an extremely loud noise can trigger tinnitus.

Age-Related Tinnitus

As we age, the natural deterioration of the cochlea or other parts of the auditory system can lead to tinnitus. This form of tinnitus often accompanies age-related hearing loss, known as presbycusis.

Medical Conditions

Various health issues can contribute to the development of tinnitus:

  • Cardiovascular problems: High blood pressure, narrowed arteries, or other circulatory issues
  • Meniere’s disease: An inner ear disorder that can cause vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus
  • Otosclerosis: Abnormal bone growth in the middle ear
  • Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders: Problems with the jaw joint
  • Head or neck injuries: Trauma to these areas can affect the inner ear or nerves connecting the brain to the ear

Medication-Induced Tinnitus

Can medications cause ringing in the ears? Yes, over 200 medications list tinnitus as a potential side effect. These include:

  • Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Certain antibiotics
  • Diuretics
  • Antidepressants
  • Quinine medications

It’s important to note that tinnitus caused by medications is often temporary and subsides when the medication is discontinued or the dosage is changed. However, never stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting your healthcare provider first.

Recognizing Tinnitus: Signs and Symptoms to Watch For

Identifying tinnitus can be straightforward, but its impact on daily life can vary significantly from person to person. Here are the key symptoms and signs to be aware of:

Primary Symptoms

  • Perception of sound without an external source
  • Sounds may include ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, or clicking
  • Noise can be constant or intermittent
  • May affect one or both ears
  • Volume can range from barely noticeable to overwhelming

Secondary Effects

While the phantom sounds are the primary symptom, tinnitus can lead to several secondary issues:

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Anxiety or irritability
  • Depression
  • Increased stress levels

How does tinnitus affect sleep? Many people find that tinnitus becomes more noticeable in quiet environments, making it particularly troublesome at bedtime. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, potentially causing fatigue and other sleep-related issues.

Diagnosing Tinnitus: The Path to Understanding Your Symptoms

Diagnosing tinnitus involves a comprehensive approach to determine its underlying cause and severity. Here’s what you can expect during the diagnostic process:

Medical History and Physical Examination

Your doctor will begin by asking detailed questions about your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle. This may include:

  • When the tinnitus started
  • The nature of the sound (pitch, volume, pattern)
  • Whether it affects one or both ears
  • Any associated symptoms (hearing loss, dizziness)
  • Exposure to loud noises
  • Current medications

A physical examination of your ears, head, and neck will also be conducted to look for visible issues that could be causing the tinnitus.

Hearing Tests

Given the strong connection between tinnitus and hearing loss, audiological tests are a crucial part of the diagnostic process. These may include:

  • Pure tone audiometry: Measures hearing sensitivity across different frequencies
  • Speech recognition tests: Assess your ability to understand speech at various volumes
  • Tympanometry: Evaluates the function of the middle ear

Imaging Studies

In some cases, imaging tests may be necessary to rule out structural abnormalities or tumors that could be causing the tinnitus. These might include:

  • CT (computed tomography) scans
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Tinnitus Matching

To better understand your specific tinnitus, your healthcare provider may use a technique called tinnitus matching. This involves playing various sounds to find one that closely resembles what you’re hearing. This can help in selecting the most effective treatment approach.

How accurate are tinnitus diagnoses? While the presence of tinnitus itself is usually easy to confirm based on the patient’s description, identifying the underlying cause can be more challenging. In some cases, a definitive cause may not be found, but a thorough diagnostic process can still guide effective management strategies.

Treatment Options: Managing and Alleviating Tinnitus

While there is no cure for tinnitus, various treatment options can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The most appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause, severity of symptoms, and individual preferences.

Addressing Underlying Causes

If a specific cause is identified, treating it may alleviate tinnitus:

  • Removing excess earwax
  • Treating ear infections
  • Changing or stopping medications known to cause tinnitus
  • Treating vascular conditions

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy aims to mask the tinnitus or reduce its perceived intensity:

  • White noise machines
  • Hearing aids with built-in sound generators
  • Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
  • Notched music therapy

How does sound therapy work for tinnitus? By introducing external sounds, sound therapy can help shift attention away from the tinnitus and, over time, may help the brain learn to ignore the phantom sounds.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT focuses on changing the way you think about and react to tinnitus. This can help reduce the distress associated with the condition and improve overall quality of life.

Medications

While no medication cures tinnitus, some may help manage associated problems:

  • Antidepressants
  • Anti-anxiety medications
  • Sleep aids

Alternative Therapies

Some people find relief through alternative approaches:

  • Acupuncture
  • Hypnosis
  • Herbal supplements (e.g., Ginkgo biloba)

It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before trying any alternative treatments, as their effectiveness and safety may vary.

