Tinnitus 101: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Remedy

Tinnitus 101: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Remedy - MalaysiaAcute Conditions

Tinnitus 101: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Remedy

What is tinnitus? Learn more about the causes, symptoms, triggers, remedies, treatment, and prevention of tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitusis frequently described as a sensation of hearing sounds (i.e. buzzing, hissing, ringing, or others) in spite of no external sound stimulation. These sounds can be heard either continually or irregularly. The severity of tinnitus lies on a scale: some may have it as a temporary condition, or an ongoing chronic one.

According to statistics compiled by the American Tinnitus Association (ATA),an estimate of nearly 15% of the American public – amounting to more than 50 million persons – experience tinnitus. Aside from this, tinnitus can occur across all age groups.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Firstly, it is important to bear in mind that tinnitus is a symptom, interlinked with other diseases. There are approximately 200 different health disorders that classify tinnitus as a symptom.

Nonetheless, the possible common causes are listed as follows:

  • Ear blockage (may be incurred by a buildup of wax or an ear infection)
  • Certain medications such as aspirin, some antibiotics, antidepressants and more (has been cited as a potential side effect for 200 prescription and non-prescription drugs)
  • Ageing and/or excessive noise exposure (leading to the deterioration of the cochlea or other parts of the auditory system)
  • Middle ear problems (e.g. otosclerosis, the stiffening of small bones in the middle ear)
  • Inner ear problems (e.g. Meniere’s disease)
  • Neck or jaw problems (e.g. temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome)
  • Head or neck trauma
  • Cardiovascular or neurological disorder

Tinnitus may worsen if a person may be taking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, consuming caffeinated drinks or indulging certain foods. Stress and fatigue may also increase the severity.

Symptoms of Tinnitus

After defining and discovering the root causes of tinnitus, it is time to ask yourself: could you have tinnitus? While you should refer to a doctor for an official diagnosis, here are some questions to check yourself with.

Are you hearing a noise that others are not complaining about?

Usually, this refers to the buzzing, ringing, chirping or other noises.

Are you on medication?

Medicines such as aspirin and quinine intake in large doses may develop reversible tinnitus. However, in the rare cases that tinnitus is developed, they should contact their doctor for advice regarding other drug use. While it has been cited as a potential side effect for many drugs, it is still relatively rare to be reported.This applies to most medicines involved for high blood pressure, cholesterol lowering drugs, drugs for anxiety treatment and most antidepressants.

Are you regularly exposed to loud noises?

Loud noises such as heavy machinery, sporting events and rock concerts can trigger tinnitus due to hearing loss. If the delicate hair cells in the inner ear are bent or broken due to overexposure to loud sounds, random electrical impulses may “leak” to the brain, causing these to be interpreted as sound.

Are you having a cold or ear infection? Do you get migraines?

These conditions may cause congestion and pressure to build in the inner ear. Sometimes ear-related symptoms are paired with migraines, such as fullness, muffled hearing and tinnitus.

Have you experienced any head or neck trauma?

If you have been involved in any accidents involving your head or neck, these may cause problems with your nerves, blood flow or muscles. Aside from headaches or memory issues, this may lead to tinnitus.

Are you having jaw problems?

In particular, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a condition where the joint on each side of your head, in front of the ears, where the lower jawbone meets the skull, can incur tinnitus.

Check in with your lifestyle: do you have high blood pressure or drink a lot of alcohol? Are you currently overwhelmed with stress?

The narrowing of arteries may cause tinnitus, otherwise alcohol consumption may make a difference in what you hear in your surroundings. Stresses such as tension, anxiety and depression can summon it as well.

When Should I See a Doctor for Tinnitus?

Most occurrences are mild at best and temporary, induced by other conditions. However, here are some of the signs of when you should seek medical attention:

  • When the symptoms continue for about a week
  • Experiencing discharge from the ear
  • Dizziness and nausea
  • Symptoms only happening in one ear
  • When the symptom is rhythmic with your pulse
  • Facial paralysis

Treatment for Tinnitus

Depending on what is causing the sounds in the ear, the treatments vary.

  • Hearing aids

These devices can calibrate to hear the sounds that you need, especially if you are experiencing age-related hearing loss.

  • Earwax removal

Blockages may cause symptoms. Removing it may reduce it.

  • Treating a blood vessel condition

Underlying blood vessel conditions that require attention to be improved upon via medication, surgery or other means.

