How can I eliminate the ringing in my ears? Although we don’t yet know how to cure tinnitus, it’s effects can be lessened by learning what triggers it and worsens it.
A continuous whooshing, buzzing, or ringing in the ears is experienced by 32 percent of individuals according to experts. This condition is known as tinnitus, and it can lead to real problems. People who hear these sounds have problems sleeping and concentrating, and they may also have associated hearing loss.
There are steps you can take to decrease the symptoms, but because it’s usually linked to other health conditions, there is no immediate cure.
What Should I Avoid to Minimize The Ringing in My Ears?
The first step in dealing with that continuous ringing in your ears is to steer clear of the things that have been shown to cause it or make it worse. Loud noise is one of the most common things that aggravate tinnitus. Try to avoid using headphones, and if you are exposed to noise at work or at home, use some high-quality earplugs to reduce the damage.
Certain medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even high doses of aspirin can worsen the ringing so check with your doctor. Be certain you speak with your doctor before you stop taking your medication.
Here are some other common causes:
- stress
- other medical issues
- jaw issues
- allergies
- too much earwax
- infections
- high blood pressure
Tinnitus And Problems With The Jaw
If for no other reason than their physical proximity, your jaw and ears exhibit a certain amount of interplay between each other (they’re ideal neighbors, normally). This is why jaw issues can cause tinnitus. The best example of this is a condition called Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ for short), which comprises a breakdown of the shock-absorbing cartilage around the joints in your jaw. Tinnitus can be the outcome of the stress of basic activities like chewing.
What can I do? If your tinnitus is triggered by TMJ symptoms, then the best way to achieve relief is to find medical or dental treatment for the root cause (no pun intended).
Stress And The Ringing in my Ears
Stress can impact your body in very real, very tangible ways. Increase of tinnitus symptoms can be brought on by surges in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Stress, consequently, can trigger, worsen, and lengthen bouts of tinnitus.
Can I do anything to help? If stress is a substantial cause of the buzzing or ringing in your ears, you can try solutions like yoga and meditation to try to de-stress. It will also help if you can lessen the overall causes of stress in your life.
Excess Earwax
It’s completely normal and healthy for you to produce earwax. But excessive earwax can irritate your eardrum, and start to cause ringing or buzzing in your ears. The resulting tinnitus can intensify if the earwax keeps accumulating or becomes difficult to wash away normally.
How can I deal with this? The simplest way to decrease the ringing in your ears caused by too much earwax is to keep your ears clean! (Don’t use cotton swabs in your ears.) In some situations, you may need to get a professional cleaning in order to get the ringing or buzzing to go away (some people just naturally make a lot more earwax than others).
Tinnitus is Worsened by High Blood Pressure
A myriad of health conditions, like tinnitus, can be caused by hypertension and high blood pressure. High blood pressure has a way of intensifying the buzzing or ringing you’re already hearing, making it hard to disregard. There’s no cure for tinnitus, but there are treatment options for high blood pressure.
What’s my solution? High blood pressure is not something you want to ignore. You’ll probably need to seek out medical treatment. But a lifestyle change, such as staying clear of foods with high salt content and exercising more, can really help. Stress can also increase your blood pressure, so try doing relaxation techniques or making lifestyle changes can also help hypertension (and, thus, hypertension-related tinnitus).
Will Using a White Noise or Masking Device Help my Tinnitus?
If you distract your brain and ears, you can minimize the effects of the continual noise in your ears. You don’t even have to purchase special equipment, your radio, TV or computer can work as masking devices. You can, if you like, buy special masking devices or hearing aids to help.
If you’re experiencing a constant ringing, whooshing, or buzzing sound in your ears, take the problem seriously. If you’re suffering from hearing loss or have health concerns that are acting up, it may be a warning sign. Before what started as an annoying problem becomes a more serious issue, take steps to protect your ears and if the ringing persists, get professional hearing help.