Living with Tinnitus: Coping Strategies and Lifestyle Changes

While medical treatments can be beneficial, incorporating certain lifestyle changes and coping strategies can significantly improve your ability to manage tinnitus:

Stress Management

Stress can exacerbate tinnitus symptoms. Techniques to reduce stress include:

  • Meditation and mindfulness practices
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Yoga or tai chi
  • Regular exercise

Sound Enrichment

Creating a sound-rich environment can help mask tinnitus:

  • Use background music or nature sounds
  • Keep a fan or white noise machine running
  • Open windows to let in environmental sounds

Sleep Hygiene

Improving sleep quality can help manage tinnitus-related sleep disturbances:

  • Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
  • Create a relaxing bedtime routine
  • Avoid screens before bed
  • Use sound machines or apps designed for sleep

Dietary Considerations

Some people find that certain foods or drinks affect their tinnitus. Consider keeping a food diary to identify potential triggers, which might include:

  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • High-sodium foods

Can dietary changes cure tinnitus? While no specific diet has been proven to cure tinnitus, some individuals report symptom improvement after making certain dietary adjustments. It’s best to work with a healthcare provider or nutritionist to develop a personalized approach.

Protecting Your Hearing

Preventing further damage to your hearing is crucial:

  • Use ear protection in noisy environments
  • Keep volume levels moderate when using headphones
  • Take listening breaks to give your ears a rest

Support Groups

Connecting with others who have tinnitus can provide emotional support and practical tips. Look for local or online support groups dedicated to tinnitus management.

When to Seek Professional Help: Red Flags and Warning Signs

While many cases of tinnitus are bothersome but not serious, there are situations where prompt medical attention is necessary. Be aware of these red flags:

Sudden Onset

If you experience a sudden onset of tinnitus, especially if it’s accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness, seek immediate medical attention. This could indicate a potentially serious condition such as a tumor or vascular issue.

Pulsatile Tinnitus

Tinnitus that pulsates in rhythm with your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus) may indicate a vascular problem and should be evaluated promptly.

Unilateral Tinnitus

If you experience tinnitus in only one ear, particularly if it’s accompanied by hearing loss or other symptoms, it’s important to have it checked by a healthcare professional.

Impact on Daily Life

If tinnitus is significantly affecting your quality of life, causing severe distress, or interfering with sleep or concentration, it’s time to consult a doctor.

Associated Symptoms

Seek medical attention if your tinnitus is accompanied by:

  • Vertigo or balance problems
  • Facial numbness or weakness
  • Sudden or fluctuating hearing loss

When should you see an ENT specialist for tinnitus? If your primary care physician is unable to identify the cause of your tinnitus or if initial treatments are ineffective, a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist or an audiologist may be necessary. These specialists can provide more in-depth evaluations and specialized treatments.

Living with tinnitus can be challenging, but with proper understanding, management, and support, many people find effective ways to cope with the condition. Remember that each person’s experience with tinnitus is unique, and what works for one individual may not work for another. Patience and persistence in finding the right combination of treatments and coping strategies are key to successfully managing tinnitus and improving overall quality of life.

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) Causes and Definition

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

  • What Is Tinnitus?
  • What Causes Tinnitus?
  • Could You Have Tinnitus?
  • How Is Tinnitus Diagnosed?
  • How Is Tinnitus Treated?
  • How to Talk With Your Doctor About Tinnitus
  • More

Tinnitus (pronounced ti-ni-tus), or ringing in the ears, is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds. The noise can be intermittent or continuous, and can vary in loudness. It is often worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you’re trying to fall asleep in a quiet room. In rare cases, the sound beats in sync with your heart (pulsatile tinnitus).

Tinnitus is very common, affecting an estimated 50 million adults in the U.S. For most people, the condition is merely an annoyance. In severe cases, however, tinnitus can cause people to have difficulty concentrating and sleeping. It may eventually interfere with work and personal relationships, resulting in psychological distress.

Although tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, it does not cause the loss, nor does a hearing loss cause tinnitus. In fact, some people with tinnitus experience no difficulty hearing, and in a few cases they even become so acutely sensitive to sound (hyperacusis) that they must take steps to muffle or mask external noises.

Some instances of tinnitus are caused by infections or blockages in the ear, and the tinnitus can disappear once the underlying cause is treated. Frequently, however, tinnitus continues after the underlying condition is treated. In such a case, other therapies — both conventional and alternative — may bring significant relief by either decreasing or covering up the unwanted sound.

