How can I stop the ringing in my ears? There’s no cure for tinnitus, but recognizing what causes or aggravates your symptoms can help you lessen or eliminate flare-ups.
A constant buzzing, whooshing, or ringing in the ears is experienced by 32 percent of people according to experts. This condition is called tinnitus, and it can lead to real problems. Individuals who suffer from this condition could have associative hearing loss and commonly have trouble sleeping and concentrating.
There are steps you can take to decrease the symptoms, but because it’s usually linked to other health problems, there is no immediate cure.
What Should I Avoid to Reduce The Ringing in My Ears?
There are some things that have been shown to cause or worsen tinnitus symptoms and these are the things you should avoid. Loud noise is one of the most prevalent things that aggravate tinnitus. Refrain from using headphones, and if you are exposed to noise at work or at home, get some high-quality earplugs to minimize 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 common causes of tinnitus include:
- other medical problems
- high blood pressure
- allergies
- stress
- problems with the jaw
- infections
- excessive earwax
Tinnitus And Problems With The Jaw
If for no other reason than their how close they are, your ears and jaw have a certain amount of interplay between them (they’re excellent neighbors, usually). This is the reason jaw issues can cause tinnitus. TMJ, which is an affliction that causes the cartilage of the jaw to deteriorate, is the best example of this kind of jaw problem. The ensuing stress created by simple activities such as 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 seek medical or dental assistance.
How is The Ringing in my Ears Linked to Stress?
Stress can affect your body in very real, very tangible ways. Intensification of tinnitus symptoms can be caused by surges in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. As a result, stress can cause, worsen, and extend tinnitus episodes.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is triggered by stress, you need to determine ways of reducing stress. It will also help if you can decrease the general causes of stress in your life.
Excess Earwax
Earwax is absolutely normal and healthy. But too much earwax can aggravate your eardrum, and start to cause buzzing or ringing in your ears. If you can’t wash away the earwax in a normal way because it has built up too much, the resulting tinnitus can become worse.
What can I do? The simplest way to reduce the ringing in your ears caused by excessive earwax is to keep your ears clean! (Do not use cotton swabs in your ears.) Some individuals generate more earwax than others; if this sounds like you, a professional cleaning may be in order.
High Blood Pressure Makes Tinnitus Worse
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can cause various health issues, such as tinnitus. It becomes difficult to dismiss when high blood pressure intensifies the ringing or buzzing you’re already experiencing. There isn’t a cure for tinnitus, but there are treatments for high blood pressure.
What can be done? High blood pressure isn’t something you want to ignore. You’ll likely want to seek out medical treatment. But a lifestyle change, like staying clear of foods with high salt content and exercising more, can go a long way. Stress can also raise your blood pressure, so practicing relaxation techniques or changing your lifestyle can also help hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Can I Alleviate my Tinnitus by utilizing a White Noise Generator or Masking Device?
You can reduce the effects of the constant noise in your head by distracting your ears and your brain. You don’t even need to purchase special equipment, your radio, TV or computer can act as masking devices. You can, if you prefer, buy special masking devices or hearing aids to help.
If you’re experiencing a constant ringing, whooshing, or buzzing sound in your ears, be serious about the problem. If you’re dealing with hearing loss or have health problems that are acting up, it may be a warning sign. Take steps to protect your ears from loud noises, look for ways to distract your ears, and get in touch with a hearing specialist before what started as a nagging problem results in bigger problems.