Treatments For Tinnitus

Tinnitus Treatments
by Wolfdave





There are a wide variety of health conditions that can cause tinnitus. Therefore, the treatments recommended for you will depend on the underlying cause specific to you. You may also need to see a specialist who will be able to give you more information and advice on how best to manage your tinnitus more effectively. This article describes some treatments that may be recommended.

This article is for information only, it is not medical advice, before acting on any of this information or undertaking any treatment, you are advised to seek advice from a medical professional or go and see your own doctor.

In some cases, tinnitus is caused by an ear infection, so antibiotics may be prescribed. If a build up of earwax is identified as the cause, ear drops or ear irrigation may be recommended. However, in the majority of cases, there is no cure. So treatments to manage and control the symptoms are the methods usually adopted. Tinnitus specialists will be able to give you more information and help you develop some of these methods.

Sound therapy is a method that may be recommended for quiet periods in your day-to-day life. The idea behind this method is to fill the silence with pleasant sounds in order to distract your brain from the tinnitus noises. For some people, nature sounds work best such as bird song or sounds of the ocean. Others prefer soft background music. For some, a sound generator can be useful; this produces a constant gentle sound, commonly called ‘White Noise’. All these methods can help to train your brain to ignore your tinnitus.

Counselling comes in various forms and your specialist may offer one or more of these techniques. These should only be carried out by specialists trained in these techniques. However, the common theme of these is to help you better understand your condition. If you are anxious and under stress from tinnitus, this can often make the condition even worse. So if your specialist can help you understand and increase your knowledge of the condition, this will help reduce your stress and anxiety. Other counselling techniques involve retraining your brain so that you become less aware of it. Many people will notice improvements after just a few sessions, others may need several sessions.

You may also be offered techniques in ‘self help’ which some people find useful. Self help techniques can include: Relaxation to help reduce your stress levels. Stress can quite often make the condition worse. Listening to music, as mentioned before, can help with relaxation. Soft, easy listening music at bedtime can help you to fall asleep. Hearing aids can be useful because you will then be able to pick up sounds you may not have noticed before, this can also help you brain to mask out tinnitus noises. Look out for support groups, either locally or even on-line, you can then share your experiences with others with the same condition and exchange knowledge of symptoms and treatments.

Currently, there is no specific medication for treating tinnitus although research is on-going. So most treatments are aimed at helping you to better control the symptoms and manage it more effectively during normal daily life. If you are having hearing problems, you should always seek prompt advice form a medical professional.

Former tinnitus sufferer reveals own system for tinnitus free life. Find out more HERE

Symptoms of Tinnitus

Symptoms of Tinnitus
by Wolfdave





Tinnitus is a common condition and can affect different people in different ways. Some will experience low frequency noises like humming or rumbling. Other people will have musical hallucinations where they hear songs or musical tunes in their head. Others will hear ringing or whistling, the severity of the noises ranges from mild to severe.

Some tinnitus sufferers may find the TV or Radio far too loud, almost painfully so, whilst most other people will find the volume quite normal. If the noises you hear are rhythmic and beat in time with your pulse, then you most probably have pulsatile tinnitus. This can be caused by high blood pressure or glue ear. If you are having problems with your hearing, seek prompt advice from a medical professional or your own doctor.

Other sounds can include: Buzzing, whistling, humming or ringing. The symptoms can be caused by a range of health issues including: High blood pressure, ear infection or an excess of earwax. If there is no obvious cause, your doctor may refer you to a specialist for further testing. The specialist will undertake a number of tests to look for any underlying causes. These tests will help them to make an accurate diagnosis and may include: Hearing tests, balance tests, blood tests and an ear X-ray.

People who hear low frequency noise quite often think the noise is coming from an external source. These could include: Road traffic noise, air conditioning units, refrigerator or wind and thunder noises. If you think you can hear these or similar noises, ask other people if they can also hear the same noises. If they can, then the chances are that you do not have tinnitus.

Similarly, if you only hear these noises when you are in one location, it is unlikely to be tinnitus and it is probably coming from an external source. However, if you hear noise inside your head all the time and other people can’t hear the same noise, you may have the condition. It may be more noticeable at quiet times away from everyday sounds that can mask the noise. A recent illness or even stress can be related to tinnitus. Recent exposure to loud music at a rock concert, for example, can also contribute to temporary cases of tinnitus.

Musical hallucinations tend to be more common with long-term people with tinnitus. Some people with normal hearing can also experience repeated musical hallucinations. Sometimes, this can be triggered by certain medications. If you think that this is the case, see your doctor who will be able to advise you of any alternatives. The hallucinations should stop once you stop taking or change your medication.