Prolonged exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of tinnitus. Up to 90% of people with tinnitus have some level of noise-induced hearing loss. The noise causes permanent damage to the sound-sensitive cells of the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear. Carpenters, pilots, rock musicians, street-repair workers, and landscapers are among those whose jobs put them at risk, as are people who work with chain saws, guns, or other loud devices or who repeatedly listen to loud music. A single exposure to a sudden extremely loud noise can also cause tinnitus.

A variety of other conditions and illnesses can lead to tinnitus, including:

  • Blockages of the ear due to a buildup of wax, an ear infection, or rarely, a benign tumor of the nerve that allows us to hear (auditory nerve)
  • Certain drugs — most notably aspirin, several types of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, loop diuretics, and antidepressants, as well as quinine medications; tinnitus is cited as a potential side effect for about 200 prescription and nonprescription drugs.
  • The natural aging process, which can cause deterioration of the cochlea or other parts of the ear
  • Meniere’s disease, which affects the inner part of the ear
  • Otosclerosis, a disease that results in stiffening of the small bones in the middle ear
  • Other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, circulatory problems, anemia, allergies, an underactive thyroid gland, autoimmune disease, and diabetes
  • Neck or jaw problems, such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
  • Injuries to the head and neck

Tinnitus can worsen in some people if they drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drink caffeinated beverages, or eat certain foods. For reasons not yet entirely clear to researchers, stress and fatigue seem to worsen tinnitus.

How do you know if you have it? Your doctor will make the final call, but you can ask yourself these questions.

Do you hear a noise that people around you don’t hear? When you have tinnitus, you’re the only one who notices the ringing, buzzing, or other noise. Other people don’t.

Do you take medication? More than 200 drugs can cause tinnitus, especially when you start or stop taking them. These include pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen, as well as certain antibiotics, diuretics, aspirin, and chemotherapy medicines.

The form that tinnitus takes can vary, depending on the drug and its dose. Don’t stop taking a medication without talking to your doctor first.

Are you around loud sounds? Lots of blaring noises where you live or work can cause hearing loss that triggers tinnitus. Those sounds could include roaring machines, lawn equipment, concerts, and sporting events.

Tinnitus can build up over the years or stem from a single loud event, like an engine backfire. Stay away from loud noises if you can. If you can’t, wear ear protection. And turn that music down.

Do you have a cold or ear infection? Congestion, along with ear and sinus infections, can cause pressure to build up in your inner ear. The same thing can happen if you have too much ear wax. That pressure can cause tinnitus.

Treating the cause should ease your symptoms. But long-term blockage sometimes leads to having the hearing condition permanently.

Do you get migraines? These headaches come with throbbing pain, nausea, and light sensitivity. But they also can have ear-related symptoms like fullness, muffled hearing, and tinnitus.

Have you ever had a serious head or neck injury? Either can cause problems with your nerves, blood flow, and muscles. That can lead to tinnitus, which often comes with headaches and memory issues when it’s linked to head or neck trauma.

Do you have jaw problems? Sometimes, tinnitus is caused by temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a group of conditions that affect jaw movement. Damage to any of the muscles, ligaments, or cartilage in that area can lead to the hearing problem. Easing TMD symptoms should help.

Do you have high blood pressure? That makes you more likely to have tinnitus. Narrowing of the arteries (your doctor may call it atherosclerosis) is another cause. Treating the condition should ease your symptoms.

Do you drink a lot of alcohol? Cut back if you can’t go without a daily cocktail. That might make a difference in what you hear.

Are you under a lot of stress? Tension, anxiety, and depression can trigger tinnitus. Try relaxation therapy, hypnosis, yoga, or whatever works for you. Whether it helps a case of tinnitus or not, it’s good for your overall health.

Do you have another medical condition? Tinnitus has been linked to diabetes, fibromyalgia, allergies, low vitamin levels, hormonal changes, and autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also tied to Meniere’s disease, a condition that causes hearing loss and vertigo, a spinning sensation.

Your doctor will discuss your medical history. They’ll ask about any medicines you take, including supplements. They’ll do a hearing test, examine your head and neck, and look inside your ears. They might ask you to clench your jaw, move your eyes, and move your neck, arms, and legs. If the ringing gets worse when you move, that may help find a cause for it. You may also need imaging tests like CT or MRI scans.

Your doctor may not be able to find the cause. If that happens, they’ll work with you to find ways to lessen the sound or help you manage it better.

