“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “How can I make that noise go away?”
You might be dealing with 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 by yourself. Tinnitus is a condition that impacts millions of people.
Ringing, pulsing, whistling, or buzzing are the sounds that most people describe.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its severity. But there are absolutely times when you shouldn’t ignore it. Something more significant may be the root cause of these noises.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you should take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
26% of people who suffer from tinnitus cope with symptoms constantly, according to some studies.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues are all possible outcomes of this ever present ringing.
Something as basic as listening to your daughter share a recipe over the phone becomes a battle between her voice and the noise that overshadows it. You might snap at your grandchild, who asks a simple question, because the ringing makes you stressed.
A vicious cycle can be the outcome of this constant ringing. As your stress level rises, the ringing gets louder. Loud noise makes you more anxious and so on.
If your tinnitus is contributing to these kinds of life struggles, you shouldn’t neglect it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. There are treatment choices that can significantly reduce or get rid of the noise in your ears.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Began to Ring
Doctors may try several different medications to treat the same condition whether you have cancer or chronic pain. Some of these will have side effects so severe that you might want to ask about alternate options. If your tinnitus began or got seriously worse after you started a new drug, check that list of side effects and speak with your doctor.
Tinnitus might be caused by some common medications. These include some kinds of:
- Loop Diuretics
- Antibiotics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Chemo
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
3. Headache, Seizures, And Blurred Vision Come With Tinnitus Noises
This normally indicates that your tinnitus symptoms are being caused by high blood pressure. When you have hypertension, the blood circulation to your inner ear is restricted. Your overall health is also in danger 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 noisy place such as a factory, concert, aerobics class, or bar, then the place you just left had noise levels above safe levels. If you neglect this occasional tinnitus and don’t begin to safeguard your ears, it will most likely become permanent over time. And it’s usually accompanied by hearing loss.
If you are going to be exposed to loud sound, use the following to protect your hearing:
- At least once an hour, go outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
- Wearing earplugs
- Not standing too close to the speakers
If you work in a noisy environment, adhere to work rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs. 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 disregard facial paralysis regardless of whether you have ringing in your ears. But when the tinnitus symptoms are come along with paralysis, headaches, 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? Are you sometimes dizzy? If these symptoms are occurring along with tinnitus, you might need to get screened for Menier’s disease. This causes a fluid imbalance in your ears. Your risk of falling due to lack of balance will worsen if this condition is left untreated.
Hearing loss is frequently signaled by tinnitus. So if you are experiencing it, you need to have your hearing examined more frequently. Get in touch with us to make an appointment for a hearing test.