Tinnitus Overview: Symptoms, Treatment & More

by Ent Doctorsg Doctor

Hearing a ringing, humming, or buzzing sound that no one else can listen hear? Is the noise keeping you distracted at work? Does it seem louder at night and interrupts your sleep? If the answer is yes to all, then probably you have what is called – Tinnitus. It is a common problem affecting 15%-20% of people globally every year.

A condition where the patient hears persistent ringing, humming, buzzing, or clicking sound in the inner ear is called tinnitus. It is commonly seen in older adults and army veterans. However, cases of middle-aged and adolescent people have emerged in recent years.

It is a complex condition as it is a symptom of various underlying conditions. With a proper diagnosis, patients can get tinnitus treatment in Singapore, aiming to cure the root cause to eliminate the sign.

Let us look at what tinnitus feels like, what causes them, and how you can manage it.

Symptoms

Tinnitus is like a warning sign for other serious health complications. Apart from the ringing noise in the ear, patients complaint of:

● Lack of concentration or sleep

● Fatigue

● Memory loss, depression

● Anxiety and Irritability

● headache

The noise can be internal or external, low pitched or high pitched, heard in only one ear or both the ears, and in varying frequencies.

Causes

Certain habits (lifestyle choices), common risk factors, and medical conditions aggravate the discomfort making it noticeable.

● People who are 60 years and above generally complain of this discomfort as tinnitus is related to hearing loss.

● People who work around heavy and loud machinery listen to loud music through headphones often, who attend concerts, and army people suffer tinnitus.

● Alcohol, smoking, eating certain foods, and caffeine intake weaken the nervous system resulting in high chances of tinnitus.

● In some cases, a sinus infection or cold causes tinnitus. Sinus Singapore is reported to be one of the causes of tinnitus. With proper treatment of the sinus, tinnitus goes away within a month.

● Sometimes common ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, an underactive thyroid, Meniere diseases, etc., also complain of tinnitus.

Treatment

There is no treatment to cure tinnitus. Patients are taught to manage and mask them well. There are ways in which one can reduce the intensity of interference in day-to-day life. For most people, treatment isn’t needed at all. Such patients usually ‘wait’ and ‘habituate.’ Some people find it extremely difficult to deal with it, to the extent that they suffer from depression and anxiety or have insomnia. However, there are ways in which patients can manage tinnitus.

● Masking the noise with other kinds of soothing sounds like white noise, a clock ticking, etc., help reduce tinnitus’s intensity. Hearing loss-induced tinnitus treatment, Singapore has hearing aids modified to deal with tinnitus.

● Tinnitus retraining therapy is a method of habituation for patients with tinnitus. In this, the patients are taught to ignore the noise inside the ears and focus on other external sounds.

● Certain medications like antidepressants and relaxation exercises also help to reduce the severity of the discomfort.

● People with underlying conditions like sinus Singapore are treated for that condition to cure tinnitus.

When to see a doctor?

Tinnitus is not a serious condition. Usually, patients wait and habituate. But if it starts to affect your sleep, work, and daily activities, then you should consult a doctor who may refer you to a psychotherapist. If you have ringing in the ears and symptoms like dizziness, smelly discharge from ears, facial paralysis pulsating sound, you should consult a doctor immediately.