It depends on what’s to blame for the ringing.

If a medication is the trigger, your doctor might suggest that you stop taking it or change to a different drug. Never stop a medicine on your own without talking to your doctor.

If a health issue like high blood pressure is the cause, your doctor can work with you to treat it. Often, the ringing will improve when you get the condition under control.

If the problem is too much earwax, the doctor can remove the buildup gently. Don’t use cotton swabs to try to do it yourself.

Other treatment options may include:

Hearing aids. These devices can help with age-related hearing loss and tinnitus. They make the sounds you need to hear louder and make the ringing harder to notice.

Sound maskers. You wear them in or behind your ear to create constant, low-level white noise. This helps block the ringing. You might also try a white noise machine near your bed at night to help you sleep.

Retraining therapy. You get counseling and wear a gadget that masks the ringing with tonal music.

Relaxation techniques. Tinnitus can get worse when you’re stressed. You might find ways to ease your worries, like exercise, deep breathing, or biofeedback.

Medicines. There are several medications that show some promise in treating tinnitus, including certain hormones, topical anesthetics, and anti-anxiety medication. Ask your doctor if any of them may be right for you.

Learning about tinnitus can help you manage it. Ask your doctor these questions so you better understand your condition.

  • Can you tell what’s causing my tinnitus?
  • Will it go away on its own?
  • Can other people hear the noise in my ears?
  • Will tinnitus damage my hearing?
  • Does having tinnitus mean I have hearing loss?

You may want to ask your doctor these questions to learn about your treatment options:

  • What are the treatments for tinnitus?
  • Are there any risks or side effects from the treatment?
  • What can I do on my own to manage tinnitus?
  • How can I stop tinnitus from getting worse?

Top Picks

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) Causes and Definition

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

  • What Is Tinnitus?
  • What Causes Tinnitus?
  • Could You Have Tinnitus?
  • How Is Tinnitus Diagnosed?
  • How Is Tinnitus Treated?
  • How to Talk With Your Doctor About Tinnitus
  • More

Tinnitus (pronounced ti-ni-tus), or ringing in the ears, is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds. The noise can be intermittent or continuous, and can vary in loudness. It is often worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you’re trying to fall asleep in a quiet room. In rare cases, the sound beats in sync with your heart (pulsatile tinnitus).

Tinnitus is very common, affecting an estimated 50 million adults in the U.S. For most people, the condition is merely an annoyance. In severe cases, however, tinnitus can cause people to have difficulty concentrating and sleeping. It may eventually interfere with work and personal relationships, resulting in psychological distress.

Although tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, it does not cause the loss, nor does a hearing loss cause tinnitus. In fact, some people with tinnitus experience no difficulty hearing, and in a few cases they even become so acutely sensitive to sound (hyperacusis) that they must take steps to muffle or mask external noises.

Some instances of tinnitus are caused by infections or blockages in the ear, and the tinnitus can disappear once the underlying cause is treated. Frequently, however, tinnitus continues after the underlying condition is treated. In such a case, other therapies — both conventional and alternative — may bring significant relief by either decreasing or covering up the unwanted sound.

Prolonged exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of tinnitus. Up to 90% of people with tinnitus have some level of noise-induced hearing loss. The noise causes permanent damage to the sound-sensitive cells of the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear. Carpenters, pilots, rock musicians, street-repair workers, and landscapers are among those whose jobs put them at risk, as are people who work with chain saws, guns, or other loud devices or who repeatedly listen to loud music. A single exposure to a sudden extremely loud noise can also cause tinnitus.

A variety of other conditions and illnesses can lead to tinnitus, including:

  • Blockages of the ear due to a buildup of wax, an ear infection, or rarely, a benign tumor of the nerve that allows us to hear (auditory nerve)
  • Certain drugs — most notably aspirin, several types of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, loop diuretics, and antidepressants, as well as quinine medications; tinnitus is cited as a potential side effect for about 200 prescription and nonprescription drugs.
  • The natural aging process, which can cause deterioration of the cochlea or other parts of the ear
  • Meniere’s disease, which affects the inner part of the ear
  • Otosclerosis, a disease that results in stiffening of the small bones in the middle ear
  • Other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, circulatory problems, anemia, allergies, an underactive thyroid gland, autoimmune disease, and diabetes
  • Neck or jaw problems, such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
  • Injuries to the head and neck

Tinnitus can worsen in some people if they drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drink caffeinated beverages, or eat certain foods. For reasons not yet entirely clear to researchers, stress and fatigue seem to worsen tinnitus.

