How can I stop the ringing in my ears? Even though we don’t yet know how to cure tinnitus, it’s symptoms can be reduced by recognizing what initiates it and worsens it.
Experts calculate that 32 percent of individuals have a constant buzzing, ringing, or whooshing sound in their ears. This condition is known as tinnitus, and it can lead to real problems. People who suffer from this condition may have associative hearing loss and often have difficulty sleeping and concentrating.
There are steps you can take to minimize the symptoms, but because it’s commonly related to other health conditions, there is no immediate cure.
What Should I Avoid to Minimize The Ringing in My Ears?
There are some things that have been shown to cause tinnitus symptoms or make them worse and these are the things you need to stay away from. Loud noise is one of the most common things that intensify tinnitus. Refrain from using headphones, and if you are subjected to noise at work or at home, get some high-quality earplugs to decrease the damage.
Some medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even high doses of aspirin can make the ringing worse so consult your doctor. Make sure you talk to your doctor before you stop taking your medication.
Other typical causes of tinnitus include:
- allergies
- excessive earwax
- high blood pressure
- stress
- jaw issues
- infections
- other medical issues
Jaw Issues And Tinnitus
Your ears and jaw are closely related. That’s why issues with your jaw can lead to tinnitus. TMJ, which is an affliction that causes the cartilage of the jaw to deteriorate, is a good example of this type of jaw problem. The resulting stress produced by basic activities including speaking or chewing can ultimately result in tinnitus symptoms.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is triggered by TMJ symptoms, then the best way to achieve relief is to seek out medical or dental treatment for the underlying cause.
Stress And That Ringing in my Ears
Stress can impact your body in very real, very tangible ways. Intensification of tinnitus symptoms can be brought on by spikes in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Stress, consequently, can activate, exacerbate, and extend bouts of tinnitus.
Can I do anything to help? If stress is a significant cause of the ringing or buzzing in your ears, you can try solutions like meditation and yoga to try to de-stress. Taking some time to reduce the stress in your life (whenever you can) can also help.
Excess Earwax
Earwax is totally normal and healthy. But too much earwax can irritate your eardrum, and start to cause ringing or buzzing in your ears. If you can’t wash out the earwax normally because it has accumulated too much, the resulting tinnitus can become worse.
What can be done? Cleaning without utilizing cotton swabs is the easiest way to reduce ringing in the ears induced by earwax. In certain instances, you might need to get a professional cleaning so that you can get the ringing or buzzing to go away (some people just naturally make a lot more earwax than others).
Tinnitus is Worsened by High Blood Pressure
Various health issues, such as tinnitus, can be caused by hypertension and high blood pressure. High blood pressure can intensify the ringing or buzzing you’re already hearing, making it difficult to ignore. There isn’t a cure for tinnitus, but there are treatments for high blood pressure.
What’s my solution? High blood pressure isn’t something you want to neglect. You’ll probably need to seek out medical treatment. But you could also change your lifestyle a bit: stay away from foods with high fat or salt content and exercise more. Stress can also increase your blood pressure, so practicing relaxation techniques or making lifestyle changes can also improve hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Will Using a White Noise or Masking Device Help my Tinnitus?
You can reduce the effects of the nonstop noise in your head by distracting your ears and your brain. You don’t even need to purchase special equipment, your radio, TV or laptop can work as masking devices. If you prefer, there are hearing aids or special devices you can purchase to help.
If you’re experiencing a continuous ringing, buzzing, or whooshing sound in your ears, be serious about the problem. If you’re experiencing hearing loss or have health concerns that are acting up, it might be a warning sign. Before what started as an aggravating problem becomes a more serious concern, take measures to protect your ears and if the ringing persists, find professional hearing help.