“What’s that ringing in my ears?” “How can I make that sound go away?”
If you find yourself making these kinds of statements, you might be dealing with tinnitus, a common hearing problem that causes you to hear noises or perceive a sound that others can’t hear. This is more common than you might think. Millions of individuals have this disorder.
Ringing, pulsing, whistling, or buzzing are the noises that most people describe.
Ringing in the ears may seem harmless, depending on its intensity. But there are absolutely times when you shouldn’t neglect it. Something more serious may be the underlying cause of these noises.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you need to take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
Some research suggests that 26% of people with tinnitus experience that ringing on an almost constant basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship troubles are all possible consequences of this ever present ringing.
Something as basic as listening to your daughter share a recipe over the phone becomes a struggle between her voice and the noise that overshadows it. The constant ringing has stressed you out to the point where you snap at a family member who simply asks you a question.
A vicious cycle can be the outcome of this continuous ringing. As your stress level rises, the ringing gets louder. Loud noise makes you more anxious and so on.
If tinnitus is causing these types of life challenges, it’s time to deal with it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be reduced or eliminated with available treatment choices.
2. The Noise in Your Ears Begins After You Change Medications
Doctors might try numerous different medications to treat the same condition whether you have chronic pain or cancer. You may ask for an alternative if you start to experience severe side effects. Talk with your doctor and determine what the side effects are if you began experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Some common medications might cause tinnitus. These include some kinds of:
- Chemo
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Antibiotics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Loop Diuretics
3. Blurred Vision, Seizures, And Headache Come With Tinnitus Noises
This might be a sign that high blood pressure is triggering your tinnitus. The blood flow in your inner ear is restricted when you suffer from hypertension. Your overall health is also at risk with high blood pressure. Over time, it could cause or worsen age-related hearing loss.
4. You Always Seem to be Leaving Work, The Gym, or a Concert When You Hear it
If you only hear the tinnitus when you leave a loud place like a factory, concert, aerobics class, or bar, then the place you just left had noise levels above safe levels. If you disregard this occasional tinnitus and don’t start to safeguard your ears, it will likely become constant over time. And it’s usually accompanied by hearing loss.
If you are 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 an hour
- Standing a bit further away from loud speakers
- Using earplugs
Adhere to the rules regarding earplugs and earmuffs if you work in a noisy setting. They’re designed to protect you, but they only work if you use protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
Whether you have ringing in your ears or not, you should never dismiss facial paralysis. But when you have nausea, paralysis, headaches, and you also have tinnitus, it’s possible that you might have an acoustic neuroma (a slow growing benign brain tumor).
6. You Experience Fluctuating Hearing Loss With it
Are you experiencing hearing loss that comes and goes? Are you sometimes dizzy? If these symptoms are happening along with tinnitus, you may need to get screened 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 condition is left untreated.
Tinnitus is frequently a sign of hearing loss. So if you are experiencing it, you should get your hearing examined more frequently. Call us to make an appointment.