Dorothy FarrarTinnitus
Almost everyone has heard ringing in their ears at some point. Around one in four suffers more frequently from ringing in the ears . The phenomenon is widespread in all age and social classes. Circulatory fluctuations, stress or ear infections are often the cause of ringing in the ears.
What is ringing in the ears?
The symptoms summarized under the general term ringing in the ears are diverse. They can express themselves as humming, hissing, whistling, ringing, rattling, beeping, clicking or buzzing. What they all have in common is that it is a noise that does not come from the environment. The sound forms in the ear itself and is only audible to the person affected.
Normally, the annoying noise disappears after a short time. If this is not the case, doctors speak of tinnitus. If the problem has existed for less than three months, it is acute tinnitus. From three months it counts as chronic. There is a need for action if the noise persists over a longer period of time and impairs the quality of life.
causes
The background noise is often based on a deception of the hearing organ. Sometimes, however, it can be detected with particularly sensitive equipment. In these cases, the vessels in the ear canal have changed so that the patient can hear his own blood rushing. Such a change can be attributed, for example, to circulatory problems , stress , calcified arteries or a different blood pressure. In most cases, ringing in the ears is a side effect of a middle ear infection or a hearing impairment .If the ear can no longer hear certain frequencies, the brain misses the corresponding signals. As a result, it increases sensitivity in the deadened areas. This creates background noises that are in exactly the frequency that the patient can no longer hear well. If there is a sudden hearing loss due to circulatory disorders, tinnitus almost always follows. Bone malpositions and an injury to the eardrum are also possible causes.
Concerts, loud bangs and similar sources of noise damage hearing. While the sensory cells are recovering, the characteristic ringing in the ears often occurs. In worse cases, the background noise can indicate serious illnesses, such as a tumor.
Diseases
- bone deformities
When to the doctor?
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) usually goes away on its own. In particular, if the condition occurs for the first time after a rock concert, a visit to a discotheque or confrontation with other sources of loud noise, a doctor’s visit is not necessary at first. It is sufficient if the person concerned protects himself and his ears from unnecessary noise for a few days.
If ringing in the ears occurs for the first time in a stressful situation, rest and relaxation exercises will help. However, if the ringing in the ears persists after several days, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the possible causes. This is especially true if the tinnitus is accompanied by diffuse earache or hearing loss. In these cases, lard plugs can be the trigger for the symptoms.
However, an injury to the inner ear, especially the eardrum, is also possible. A doctor can clarify this using an ear microscope. A hearing test should also be carried out, as overcompensated hearing loss is often the cause of chronic ringing in the ears. If the symptoms occur together with feelings of dizziness and nausea, the balance organ may be disturbed. Medical help is urgently required in this case.
diagnosis and course
Tinnitus usually goes away on its own if the sufferer rests their ears and relaxes after experiencing the symptom. A visit to the ear, nose and throat doctor is only necessary if the noise lasts for more than one day at a time or is only interrupted by short rest periods over the course of several days. The doctor will examine the ears, throat and sinuses of a patient with tinnitus for inflammation or blockages.
Damage to the eardrum is quickly detected with an ear microscope. If there is no visible cause, the sense of balance is checked. In a hearing test , the doctor finds out which frequencies are inaudible to the patient’s ears. The person affected can describe the volume and pitch perceived by him, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the severity of the disease. Depending on the suspected cause, this is followed by X-ray examinations , magnetic resonance imaging or a blood sample being taken . If the disturbing noises only occur in certain situations, a psychoanalysis can be useful.
complications
Ringing in the ears generally has a negative effect on the patient’s quality of life. The person affected can no longer concentrate properly due to the symptom. Ringing in the ears also leads to sleep problems and thus to depression and mood swings. It is often no longer possible for the person concerned to go to work. In most cases, ringing in the ears occurs as an accompanying symptom of colds and flu and therefore disappears on its own after a few days. However, if the ringing in the ears is associated with severe ear pain, it may be an infection or an inflammation in the ear. This must be treated by a doctor.
If left untreated, ringing in the ears usually leads to severe ear pain. This pain often moves to the head and leads to a general feeling of illness. In the worst case, the eardrum is damaged so that the patient can no longer hear well due to the ringing in the ears. If the ringing in the ears occurs due to excessive strain on the ears, the symptom also disappears on its own after a few hours or days. Here, the patient should protect the ear so that further complications do not occur.
treatment and therapy
Since ringing in the ears can have a variety of causes, effective treatment is only possible if the trigger has been identified. If vascular changes are suspected due to stress , relaxation exercises and a calm lifestyle will help. If the cause is psychological, a therapist can support healing. Various massages and acupuncture help against tension in the neck area , which promotes tinnitus.
Naturopaths often suggest a change in diet , since over – acidification of the body is considered a possible co-trigger. If there is a malformation of the jaw or teeth, this is corrected as part of an operation. Inflammation is contained with drugs, such as cortisone . The regular intake of magnesium supplements , vitamin E or substances that stimulate circulation often prove to be helpful. As a result, the ear is better supplied with oxygen.
There are now a large number of homeopathic methods that are said to work against ringing in the ears. However, medication does not help with chronic tinnitus. In particularly severe cases, the patient is fitted with a hearing aid designed to mask the noise. There are still no effective treatments for chronic ringing in the ears. It is currently being investigated whether magnetic stimulation of the brain areas involved in tinnitus could provide relief.
Brain pacemakers could also be used in the future. Until then, patients can undergo tinnitus retraining therapy. The aim of this therapy is to change the perception of the person concerned. He can learn to no longer perceive the noise in his ears as annoying. In this way, it should be possible to lead a carefree everyday life with the disease.
outlook and prognosis
As a rule, it is not possible to predict a general course of the disease with ringing in the ears. This depends relatively heavily on the cause of this complaint. If the ringing in the ears is caused by temporary loud noises, a visit to the discotheque or a strong draft in the ear, no special treatment of this complaint is usually necessary and the ringing in the ears will disappear even after a few days or hours. In some cases, this can also lead to tinnitus, which usually disappears again.
However, if the ringing in the ears lasts for a longer period of time and is caused by serious damage to the ear, complete healing is not always possible. In severe cases, those affected suffer from ringing in their ears their entire lives. Certain methods of relaxation can alleviate the symptoms. The further course of the disease also depends on the underlying disease, if it is present. It is not uncommon for ringing in the ears to lead to psychological problems, which can, however, be treated relatively well by a psychologist.
prevention
Tinnitus can hardly be prevented directly because of the different causes. A generally healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet , little alcohol and nicotine reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis . Occasional visits to the sauna and physical activity stimulate the circulation and promote blood flow. Stressful situations should be avoided. The same applies to noise.When dealing with noisy machinery, earmuffs are the best way to prevent hearing damage. If someone tends to ring in their ears, music should only be listened to at room volume. Earplugs help when going to concerts and discos. The inner attitude also influences the probability of an illness. If loud ambient noises cannot be avoided, they should be dealt with calmly.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.