Let’s set the stage: you’re in your bed at night attempting to unwind after a long, tiring day. Your eyelids are starting to get heavy and you know that your about to fall asleep. Then you hear it: a ringing sound in your ears. You’re certain it’s nothing in your bedroom because the TV, radio, and phone have all been turned off. Unfortunately, this noise is inside your ears and it won’t go away.
If this situation sounds familiar, then it’s likely that you’re one of the 50 million people that suffer from tinnitus. This problem makes you hear buzzing, whooshing, and ringing sounds, among others, in your ears. For the majority of people, tinnitus will not have a substantial affect on their lives beyond being a simple irritation. For other individuals, however, tinnitus can be devastating and cause them to lose sleep and have a hard time doing work and recreational activities.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus remains somewhat of a mystery, but experts have narrowed down a few triggers for this problem. It appears commonly in individuals who have damaged hearing, and also individuals who suffer from heart conditions. Restricted blood flow around the ears is generally believed to be the underlying cause of tinnitus. This causes the heart to work harder to pump blood to where it’s needed. People who have iron-deficiency anemia often suffer from tinnitus symptoms since their blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, once again, makes the heart work overtime to get oxygen and other nutrients where they need to go.
Tinnitus also happens as a symptom of other conditions, like Meniere’s disease, ear infections, and ear canal blockages. Scenarios where tinnitus becomes more pronounced occur with all of these condition because they all affect the hearing. In some cases treatment can be difficult when the cause of tinnitus is not easily discernible, but that doesn’t mean treatment is impossible.
Is There Any Remedy For Tinnitus?
There are several treatments available to help stop the buzzing in your ears, all depending on the underlying cause of your tinnitus. One important thing to note, however, is that there is presently no known cure for tinnitus. But these treatments will still offer a good possibility for your tinnitus to get better or go away altogether.
Studies have revealed that hearing aids help cover up tinnitus in individuals who have hearing loss.
If covering up the noise isn’t helpful, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to help people live with the ringing in their ears that doesn’t fade away with other treatments. This mental health style of therapy can help individuals who are afflicted by tinnitus to function more normally on an everyday basis by helping them change their negative thoughts into a more positive mindset.