“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “How can I make that sound go away?”
You might be dealing with tinnitus, a common hearing affliction that manifests sounds in your ears that no one else can hear, if you find yourself making these kinds of statements. You’re not alone. Millions of people have this disorder.
Most describe it as ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like a pulsing noise, a dial tone, buzzing, or whistling.
Depending on the intensity, ringing in the ears may seem harmless. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be neglected. Something more significant might be the underlying cause of these noises.
You need to take the following 6 symptoms seriously.
1. Your Quality of Life is Being Affected by The Ringing in Your Ears
Some research suggests that 26% of tinnitus sufferers cope with that ringing on an almost continuous basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship troubles are all possible consequences of this ever present ringing.
It can be a struggle between the tinnitus noise and something as simple as trying to hear your friend give you a recipe over the phone. You might snap at your grandson, who asks a simple question, because the ringing makes you stressed.
A vicious cycle can be the result of this continuous ringing. The ringing gets louder as your stress level rises. And you get more stressed the louder the noise is and on and on.
If your tinnitus is leading to these kinds of life struggles, you shouldn’t neglect it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be decreased or eliminated with available treatment choices.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Started to Ring
Doctors might try several different medications to treat the same ailment whether you have chronic pain or cancer. You might ask for an alternative solution if you begin to experience significant side effects. If your tinnitus started or got significantly worse after you started a new drug, look at that list of side effects and talk to your doctor.
Tinnitus may be caused by some common medications. Here are a few examples:
- Chemo
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Loop Diuretics
- Antibiotics
3. It’s Accompanied by Blurred Vision, Headache, or Seizures
This often indicates that your tinnitus symptoms are being triggered by high blood pressure. The blood flow in your inner ear is restricted when you have hypertension. Your overall health is also in danger with high blood pressure. As time passes, it could cause or worsen age-related hearing loss.
4. You Only Hear it After You Leave a Concert, Gym, or Work
If you leave a noisy place like a factory, bar, concert, or fitness class, and you begin to hear tinnitus noises, you were probably exposed to unsafe levels of noise and that’s most likely the cause of these noises. If you neglect this episodic tinnitus and don’t start to protect your ears, it will most likely become constant over time. And it’s commonly accompanied by hearing loss.
If you enjoy a noisy night out, take precautions like:
- Using earplugs
- Giving your ears a periodic break by stepping into the restroom or outside, if possible, at least once an hour
- Not standing too close to the speakers
Adhere to the rules pertaining to earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a noisy environment. They’re made to protect you, but they only work if you wear protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
Whether you have ringing in your ears or not, you should never ignore facial paralysis. But when you have nausea, paralysis, headaches, and you also have tinnitus, it’s possible that you may have an acoustic neuroma (a slow growing benign brain tumor).
6. Fluctuating Hearing Loss is Accompanying Tinnitus
Are you experiencing hearing loss that comes and goes? Do you feel dizzy off and on? If these symptoms are taking place along with tinnitus, you may need to get tested for Menier’s disease. This causes a fluid imbalance in your ears. If left untreated, it often gets worse and might increase your risks of serious falls due to lack of balance.
Hearing loss is often signaled by tinnitus. So you should have your hearing tested if you’re experiencing it. Get in touch with us to make an appointment for a hearing test.