Let’s set the scene: you’re lying in bed at night attempting to unwind after a long, exhausting day. You feel yourself starting to drift off to sleep. Then you hear it: a buzzing sound in your ears. You know it’s nothing in your bedroom because the radio, TV, and phone are all off. No, this sound is coming from within your ears and you’re not sure how to stop it.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then it’s likely that you’re one of the 50 million people who are afflicted by tinnitus. Buzzing, ringing, and a variety of other sounds will be heard inside of your ears when you have this problem. The majority of people suffering from tinnitus consider it a mere annoyance; they notice it now and again but it doesn’t really affect their day-to-day lives. For others, however, tinnitus can be devastating and cause them to lose sleep and have difficulty performing work and social activities.
What’s The Main Cause of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus remains somewhat of a mystery, but this problem has been narrowed down to a few causes. It’s most prevalent in people who have damaged hearing, and also people who have heart problems. It’s believed that tinnitus comes about due to reduced blood flow around the ears, which makes the heart pump blood harder in order for it to get where it needs to go. People who have iron-deficiency anemia commonly suffer from tinnitus symptoms since their blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, again, works the heart harder to deliver nutrients to the right place, often leading to tinnitus.
Tinnitus also happens as a result of other conditions, like ear infections, canal blockages, and Meniere’s disease. All of these ailments impact the hearing and result in situations where tinnitus becomes more prevalent. In some cases treatment can be difficult when the cause of tinnitus is not easily discernible, but that doesn’t mean treatment isn’t possible.
What Treatments Are Available For Tinnitus?
There are a few treatments available to help stop the ringing in your ears, all dependent on the root cause of your tinnitus. One important thing to take note of, however, is that there is currently no known cure for tinnitus. In spite of this fact, there’s still an excellent chance that your tinnitus will get better or even fade away altogether because of these treatments.
Research has shown that hearing aids help cover up tinnitus in people who have hearing loss.
If covering up the noise isn’t helpful, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to help people deal with the ringing in their ears that doesn’t go away with other treatments. This mental health type of therapy can help people who have tinnitus to function more normally on a day to day basis by helping them transform their negative thoughts into a more positive mindset.