How do you know if you have it? Your doctor will make the final call, but you can ask yourself these questions.

Do you hear a noise that people around you don’t hear? When you have tinnitus, you’re the only one who notices the ringing, buzzing, or other noise. Other people don’t.

Do you take medication? More than 200 drugs can cause tinnitus, especially when you start or stop taking them. These include pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen, as well as certain antibiotics, diuretics, aspirin, and chemotherapy medicines.

The form that tinnitus takes can vary, depending on the drug and its dose. Don’t stop taking a medication without talking to your doctor first.

Are you around loud sounds? Lots of blaring noises where you live or work can cause hearing loss that triggers tinnitus. Those sounds could include roaring machines, lawn equipment, concerts, and sporting events.

Tinnitus can build up over the years or stem from a single loud event, like an engine backfire. Stay away from loud noises if you can. If you can’t, wear ear protection. And turn that music down.

Do you have a cold or ear infection? Congestion, along with ear and sinus infections, can cause pressure to build up in your inner ear. The same thing can happen if you have too much ear wax. That pressure can cause tinnitus.

Treating the cause should ease your symptoms. But long-term blockage sometimes leads to having the hearing condition permanently.

Do you get migraines? These headaches come with throbbing pain, nausea, and light sensitivity. But they also can have ear-related symptoms like fullness, muffled hearing, and tinnitus.

Have you ever had a serious head or neck injury? Either can cause problems with your nerves, blood flow, and muscles. That can lead to tinnitus, which often comes with headaches and memory issues when it’s linked to head or neck trauma.

Do you have jaw problems? Sometimes, tinnitus is caused by temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a group of conditions that affect jaw movement. Damage to any of the muscles, ligaments, or cartilage in that area can lead to the hearing problem. Easing TMD symptoms should help.

Do you have high blood pressure? That makes you more likely to have tinnitus. Narrowing of the arteries (your doctor may call it atherosclerosis) is another cause. Treating the condition should ease your symptoms.

Do you drink a lot of alcohol? Cut back if you can’t go without a daily cocktail. That might make a difference in what you hear.

Are you under a lot of stress? Tension, anxiety, and depression can trigger tinnitus. Try relaxation therapy, hypnosis, yoga, or whatever works for you. Whether it helps a case of tinnitus or not, it’s good for your overall health.

Do you have another medical condition? Tinnitus has been linked to diabetes, fibromyalgia, allergies, low vitamin levels, hormonal changes, and autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also tied to Meniere’s disease, a condition that causes hearing loss and vertigo, a spinning sensation.

Your doctor will discuss your medical history. They’ll ask about any medicines you take, including supplements. They’ll do a hearing test, examine your head and neck, and look inside your ears. They might ask you to clench your jaw, move your eyes, and move your neck, arms, and legs. If the ringing gets worse when you move, that may help find a cause for it. You may also need imaging tests like CT or MRI scans.

Your doctor may not be able to find the cause. If that happens, they’ll work with you to find ways to lessen the sound or help you manage it better.

It depends on what’s to blame for the ringing.

If a medication is the trigger, your doctor might suggest that you stop taking it or change to a different drug. Never stop a medicine on your own without talking to your doctor.

If a health issue like high blood pressure is the cause, your doctor can work with you to treat it. Often, the ringing will improve when you get the condition under control.

If the problem is too much earwax, the doctor can remove the buildup gently. Don’t use cotton swabs to try to do it yourself.

Other treatment options may include:

Hearing aids. These devices can help with age-related hearing loss and tinnitus. They make the sounds you need to hear louder and make the ringing harder to notice.

Sound maskers. You wear them in or behind your ear to create constant, low-level white noise. This helps block the ringing. You might also try a white noise machine near your bed at night to help you sleep.

Retraining therapy. You get counseling and wear a gadget that masks the ringing with tonal music.

Relaxation techniques. Tinnitus can get worse when you’re stressed. You might find ways to ease your worries, like exercise, deep breathing, or biofeedback.

Medicines. There are several medications that show some promise in treating tinnitus, including certain hormones, topical anesthetics, and anti-anxiety medication. Ask your doctor if any of them may be right for you.

Learning about tinnitus can help you manage it. Ask your doctor these questions so you better understand your condition.

  • Can you tell what’s causing my tinnitus?
  • Will it go away on its own?
  • Can other people hear the noise in my ears?
  • Will tinnitus damage my hearing?
  • Does having tinnitus mean I have hearing loss?

