Tinnitus is a common problem that many people in the United States experience on a regular basis. Nearly 25 million Americans, which is about 10%, have suffered from it for at least five minutes in the last 12 months. Many people seek out a tinnitus hearing test to see if what they are experiencing is tinnitus.
What Is Tinnitus?
A common way this is described is as being “ringing in the ears.” It can be a very annoying condition and the noise is not always like ringing ears but can sound like buzzing, humming or whistling. It can be a real problem for the people who suffer from it. The fist thing to do if you think you suffer from it is to have a tinnitus hearing test.
Living with Tinnitus:
- Try to prevent it. There are a lot of things you can do to either prevent tinnitus all together or to lessen what you experience. These are mostly lifestyle things you can do. Do not spend a lot of time in loud environments. Protect your ears when you are out on busy and noisy streets. If you work in a factory, on a blast site, out on an airport tarmac or anywhere else that is very noisy, use the best ear protection you can. Listen to TV and music at a reasonable volume. This may mean getting used to a lower volume but it will help save your hearing. Limit your drinking of alcohol and caffeine. Also limit how much exposure you have to cigarette smoke. All of these things have been found to be hard on your ears.
- Live a more healthy life. When you take care of your entire body health, you can improve your tinnitus. This has been shown when people go back and take a second tinnitus hearing test. Get some good amount of exercise every day. Eat well. Make sure your diabetes or high blood pressure is under control. Do what you can to reduce your stress level. It is impossible to compartmentalize your health. If you are healthier, your hearing will be better.
- Check in with your regular doctor. If you have a tinnitus hearing test done and it finds some, your next stop should be at the office of your primary care physician. There is a chance that your hearing issues are caused by a blockage in the ear canal. Often wax can become impacted in the canal. Your primary care physician can examine your ears and look into any physical problems that might be causing your tinnitus. You may want to ask about going to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. These specialists are also referred to as an otolaryngologist.
- Consider a prescription medication. People often find that they are bothered the most by tinnitus when they are in a quiet space. One place that is a problem area for sure is the bedroom at night. People often complain that they notice the problem the most when they are trying to get to sleep at night and they say that it keeps them from getting the steep they need. Insomnia brings its own health and emotional issues. If this sounds like what you are experiencing, when you talk to your primary care physician, ask about anti-anxiety or anti-depressants that might be beneficial to you. These medications can do a lot to make you feel better and help you get a decent night’s sleep.
- Consider a hearing aid. People who have had a positive tinnitus hearing test admit that when they use a hearing aid, the tinnitus seems to get better. Some experts believe this works because when people can hear better, real noises drown out the tinnitus’s sounds. You can also look into what is basically a small “white noise” machine. There are some hearing devices that produce positive sounds that also act to block out the ringing in the ears.
Living with tinnitus or ringing in the ears is no fun and it is unfortunate that there is not more of a real treatment or cure. The food news is that there are ways to make living with it better so that it does not have to really hurt the quality of your life.