How do you know you are suffering from Tinnitus? And how is it treated?

by Aditi Arora Creative Health Blogger & Social Media Marketing

Tinnitus

Are you experiencing any ringing, hissing, whistling or buzzing sound or sensation in the inner ear without any external sound? If yes, you are suffering from tinnitus. The phantom of sound heard by the patient suffering from tinnitus can range from a low pitch to high pitch and in some cases remain constant. Tinnitus in Hindi is known as “Kaan me ghanti bajna”. If records are to be checked a majority of patients are experiencing tinnitus symptoms but the underlying causes are quite different. Tinnitus can be caused due to several reasons and can be temporary, chronic or persistent, depending on the underlying cause. Age factor plays an important role in the emergence of tinnitus conditions. Apart from age, there are various other factors that are responsible for causing tinnitus. Inflammation or injury in the inner ear or circulatory system disorders are some of the most common tinnitus causes that lead to such a condition. Ear wax build-up is one such cause that leads to Tinnitus. The inner ear wax is produced to protect and lubricate hair cells. Cleaning them with the earbuds pushes the wax further resulting in ear blockage, which further leads to tinnitus.

Excess exposure to loud noise is responsible for damaging the tiny hair cells which cause tinnitus in patients. Employees working in metal industries are at higher risk of developing tinnitus as they are exposed to loud noise for prolonged durations. Apart from age, ear wax build-up and loud noise other reasons like cardiovascular problems, & excessive smoking are even responsible for Tinnitus in patients.

The intensity of the ringing sensations depends on the severity of the condition and underlying tinnitus cause. A person may experience ringing sensation in both the ears and either of the one, making life difficult. Silent places and the environment are likely to trigger tinnitus symptoms as low background sound makes the sound in the ear more noticeable. It becomes a tremendous task for a patient suffering from tinnitus to sleep in a quiet room. Apart from affecting the sound sleep, if the condition gets worse it may lead to anxiety, distress, and inability to concentrate thereby affecting the quality of life.

Many times it has been noted that patients suffering from tinnitus experience their symptoms getting worse as the age progresses. Sometimes people experience disability in hearing which is often associated with tinnitus. Various causes are responsible that triggers tinnitus symptoms and make them worse. A higher dose of certain medicines makes the condition worse. It is advised to stop the consumption of nicotine and caffeinated beverages as it is likely to cause tinnitus or make the situation worse.

It is advised to seek medical help immediately as soon as you start observing tinnitus signs and symptoms. Your doctor will diagnose the underlying tinnitus cause after examining tinnitus symptoms closely. He would prescribe you with right tinnitus medicine or suggest tinnitus retraining therapy depending on the condition to cure it completely. If tinnitus symptoms are treated on time it subsides eventually. Curing tinnitus is possible if it’s treated on time.

Types of tinnitus experienced by patients:

1. Subjective Tinnitus

Subjective tinnitus is referred to as when a patient can hear the ringing, hissing or whistling in the inner ear in low, high or constant pitch and not the other person. A majority of the population diagnosed with tinnitus is suffering from subjective tinnitus. It is caused due to an ear problem or injury in the outer, middle or inner ear. The vestibular nerve and cochlear nerve in the inner ear are responsible for hearing. Inflammation in any of the nerves may even lead to subjective tinnitus.

2. Objective Tinnitus

When the ringing sensation or phantom of sounds like hissing or whistling experienced by the patient can even be heard by your doctor it is referred to as objective tinnitus. A small percentage of people are likely to experience objective tinnitus. A blood vessel problem, a middle ear bone condition or muscle contractions results in objective tinnitus.

What are the common Tinnitus symptoms that require medical attention?

Some of the most common tinnitus signs and symptoms are:

Ringing, hissing, whistling, clicking, roaring or buzzing in the inner ear.
Fatigue
Stress
Difficulty in sleeping
Concentration problems
Memory issues
Depression
Anxiety
Dizziness due to Meniere’s disease

It is some of the most common tinnitus symptoms that indicate a condition and requires treatment on time to cure completely. If a person is experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it is advised to seek medical help and avoid the consumption of alcohol and quit smoking as it may trigger the tinnitus symptoms to a greater extent.

How to manage Tinnitus?

Managing tinnitus symptoms and seeking medical help to alleviate it completely on time is a must. Your neurologist will ask you to undergo various tests to identify underlying tinnitus cause and prescribe tinnitus medicine or suggest tinnitus treatment or tinnitus retraining therapy accordingly. If any medicine is responsible for creating such a condition in a patient, your doctor may ask you to stop it immediately as the overdose of certain antibiotics can trigger tinnitus symptoms. If tinnitus symptoms are not likely to ease with tinnitus medicines your doctor may suggest hearing aids or can advise you to undergo tinnitus retraining therapy.

Hearing aids

Hearing aids help in reducing the distracting sound in the inner ear. A well-fitted hearing aid helps in improving hearing efficiency.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is a technique that helps in retaining the auditory system to accept the annoying sounds in the inner ear. It aims to make tinnitus sounds less noticeable and perceived as normal rather than disruptive. In tinnitus retraining therapy a device is inserted in the ear that helps in generating a sound that matches the pitch of the ringing sensation experienced by the patient suffering from tinnitus. A patient is advised to undergo TRT for at least a year or two depending on the severity of the condition. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is likely to be very effective in treating tinnitus conditions and has helped many patients suffering from tinnitus to ease their condition.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to treat patients with tinnitus and make the sound heard in the inner ear less noticeable. It uses cognitive restructuring and relaxation that helps in changing the patient’s perception and way of responding to tinnitus.

If tinnitus is treated on time it is likely to be cured completely and a person can lead a normal life. It is advised to seek medical help as soon as tinnitus symptoms start emerging without any negligence.