You may want to ask your doctor these questions to learn about your treatment options:

  • What are the treatments for tinnitus?
  • Are there any risks or side effects from the treatment?
  • What can I do on my own to manage tinnitus?
  • How can I stop tinnitus from getting worse?

Top Picks

Why ringing in the ears: 5 most common causes

Ear congestion is a condition that everyone once experienced. A person has an unpleasant sensation, a feeling of clogging of the auricle, complaints of liquid transfusion or rustling and crackling in the ear, decreased hearing acuity.

Why does he stuff his ears?

Ear congestion can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common ones are:

  • Sulfur plug. Earwax is produced to create a natural barrier to dust particles and water that can get into the ears. Sometimes, with improper processing of the auricle, the sulfur thickens, creating a plug, and a feeling of congestion appears;
  • Tubo-otitis, or inflammation of the Eustachian tube, which develops as a result of improper washing of the nose and long-term treatment of the common cold;
  • Allergic reactions provoked by seasonal or other external irritants;
  • Otitis, when, in addition to stuffiness, there is a sharp pain in the inflamed ear;
  • Chronic hearing loss, which causes a feeling of gradual stuffiness in the ears and a decrease in the level of hearing;
  • Foreign bodies of the external auditory canal and tympanic cavity.
  • There are also serious diseases among the causes of ear congestion, so this symptom should not be ignored.

What to do if there is wax in the ears?

Often you want to take a cotton swab and just clean the earwax. Do not do this if there is a feeling of congestion. It is necessary to make an appointment with a specialist who will assess the degree of congestion and its cause, and then provide professional medical assistance. The ear plug is washed with special tools, this process takes a couple of minutes and does not cause any pain. After washing, it is important to follow the rules for caring for the ears, the doctor may also prescribe drops in the ears.

How to get rid of ear congestion?

In a healthy person, the unpleasant feeling of congestion disappears quickly. In order for hearing to return to normal, it is enough to drink water, suck on a lollipop or chew gum. There is a special exercise that helps to increase pressure in the middle ear:

  • take a deep breath,
  • pinch nose with fingers and close mouth,
  • exhale slowly.

If you hear a slight pop in your ear, there is no reason to panic: the eardrum has returned to its normal position. Sometimes the exercise needs to be repeated several times. However, it can only help if there is no infectious process in the ears, which has become the main cause of the problem.

How to distinguish between normal congestion and illness?

Short-term congestion and tinnitus can occur during a cold, they most often go away on their own after other symptoms resolve. However, there are infectious diseases that occur directly in the auditory tube or middle ear. You can understand that additional treatment for stuffy ears is needed by the following signs:0010

  • ear congestion persists for a long time and is accompanied by pain,
  • change of position and slow exhalations of air do not help,
  • there is a decrease in hearing acuity,
  • discharge appears from the ear canal,
  • congestion accompanied by dizziness.

    • Ear treatment

    When the underlying condition is treated and the congestion and tinnitus persist, the doctor will perform an additional examination of the hearing aid. This is a visual examination and special instrumental diagnostic methods. Depending on the cause of the pathology, medications and medical procedures will be prescribed. After completing the therapeutic course, in most cases, ear congestion disappears without consequences for the patient. Timely contact with a specialist will help prevent complications.

    You can consult about the causes of stuffy ears and make an appointment with a specialist by calling our clinic or using the form on the website.

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    Tinnitus (from Latin tinnītus “ringing”) is the sensation of sound in one or both ears in the absence of an external source of sound. This sensation is mostly described as ringing in the ears, but the sounds can also be hissing, humming, clicking, or buzzing. Noise or ringing in the ears can be strong, mild or moderate, constant or intermittent. The perception of tinnitus is individual.

    Although tinnitus is heard in the ears, it occurs in the nerve circuits of the brain, causing us to hear sounds in the head. It is not yet known exactly what is going on in the brain to create the illusion of a sound that is not actually there. Tinnitus is the most common disorder affecting 10 to 15% of the world’s population.

    Causes of noise or ringing in the ears

    The appearance of tinnitus can be caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises or certain lifestyle habits. Ringing in the ears can also occur in healthy people and for no apparent reason.

    However, in many cases, the appearance of noise or ringing in the ears is associated with hearing loss.

    Causes that can trigger tinnitus can be divided into the following groups:

    Medical

    • Wax plug in the ear
    • Diseases of the outer, middle or inner ear
    • Otosclerosis
    • Meniere’s disease
    • Anemia
    • Allergy
    • Diabetes
    • Tumors of the head and neck
    • Low serotonin
    • Blood pressure problems
    • Diseases of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
    Hearing impairment

    According to statistics, 80-85% of patients suffering from tinnitus have some degree of hearing impairment. Despite the fact that tinnitus is not the cause of hearing impairment, but its impact negatively affects concentration, performance, because constant sounds in the head are distracting and prevent you from concentrating on really important sound information. Annoying noise distracts from daily tasks and interferes with meaningful communication with family, friends and loved ones.