  • Masking devices

In cases where tinnitus cannot be cured, sound maskers can be equipped to create a constant, low-level white noise to block the symptoms (which may worsen at night).

  • Retraining therapy

Counselling would be given and you would wear a gadget that covers the sounds with tonal music instead.

  • Medication

Certain medicines have shown promise to treat tinnitus. This would require the doctor’s assessment.

Tinnitus Home Remedies & Relief

The following are simple strategies that may be applicable to relieve the severity of your tinnitus.

  • Find out: what worsens the condition?

Just like how eating certain foods may trigger a person’s allergy, the same applies for tinnitus. People have reported that certain foods, drinks or drugs can worsen the condition. Writing about your daily intake, or at least noting what you were doing on the day that it worsens can assist in picking up possible triggers.

Possible triggers:

  • Caffeinated drinks
  • Alcohol
  • Aspirin
  • Salt

Say no to smoking

Smoking worsens tinnitus due to the habit’s harmful side effects. First, it harms the blood flow to the cells that control a person’s hearing capacity. Next, it can cause the ringing in a person’s ears to be louder, as smoking acts as a stimulant.

Gentle music for the silence

As tinnitus may be worse at night when it’s quieter, playing gentle music in the background may help. White noise may also be used to substitute music, with sounds such as ocean waves or raindrops running.

Rest and relax

It is important to manage your stresses and worries when dealing with tinnitus. Set aside at least 15 minutes to relax at any point of your day, doing low-impact activities like yoga, meditation or tai-chi. You should also be getting enough rest at night. Making the bedroom dark and cool will help to prevent triggers.

Exercise: for your mind and body

Exercise is a mood booster by lowering stress and fighting depression. It also helps to keep your body in shape and lower your risks of getting blood vessel-related diseases.

Tinnitus Prevention

Most cases of tinnitus cannot be prevented as it is a symptom of another incidence. Nonetheless, these precautions can be practised to lower the overall risk:

  • Use hearing protection– this will help protect your ears from hearing loss, especially if you are unable to avoid loud noises (e.g. work environment).
  • Reduce volume– continual exposure to loud music without ear protection or through earpiece devices can cause hearing loss and lead to tinnitus.
  • Upkeep of cardiovascular health– regular exercise, eating right and other healthy habits are necessary to keep blood vessels healthy, preventing blood vessel-related disorders that can incur tinnitus.
  • Limit intake of alcohol, caffeinated drinks and nicotine– these substances in abundance can affect blood flow and contribute to the condition.

Tinnitus Diagnosis

If your symptoms persist or grow severe, book an appointment with the local ENT clinic or hospital. The doctor is likely to ask you about your medical history and examine your ears, head and neck. Usually, the test would include:

  • Hearing (audiological) exam– you’ll be placed in a soundproof room, wearing earphones that transmit certain sounds into one ear at a time.
  • Movement– the doctor you visit may request to move your eyes, clench your jaw, stretch your neck, swing your arms or legs.
  • Imaging tests– if the doctor finds it necessary, there may be a need to carry out CT or MRI scans.
  • Lab tests– the doctor may draw blood to check foranemia, thyroid issues, heart disease or vitamin deficiencies.

Are you looking for someone to care for your loved ones?

provides caregiving services for your loved ones at every stage. Our trained penjaga profesional are able to providecompanionship, nursing care, night caregiving, home therapy and more, to keep your loved ones active and engaged.

Provide the best care to your loved one today! Fill up the form below for a free consultation with our Care Advisory team.

References

Petua Mencegah Cirit-birit di Rumah

Acute Conditions

10 Tips to Manage Dysphagia At Home

Acute Conditions

Heatstroke Warning: 9 Things You Need to Know

Acute Conditions

Facts about Heart Attack in Younger Malaysians

Perlukan Bantuan Penjagaan?

Jika anda atau ahli keluarga memerlukan bantuan penjagaan untuk kondisi ini, kami sedia membantu.

🔍 Cari Penjaga Terlatih →

Penjaga kami terlatih untuk membantu pesakit dengan pelbagai kondisi kesihatan termasuk:

  • Demensia dan Alzheimer
  • Strok dan pemulihan
  • Diabetes dan penjagaan harian
  • Penjagaan paliatif

💬 WhatsApp Kami untuk konsultasi percuma.

WhatsApp