What’s the best way to stop the ringing in my ears? There’s no cure for tinnitus, but understanding what causes or aggravates your symptoms can help you minimize or prevent episodes.
A constant whooshing, buzzing, or ringing in the ears is experienced by 32 percent of individuals according to researchers. This condition is called tinnitus, and it can wreak havoc. People who hear these noises have problems sleeping and concentrating, and they might also have associated hearing loss.
Because it is normally related to some other condition, there is no real cure for the tinnitus itself, but there are measures you can take to quiet the noise.
Steer Clear of These Things to Reduce The Ringing
There are some things that are known to cause or worsen tinnitus symptoms and these are the things you should stay away from. Loud noise is one of the most common things that aggravate tinnitus. Avoid using headphones, and if you are subjected to noise at work or at home, use some high-quality earplugs to reduce the damage.
Certain medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even high doses of aspirin can make the ringing worse so check with your doctor. Never stop taking your medications without first speaking to your health care professional.
Other typical causes of tinnitus include:
- infections
- allergies
- other medical issues
- stress
- high blood pressure
- excessive earwax
- problems with the jaw
Tinnitus And Issues With The Jaw
If for no other reason than their physical proximity, your jaw and ears have a certain amount of interplay between each other (they’re ideal neighbors, usually). That’s why issues with your jaw can result in tinnitus. The best example of this is a condition called Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ for short), which entails a breakdown of the shock-absorbing cartilage in the joints in your jaw. The resulting stress produced by simple activities like chewing or speaking can ultimately result in tinnitus symptoms.
What can I do? The best thing you can do, if your tinnitus is caused by TMJ, is to find medical or dental assistance.
Stress And That Ringing in my Ears
The affects of stress on the body are very real and very significant. Associated spikes in blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing can all lead to an intensification of tinnitus symptoms. As a result, stress can trigger, worsen, and lengthen tinnitus episodes.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is triggered by stress, you need to determine ways of de-stressing. Taking some time to reduce the stress in your life (where and when you can) could also help.
Excessive Earwax
Earwax is completely normal and healthy. But too much earwax can irritate your eardrum, and begin to cause ringing or buzzing in your ears. If you can’t wash out the earwax in a normal way because it has accumulated too much, the resulting tinnitus can become worse.
What can I do? Cleaning without utilizing cotton swabs is the simplest way to reduce ringing in the ears induced by earwax. In certain instances, you may need to seek out a professional cleaning in order to get the buzzing and ringing to go away (some people just naturally generate a lot more earwax than others).
Tinnitus is Worsened by High Blood Pressure
A myriad of health conditions, including tinnitus, can be caused by hypertension and high blood pressure. High blood pressure can intensify the buzzing or ringing you’re already hearing, making it hard to dismiss. There’s no cure for tinnitus, but there are treatment options for high blood pressure.
What’s my solution? Disregarding high blood pressure isn’t something you should do. Medical treatment is advisable. But a lifestyle change, such as avoiding foods with high salt content and exercising more, can help a lot. Stress can also raise your blood pressure, so try doing relaxation techniques or changing your lifestyle can also improve hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Can I Decrease my Tinnitus by utilizing a Masking Device or White Noise Generator?
You can reduce the impact of the continual noise in your head by distracting your ears and your brain. You don’t even have to get special equipment, your radio, TV or laptop can work as masking devices. You can, if you prefer, get special masking devices or hearing aids to help.
You need to take it seriously if you have constant ringing, whooshing, or buzzing in your ears. It could be a warning sign that you also have hearing loss, or that you are experiencing a medical problem that should be resolved before it worsens. Before what started as an irritating problem becomes a more severe concern, take measures to safeguard your ears and if the ringing continues, find professional hearing help.