Let’s set the scene: you’re in your bed at night attempting to chill out after a long, tiring day. Your eyelids are getting heavy and you recognize that your about to fall asleep. Then as you’re lying there in the quiet of the night, you begin to notice the sound of buzzing in your ears. You’re certain it’s nothing in your bedroom because the radio, TV, and phone have all been turned off. Unfortunately, this noise is in your ears and it won’t go away.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then odds are that you’re one of the 50 million people who have tinnitus. Buzzing, ringing, and a variety of other noises will be heard inside of your ears when you suffer from this problem. The majority of people suffering from tinnitus think of it as a mere irritation; it comes and goes but doesn’t really impact their daily lives. For other individuals, unfortunately, tinnitus can be debilitating and cause them to lose sleep and have a hard time doing work and recreational 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 condition. It’s most prevalent in individuals who have damaged hearing, and also people who have heart conditions. Reduced blood flow around the ears is generally thought to be the main 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 since their blood cells do not carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, again, makes the heart work overtime to get oxygen and other nutrients where they need to go.
Tinnitus also occurs as a symptom of other conditions, like Meniere’s disease, ear infections, and ear canal blockages. All of these ailments affect the hearing and lead to situations where tinnitus becomes more prevalent. In some cases treatment can be difficult when the cause of tinnitus isn’t easily discernible, but that doesn’t mean treatment is impossible.
What Treatments Are Out There For Tinnitus?
There are a number of treatments out there to help stop the buzzing in your ears, all dependent on the root cause of your tinnitus. One important thing to note, however, is that there is presently no known cure for tinnitus. But these treatments can still present a good possibility for your tinnitus to get better or go away altogether.
Research has shown that hearing aids help cover up tinnitus in people who suffer from hearing loss.
If masking the noise doesn’t help, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to help people live with the ringing in their ears that doesn’t disappear with other treatments. This type of mental health treatment helps patients change their negative thoughts about tinnitus into more positive, realistic thoughts that will help them function normally on an every day basis.