    Head injury and brain disease Head injury, such as a concussion, can damage the inner ear and cause tinnitus. Also, neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, can lead to tinnitus, and acoustic tumors of the auditory or vestibular nerve, by putting pressure on the nerve endings, can create tinnitus. In this case, the treatment of tinnitus should begin with an appeal to a neurologist.

    Heart and blood vessel problems

    If your tinnitus is pulsating, it may be due to a problem with your blood vessels.

    Drugs that cause tinnitus

    The most common drugs that cause tinnitus are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, aspirin, gentamicin), diuretics, some antibiotics, and cancer drugs. If you experience tinnitus after starting a drug or changing its dosage, contact your healthcare provider right away to determine further treatment.

    Risk factors for tinnitus

    Often tinnitus occurs in people with hearing impairment of different ages, but the elderly and those whose professional activities are associated with exposure to high-level noise are at an increased risk.

    Age-related hearing loss

    Hearing loss due to aging is called presbycusis and begins at age 60. The greater the hearing loss, the more likely it is that tinnitus will occur. To prevent the appearance of annoying noise, you must first contact an audiologist for a hearing diagnosis in order to assess its severity (i.e., at what frequencies a decrease is observed) and then select a method for correcting the identified violations.

    Loud noise exposure

    Regular exposure to loud noise in professional activities (airport workers, factories, construction sites, city transport drivers, military, hunters) is a common cause of hearing loss and tinnitus. Wearing earplugs at work will help protect your hearing.

    Lifestyle Listening to music at high volumes for extended periods of time or frequent concerts can also cause permanent hearing damage. Excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, abuse of foods and drinks containing caffeine can cause tinnitus. Frequent fatigue and stress can also be risk factors.

    If you have tinnitus, start your treatment journey by contacting a hearing care professional who specializes in diagnosing tinnitus to help determine the underlying cause. If common causes of tinnitus are ruled out, your doctor will refer you to another specialist for further evaluation and treatment.

    How to reduce the effects of tinnitus

    Since tinnitus is a purely subjective sensation, it is difficult to diagnose, so following the recommendations of your audiologists yourself will help to alleviate the condition:

    • Try to control your blood pressure, check it regularly;
    • Try to eat less salt, because. its use is one of the causes of circulatory disorders;
    • Avoid loud noise and use earplugs for occupational protection;
    • Learn to relax, arrange a relaxing minute for yourself;
    • Refrain from tobacco, coffee, cola, tea;
    • Exercise regularly, exercise improves blood circulation, which helps reduce tinnitus;
    • Use a hearing aid. It not only helps with hearing loss, but also has a masking effect that will help you get rid of annoying tinnitus and reduce its impact on daily life.

    Hearing impairment and tinnitus

    Modern hearing aids are equipped with a sound generator function, such as white noise or ocean noise, the intensity of which can be controlled by the user using a smartphone using a mobile application for iPhone and Android.

    Find out more about the latest digital hearing aid models that help manage tinnitus.

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    18. 02.2020 00: 11 25121 AiF Zdorovye No. 3. 50% of diabetic patients are unaware of the diagnosis 11/02/2020 Shutterstock.com Our expert is an otoneurologist, head of the department of vestibulology and otoneurology of the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of Otorhinolaryngology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Candidate of Medical Sciences Olga Zaitseva. Doctors call tinnitus with a beautiful word “tinnitus” “. This symptom often worries mature patients (after 40 years). But sometimes, although much less often, young patients also turn to doctors with similar complaints. Even children.

    Everyone hears how he breathes

    Tinnitus is not always a pathology. For example, there are so-called endogenous somatic sounds (sounds of our body) that occur during muscle contraction, opening and closing of the auditory tubes, movement of joints, ligaments, and blood flow. Usually they are masked by the sounds of the environment (this happens especially well in noisy big cities) and therefore do not cause concern. But when people are alone with themselves, in complete silence, they can listen to their feelings and catch a slight noise inside themselves. There are no statistics on tinnitus in Russia, but, according to the statistical departments of North America and certain European countries, up to a third of the entire population suffers from tinnitus. On average, up to 15% of people. In the majority, this symptom is not pronounced (stages 1–2), but in 1%, tinnitus significantly reduces the quality of life, taking away peace and sleep.

