What’s the best way to eliminate the ringing in my ears? There’s no cure for tinnitus, but recognizing what causes or exacerbates your symptoms can help you lessen or avoid flare-ups.
Experts calculate that 32 percent of people experience a nonstop buzzing, ringing, or whooshing noise in their ears. This condition, which is known as tinnitus, can be a real problem. People who have this condition could have associative hearing loss and frequently have problems sleeping and concentrating.
Because it is usually connected to some other condition, there is no real cure for the tinnitus itself, but there are measures you can take to quiet the noise.
Avoid These Things to Reduce The Ringing
There are some things that are known to cause or worsen tinnitus symptoms and these are the things you need to stay away from. One of the most common things that worsen tinnitus is loud noises. Try to avoid using headphones, and if you are subjected to noise at work or at home, get some high-quality earplugs to reduce the damage.
You should also talk to your doctor about your medications, as some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and high doses of aspirin can make the ringing in your ears worse. Be sure you consult your doctor before you discontinue your medication.
Other common causes of tinnitus include:
- high blood pressure
- other medical problems
- infections
- excessive earwax
- stress
- jaw problems
- allergies
Jaw Issues And Tinnitus
If for no other reason than their physical proximity, your ears and jaw have a certain amount of interplay between them (they’re ideal neighbors, usually). This is the reason jaw issues can cause tinnitus. TMJ, which is a condition that causes the cartilage of the jaw to deteriorate, is the best example of this kind of jaw problem. Tinnitus can be the outcome of the stress of simple activities such as chewing.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is triggered by TMJ symptoms, then the best way to get relief is to seek out medical or dental treatment for the root cause (no pun intended).
How is The Ringing in my Ears Linked to Stress?
The impacts of stress on the body are very real and very significant. Intensification of tinnitus symptoms can be brought on by spikes in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Stress, consequently, can activate, exacerbate, and lengthen bouts of tinnitus.
What can I do? If stress is a significant cause of the ringing or buzzing in your ears, you can try remedies like meditation and yoga to try to unwind. Taking some time to minimize the stress in your life (where and when you can) could also help.
Excess Earwax
Earwax is totally healthy and normal. But buzzing or ringing can be the outcome of too much earwax pressing on your eardrum. If you can’t wash away the earwax in a normal way because it has built up too much, the resulting tinnitus can worsen.
What can be done? The easiest way to reduce the ringing in your ears caused by too much earwax is to keep your ears clean! (Do not use cotton swabs in your ears.) In some situations, you might need to get a professional cleaning in order to get the buzzing and ringing to go away (some people just normally generate a lot more earwax than others).
High Blood Pressure Makes Tinnitus Worse
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can cause numerous health concerns, including tinnitus. High blood pressure has a way of intensifying the ringing or buzzing you’re already hearing, making it hard to dismiss. High blood pressure has treatment which could decrease tinnitus symptoms in relevant situations.
What can be done? Neglecting high blood pressure is not something you should do. Medical treatment is suggested. But a lifestyle change, like staying clear of foods with high salt content and getting more exercise, can really help. Stress can also raise your blood pressure, so try doing relaxation techniques or changing your lifestyle can also improve hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Can I Decrease my Tinnitus by utilizing a Masking Device or White Noise Generator?
You can minimize the impact of the nonstop noise in your head by distracting your ears and your brain. You don’t even have to get special equipment, your radio, TV or laptop can act as masking devices. If you prefer, there are hearing aids or specialized devices you can purchase to help.
If you experience a continuous ringing, whooshing, or buzzing sound in your ears, take the problem seriously. It could be a warning sign that you also have hearing loss, or that you are going through a medical issue that should be resolved before it worsens. Before what began as an aggravating problem becomes a more serious issue, take steps to protect your ears and if the ringing continues, find professional hearing help.
