Let’s set the stage: you’re in your bed at night attempting to unwind after a long, tiring day. Your eyelids are starting to get heavy and you know that your about to fall asleep. Then as you’re lying there in the quiet of the night, you begin to notice the sound of buzzing in your ears. Your TV, radio, and phone are all switched off so you know it’s nothing in your room. No, this sound is coming from within your ears and you’re not sure how to stop it.
If this situation sounds familiar, then chances are that you’re one of the 50 million people that are afflicted by tinnitus. Buzzing, ringing, and various other noises will be heard in your ears when you suffer from this problem. Most people who have tinnitus consider it a mere annoyance; it comes and goes but doesn’t really affect their day-to-day lives. For other people, however, tinnitus can be devastating and cause them to lose sleep and have difficulty doing work and social activities.
What’s The Primary Cause of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus remains somewhat of a mystery, but this problem has been narrowed down to a few causes. It shows up mostly in individuals who have damaged hearing, and also individuals who suffer from heart conditions. It’s believed that tinnitus occurs due to reduced blood flow around the ears, which makes the heart pump blood harder in order for it to get where it needs to go. People who have iron-deficiency anemia frequently experience tinnitus symptoms since their blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, again, works the heart harder to get nutrients to the correct place, often resulting in tinnitus.
Tinnitus also occurs as a result of other conditions, like Meniere’s disease, ear infections, and ear canal blockages. Scenarios where tinnitus becomes more pronounced happen with all of these condition because they all affect the hearing. Sometimes treatment can be difficult when the cause of tinnitus is not evident, but that doesn’t mean treatment isn’t possible.
What Treatments Are Out There For Tinnitus?
Depending on the underlying cause of your tinnitus, there might be several possible treatment choices. One relevant thing to take note of, however, is that there is presently no known cure for tinnitus. In spite of this fact, there’s still a good chance that your tinnitus will get better or even vanish completely due to these treatments.
Studies have shown that hearing aids help cover up tinnitus in people who suffer from hearing loss.
If covering up the noise isn’t helpful, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to help people live with the ringing in their ears that doesn’t disappear with other treatments. This mental health style of therapy can help people who are afflicted by tinnitus to function more normally on an everyday basis by helping them change their negative thoughts into a more positive outlook.