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    “There is a ringing, but I don’t know where it is”

    Most often, tinnitus is still not the norm, but a symptom of disease. Some of them relate to ENT diseases: for example, a banal sulfur plug or otitis media (external and middle) can manifest itself, but more dangerous disorders can also occur: otosclerosis, tumors of the auditory nerve, tympanic cavity and middle ear. It may also be associated with involuntary contractions of the muscles of the middle ear and soft palate, gaping of the auditory tube, or damage to the temporomandibular joint. But more often the problem is at the intersection of ENT diseases and neurological disorders, so it is necessary to turn to otoneurologists for its solution.

    These physicians treat sensorineural hearing loss, acoustic and barotrauma (a common problem in divers and scuba divers), Meniere’s disease – pathologies that are often accompanied by the appearance of tinnitus.

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    “Which ear is buzzing in me?”

    People usually associate this symptom with high blood pressure and vascular problems. However, this is far from the most common cause of tinnitus.

    In general, in all patients this symptom manifests itself in different ways: it can make noise loudly and quietly, on one side or both at once, constantly or from time to time. Noise can be of the same frequency, and different (for example, intermittent or pulsating). It is important for an otoneurologist to know all the characteristics of the tinnitus of a particular patient, as well as its triggers (causes and factors that change the nature of the noise), in order to direct the diagnosis in the right direction.

    Mandatory tests for tinnitus are audiometry, test of Eustachian tube function and the study of the “reflexes” of the muscles of the middle ear. It is also desirable to carry out noise metering to clarify the frequency and loudness of the noise. But so beloved by patients, ultrasound of the vessels of the neck is unlikely to give sensible information. MRI and CT are also performed according to strict indications and are not always required.

    To a cardiologist or a psychiatrist?

    Sometimes, after examination, otoneurologists refer their patients to other specialists. For example, to psychotherapists, since tinnitus inevitably disturbs mental balance. This doctor treats not only with a word, but also with medicines – if there are appropriate indications. But tinnitus can have other causes as well. For example, such sensations occur against the background of a severe neurodegenerative disease – multiple sclerosis or brain tumors. Therefore, in the presence of suspicious symptoms, a thorough examination by a neurologist is necessary. Sometimes it is not superfluous to appear to a cardiologist, because it can also make noise in the ears with cardiovascular diseases (arterial stenosis, atherosclerosis of blood vessels, defects and abnormal location of the heart). Often, the same symptom annoys people with thyroid diseases (hypo- and hyperthyroidism) and diabetes, so an endocrinologist should also be added to the list of specialists. And this can also manifest hepatitis and severe poisoning (drugs, benzene, methyl alcohol). Therefore, diagnosis is often delayed. But it is necessary to pass it, otherwise the treatment will not only be ineffective, but also dangerous.

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    Don’t pull with tinnitus

    The treatment of tinnitus requires a highly individualized approach. The most important thing is to see a doctor quickly and on time. After all, long-term tinnitus not only worsens the quality of life, but also aggravates the course of an unidentified disease.

    Treatment includes medicines (tablets or injections), physiotherapy, manual therapy and osteopathy.

    In cases of proven “vascular” tinnitus (which is rare), vasoactive (“vascular”) drugs may be recommended. If the problem is in the disease of the temporomandibular joint, the help of maxillofacial surgeons is required.

    If the function of the auditory tubes is impaired, patients must necessarily perform gymnastics for the auditory tubes (a kind of “fitness for the ears”) – and here it is impossible to improve the well-being without the patient’s own effort. Simultaneously with gymnastics, patients with tubal dysfunction are prescribed drugs that combine a mucolytic effect and normalize the movements of the cilia of the ciliated epithelium (they contain carbocysteine, such as bronchobos, carboline, mucodin).

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    Make it quieter

    But sometimes you can’t get rid of tinnitus. Then there is only one thing left – noise masking. With long-term tinnitus, wearing a tinnitus masker is often used in combination with psychotherapy and auto-training.

    Tinnitus maskers are devices based on a simple white noise generator. Their goal is to add to the noise that the patient hears inside himself, sounds of natural or artificial origin, overlapping his own “music”. For example, tinnitus maskers can make nature sounds (waterfall, rain, or surf), white noise or music, intermittent pulsed sound, or other beeps. They reduce the patient’s sensitivity to tinnitus and promote relaxation, reduce anxiety by reducing the contrast between tinnitus and background noise. Noise masking allows you to unload the psyche, avoiding the development of neurosis and panic attacks.

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