Ringing of the Ears
Almost every person has experienced ringing of the ears at one time or another. More often than not we dismiss these brief episodes of discomfort the moment they go away. Dismissing this matter is a mistake many people make. Here are some frequent questions and answers about that buzzing in the ears we sometimes experience.
What is this ringing of the ears I am experiencing?
The ringing of the ears one may have experienced or is currently experiencing is called tinnitus. Tinnitus is the perception of sound which seems to come from inside the ear or the head, without any external source. For some people the ringing in the ears may last for only a brief moment or a few days but for approximately fifty million Americans, the roaring, chirping, or whistling in the ears does not go away.
What causes tinnitus?
Medical researchers and experts are still unsure about what causes this condition. What is well documented however is that tinnitus is and can be triggered by underlying medical disorders or diseases. Among the most common triggers of tinnitus is noise induced or age related hearing loss. Other triggers include diabetes, sinus-related problems, allergies, cardiovascular disease, head trauma, ear wax impaction, and metabolic disorders. Some medications have also been known to trigger tinnitus especially if they have ototoxic side effects. Over consumption of aspirin, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol have also been shown to trigger or worsen tinnitus. Tinnitus can also come about as a result of stress.
Is there a cure for tinnitus?
Despite the millions of people suffering from the condition, scientists are still in the process of searching for a definitive cure to ringing in the ears. Currently treatment for tinnitus is done by addressing and curing the underlying medical cause. Usually, the tinnitus goes away once the medical condition is resolved. For a lot of cases, however, this does not happen.
Patients whose tinnitus does not go away have a choice to undergo therapy wherein they are taught and conditioned to relegate the ringing of the ears to the background (just like the everyday noise of traffic or the whirring of a refrigerator) in order to continue living their lives as normally as possible.
Hearing aids and tinnitus maskers have also shown some success in reducing the intensity of the sound a tinnitus patient hears. There are those who have resorted to homeopathic remedies with some successful results too.
What should I do if I have tinnitus?
Consult your medical specialist and undergo tests to determine if you do have tinnitus. The sounds you hear may just be the normal sounds your head makes. Timely and early consultation with a competent doctor will enable you to pinpoint the cause of your tinnitus and open more alternatives for methods of relief.
