Woman suffering from ringing in her ears.

The ringing of tinnitus will be annoying whether you only hear it occasionally or all of the time. There might be a more suitable word than annoying. How about frustrating or makes-you-want-to-bash-your-head-against-the-desk aggravating? No matter how you decide to describe that sound that you can’t seem to turn off, it’s a problem. What can you do, though? Is even possible to get rid of that ringing in your ears?

Why do You Have Tinnitus And What Exactly Causes it?

Start by learning more about the condition that is causing the buzzing, ringing, clicking or roaring you hear. It’s estimated as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population experiences tinnitus, which is the medical term for that ringing. But why?

Tinnitus is a symptom of something else, not a condition itself. Loss of hearing is often the primary cause of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a common side effect of hearing decline. It’s not really clear why tinnitus appears when there is a change in a person’s hearing. That the brain is creating the noise to fill the void is the present theory.

Every day you encounter thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of sounds. There are the obvious sounds like a motor running or someone shouting, and then there are sounds you don’t notice. What about the rotating of the blades on the ceiling fan or the sound of air coming through a vent. You don’t really hear these sounds, but that’s only because your brain decides you don’t need to.

The point is, hearing these sounds is “normal” for your brain. So what happens if you shut half of those sounds off? It becomes confusing for the part of your brain that hears sound. It might create the phantom tinnitus noises to fill in the blanks because it recognizes sound should be there.

Tinnitus has other possible causes as well. It can be connected to severe health problems like:

  • Head or neck tumors
  • Turbulent blood flow
  • A reaction to medication
  • Acoustic neuroma, a tumor that grows on the cranial nerve
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Head or neck trauma
  • Meniere’s disease
  • Temporomandibular disorders (TMJ)
  • Poor circulation
  • High blood pressure

Any of these things can trigger tinnitus. Despite the fact that you can hear fine, after an injury or accident, you may still experience this ringing. Before you look for other ways to get rid of it, you should schedule an appointment with a doctor to have a hearing exam.

What Can be Done About Tinnitus?

You need to find out why you have it before you can start to determine what to do about it. The only thing that helps, in many cases, is to give the brain what it wants. If tinnitus is due to the lack of sound, make some. A sound as basic as a fan running in the background might generate enough sound to switch off the ringing, it doesn’t have to be much.

Technology such as a white noise generator is made just for this purpose. They simulate a natural sound that is calming such as the ocean waves or rain falling. Some have pillow speakers, so you hear the sound when you sleep.

Another thing that also works is hearing aids. You can turn up the sounds that your brain is looking for, like the AC running, with quality hearing aids. Hearing aids normalize your hearing enough that the brain no longer needs to generate phantom noise.

A combination of tricks works best for most people. You might use hearing aids during the day and use a white noise machine at night, for example.

If soft sounds aren’t helping or if the tinnitus is more severe, there are medications that might help. Medications such as Xanax and possibly other antidepressants can quite this noise.

Lifestyle Changes to Manage Your Tinnitus

It will also be helpful if you make a few lifestyle changes. Determining if there are triggers is a good place to start. When the tinnitus starts, note what’s happening and write it down in a log. Be specific:

  • Did you just drink a soda or a cup of coffee?
  • What did you just eat?
  • Is there a specific noise that is triggering it?
  • Did you just take medication even over-the-counter products like Tylenol?
  • Are you drinking alcohol or smoking a cigarette?

Be very accurate when you record the information and pretty soon you will notice the patterns which trigger the ringing. You should find ways to relax such as biofeedback, exercise, and meditation because stress can also be responsible.

An Ounce of Prevention

The ideal way to get rid of tinnitus is to prevent it in the first place. Begin by doing everything you can to protect your hearing like:

  • Not wearing earbuds or headphones when listening to music
  • Taking care of your cardiovascular system
  • Wearing ear protection when you’re going to be around loud noises
  • Turning the volume down on everything

If you have high blood pressure, take your medication. Eat right and exercise also. To eliminate treatable issues which increase your risk of hearing loss and tinnitus, schedule a hearing exam with a hearing professional.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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