“Why do I hear a ringing noise in my ears?” “Why won’t that noise stop?”
You may be dealing with tinnitus, a common hearing affliction that manifests sounds in your ears that nobody else can hear, if you find yourself making these kinds of remarks. This is more common than you may think. Tinnitus is a condition that affects millions of individuals.
Most describe it as ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like a dial tone, pulsing noise, buzzing, or whistling.
Depending on the intensity, ringing in the ears may seem harmless. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be neglected. Tinnitus symptoms can frequently be a sign of something more serious happening in your body.
You should take the following 6 symptoms seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
Some research indicates that 26% of tinnitus sufferers cope with that ringing on a nearly continuous basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues are all possible outcomes of this ever present ringing.
Something as simple as listening to your daughter share a recipe on the phone becomes a struggle between her voice and the noise that overshadows it. You may snap at your grandchild, who asks a simple question, because the ringing stresses you out.
A vicious cycle can be the result of this constant ringing. As your stress level rises, the ringing gets louder. And you get more anxious the louder the noise is and on and on.
If your tinnitus is contributing to these types of life struggles, you shouldn’t ignore it. It’s real, and it impacts your quality of life. There are treatment options that can considerably reduce or eliminate the noise in your ears.
2. The Noise in Your Ears Starts After You Switch Medications
Whether you have persistent back pain or cancer, doctors might try several different medications to deal with the same ailment. Some of these will have side effects so severe that you may want to ask about alternatives. If your tinnitus started or got seriously worse after you started a new drug, look at that list of side effects and talk to your doctor.
Tinnitus may be caused by some common medications. These include some kinds of:
- Chemo
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Loop Diuretics
- Antibiotics
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
3. Headache, Seizures, And Blurred Vision Come With Tinnitus Noises
This might be a sign that high blood pressure is triggering your tinnitus. When you have hypertension, the flow of blood to your inner ear is restricted. Your general health is also in danger with high blood pressure. As time passes, it may cause or worsen age-related hearing loss.
4. You Only Hear it After You Leave a Concert, Gym, or Work
If you leave a noisy place like a bar, concert, factory, or fitness class, and you start to hear tinnitus noises, you were probably exposed to unsafe noise levels and that’s more than likely the cause of these noises. If you ignore this episodic tinnitus and don’t begin to safeguard your ears, it will most likely become permanent over time. And it’s commonly accompanied by hearing loss.
If you’re going to be exposed to loud noise, use the following to safeguard your hearing:
- Giving your ears a regular break by stepping into the restroom or outside, if possible, at least once every hour
- Wearing earplugs
- Standing a little further away from loud speakers
Adhere to the rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a loud environment. They’re made to protect you, but they only work if you use protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t dismiss facial paralysis irrespective of whether you have ringing in your ears. But when you have paralysis, nausea, headaches, and you also have tinnitus, it’s possible that you may have an acoustic neuroma (a slow growing benign brain tumor).
6. You Experience Fluctuating Hearing Loss With it
Do you experience hearing loss that seems to worsen, then get better, then worse again? Do you feel dizzy off and on? If these symptoms are taking place along with tinnitus, you might need to get tested for Menier’s disease. This leads to a fluid imbalance in your ears. Your risk of falling caused by lack of balance will get worse if this disorder is left untreated.
Tinnitus is frequently a sign of hearing loss. So if you’re experiencing it, you need to get your hearing checked more frequently. Call us to set up an appointment.
