“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “How can I make that sound go away?”
You may be suffering from tinnitus, a common hearing disorder that manifests sounds in your ears that no one else can hear, if you find yourself making these types of remarks. You’re not alone. Tinnitus is a condition that affects millions of people.
Most describe it as ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like a pulsing noise, a dial tone, whistling, or buzzing.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its severity. But there are definitely times when you shouldn’t neglect it. Something more serious might be the root cause of these sounds.
You should take the following 6 symptoms seriously.
1. Your Quality of Life is Being Affected by The Ringing in Your Ears
Some research indicates that 26% of people with tinnitus experience that ringing on a nearly continuous basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues are all possible consequences of this ever present ringing.
It can be a struggle between the tinnitus noise and something as basic as trying to hear your friend give you a recipe over the phone. You might snap at your grandson, who simply asks a question, because the ringing makes you stressed.
Continuous ringing can cause a vicious cycle. As your stress level rises, the ringing gets louder. Loud noise makes you more nervous and so on.
If your tinnitus is leading to these kinds of life struggles, you shouldn’t ignore it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be reduced or eliminated with obtainable treatment options.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Began to Ring
Whether you have persistent back pain or cancer, doctors may try numerous different medications to manage the same condition. You may ask for an alternative if you start to experience significant side effects. Consult with your doctor and find out what the side effects are if you started experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Tinnitus may be caused by some common medications. Here are a few examples:
- Chemo
- Antibiotics
- Loop Diuretics
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
3. It’s Accompanied by Headache, Blurred Vision, or Seizures
This may be a sign that high blood pressure is triggering your tinnitus. The blood circulation in your inner ear is compromised when you have hypertension. High blood pressure that goes unmanaged is also a risk to your overall health. Age related hearing loss, over time, will get worse because of this.
4. You Only Hear it After You Leave a Concert, Gym, or Work
If you only hear the tinnitus when you leave a noisy place such as a concert, aerobics class, factory, or bar, then the place you just left had noise levels above safe levels. It becomes increasingly likely that these noises will become irreversible the more frequently you disregard them and neglect using ear protection. And hearing loss will usually accompany it.
If you are going to be exposed to loud sound, use the following to safeguard your hearing:
- Standing a bit further away from loud speakers
- At least once every hour, go outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
- Using earplugs
If you work in a noisy place, follow work rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs. They’re designed to protect you, but they only work if you wear protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t disregard facial paralysis irrespective of whether you have ringing in your ears. But when the tinnitus symptoms are come along with headaches, paralysis, and nausea, this might be a sign of a slow-growing benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma.
6. Fluctuating Hearing Loss is Accompanying Tinnitus
Are you experiencing hearing loss that comes and goes? Do you feel dizzy off and on? If these symptoms are occurring along with tinnitus, you may need to get evaluated for Menier’s disease. This makes your ears get a fluid imbalance. Your risk of falling due to lack of balance will get worse if this disorder is left untreated.
Hearing loss is often signaled by tinnitus. So you should get your hearing examined if you’re experiencing it. Get in touch with us to make an appointment for a hearing test.