Let’s set the stage: you’re lying in bed at night trying to chill out after a long, exhausting day. You feel yourself beginning to drift off to sleep. Then you hear it: a buzzing sound in your ears. You know 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 go away.
If this situation has happened to you, then chances are that you’re one of the 50 million people that have tinnitus. Buzzing, ringing, and a range of other noises will be heard inside of your ears when you have this problem. Most people who have tinnitus think of it as a mere annoyance; it comes and goes but doesn’t really impact their daily lives. For other people, however, tinnitus can be unbearable and cause them to lose sleep and have difficulty doing work and recreational activities.
What’s The Primary Cause of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus remains somewhat of a mystery, but specialists have focused in on a few triggers for this condition. It shows up commonly in people who have damaged hearing, as well as individuals who have heart problems. Reduced blood flow around the ears is commonly believed to be the main cause of tinnitus. This causes the heart to work harder to pump blood to where it’s needed. People who have iron-deficiency anemia commonly experience tinnitus symptoms because their blood cells do not carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, once again, works the heart harder to deliver nutrients to the correct place, often leading to tinnitus.
Tinnitus also occurs as a result of other conditions, like 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 other situations, there may not be an easily discernible cause of tinnitus, which can make treatment difficult, but not impossible.
What Treatments Are Out There For Tinnitus?
Depending on the underlying cause of your tinnitus, there might be several possible treatment choices. One significant thing to take note of, however, is that there is presently no known cure for tinnitus. But these treatments can still offer a good possibility for your tinnitus to get better or go away completely.
Research has shown that hearing aids help cover up tinnitus in people who suffer from 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 fade away with other treatments. This mental health style of therapy can help individuals who suffer from tinnitus to function more normally on a day to day basis by helping them change their negative thoughts into a more positive outlook.