Let’s set the stage: you’re in your bed at night trying to chill out after a long, stressful day. Your eyelids are starting to get heavy and you recognize that your about to fall asleep. Then as you lie there in the quiet of the night, you begin to notice the sound of ringing in your ears. You’re certain it’s nothing in your room because the TV, radio, and phone have all been turned off. Unfortunately, this sound is in your ears and it won’t stop.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then it’s likely that you’re one of the 50 million people who have tinnitus. Ringing, Buzzing, and a range of other sounds will be heard in your ears when you have this condition. The majority of people suffering from tinnitus think of it as a mere inconvenience; they notice it now and again but it doesn’t really affect their day-to-day lives. For other people, unfortunately, tinnitus can be devastating and cause them to lose sleep and have a hard time performing work and social activities.
What’s The Main Cause of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus remains somewhat of a mystery, but experts have focused in on a few causes for this problem. It shows up commonly in people who have damaged hearing, and also individuals who have heart problems. Restricted blood flow around the ears is generally thought to be the underlying cause of tinnitus. This causes the heart to have to work harder to pump blood to where it’s needed. People who have iron-deficiency anemia frequently experience tinnitus symptoms because their blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, once again, makes the heart work extra hard to get oxygen and other nutrients where they need to go.
Tinnitus also occurs as a result of other conditions, such as Meniere’s disease, ear infections, and ear canal blockages. Scenarios where tinnitus becomes more pronounced happen with all of these condition because they all affect the hearing. In some cases treatment can be challenging when the cause of tinnitus isn’t easily discernible, but that doesn’t mean treatment isn’t possible.
Is There Any Treatment For Tinnitus?
Depending on the root cause of your tinnitus, there may be a number of possible treatment choices. One significant thing to note, however, is that there is currently no known cure for tinnitus. But these treatments can still present a good chance for your tinnitus to get better or go away completely.
Studies have revealed that hearing aids help mask tinnitus in people who have hearing loss.
If covering up the noise doesn’t help, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been confirmed to help people deal with the ringing in their ears that doesn’t fade away with other treatments. This kind of mental health therapy helps people turn their negative feelings about tinnitus into more positive, realistic thoughts that help them function normally on an every day basis.