The information in this article is a guide only, it is not medical advice, before acting on any of this information or undertaking any treatment, you are advised to seek advice from a medical professional or go and see your own doctor.

Former tinnitus sufferer reveals own system for tinnitus free life. Find out more HERE

What Can cause Tinnitus?

What Can cause Tinnitus?
by Wolfdave





Tinnitus is most commonly a symptom of old age. However, there are a growing number of cases starting to affect younger people, thought to be caused by the increased levels of everyday noise, in today’s society. In the majority of cases the causes are benign (not harmful) with the most common cause of tinnitus being damage to the hearing nerves inside the inner ear.

The inner ear contains the cochlea, a coiled spiral tube, and auditory nerves. Sounds pass from the outer ear, through the middle ear and in to the inner ear. Sounds are then transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerves. It is thought that if these tiny nerves become damaged, abnormal impulses are transmitted to your brain. Your brain then interprets these impulses as sound and this is the noise you hear.

Natural hearing loss in older people lessens the sensitivity of the hearing nerves and is often the cause of tinnitus for them. In younger people, excessive noise can sometimes damage the hearing nerves, loud music at a rock concert, for example. As well as natural hearing deterioration or hearing damage, a number of other common factors can cause tinnitus, Including:

• Ear infection. (Middle or inner ear)
• Abnormal bone growth in the middle ear. (a hereditary condition)
• Anaemia (the blood circulates more rapidly and may produce a sound)
• A perforated eardrum
• Glue ear
• An excess or earwax (That causes the ear to become blocked)

Whilst stress is not a direct cause of tinnitus it can often make the condition worse.

Less common causes of tinnitus may include:

• Exposure to a very load noise (An explosion or nearby gunfire)
• A Head injury
• High blood pressure
• Dental problems (impacted wisdom teeth, for example)
• Solvent or alcohol abuse (or any form of drug abuse)
• An overactive thyroid gland
• A side-effect of certain medications (antibiotics or aspirin, for instance. Most likely if the dosage is exceeded)

If you are experiencing problems with your hearing, go and see your doctor or a medical professional. Your doctor may refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist who will undertake tests to determine the cause. Occasionally, the exact cause cannot always be determined even after tests by a specialist. However, they should still be able to offer counselling, and perhaps therapy, to try and control the noises you hear.

The information in this article is a guide only, it is not medical advice, before acting on any of this information or undertaking any treatment, you are advised to seek advice from a medical professional or go and see your own doctor.

Former tinnitus sufferer reveals own system for a tinnitus free life. Find out more HERE

What is Tinnitus?

What is Tinnitus?
By Wolfdave

Tinnitus is a medical term to describe the presence of noise in the ears or the head. The noise, such as whistling, buzzing or ringing, comes from inside the head. The sounds vary from one person to another; sometimes they are faint and can only be detected by the person affected. However, in some cases the noises can be heard by other people. The common factor with all tinnitus cases is that they do not come from an external source.

As well as the most common sounds already mentioned, other noises associated with tinnitus can include: humming, singing, music, hissing or other sounds. In some cases the noise beats in time to the pulse of the person. This is known as pulsatile tinnitus.

Some people will only notice these sounds when they are in bed and all is quiet. For other sufferers, the noise can be much louder and can have an effect on concentration and everyday life, especially if other people such as work colleagues, can also hear the noise. It is quite common for most people to experience tinnitus at some time or other and it can affect all ages. For most people it will only last for a short while after exposure to loud noises such as after a music concert. Other temporary cases of tinnitus can be caused by having a cold, dental problems or a blow to the head.

A recent survey in the UK found that 1 in 7 people have experienced tinnitus for short periods. This rises to 1 in 100 for people with long-term tinnitus. There is no cure at present for long-term sufferers; most people just learn to live with it. Research into how tinnitus is generated is ongoing.

One popular theory into the condition relates to the way your hearing pathway works, and the way this interacts with the hearing part of the brain. This involves nerve signals between ear and brain and involves a complex filtering system to help you ‘tune in’ to the sounds you want to hear, whilst filtering out background noise. Your brain also has response systems to further influence what you hear. If someone calls your name, for example, in a crowded noisy room, you will hear your name.

It is the same with tinnitus. If the signal is weak your brain response systems will filter out the noise. In this case, most people won’t even notice it. However, if you do become aware of noises and you become anxious or irritated by it, you hearing systems will think it’s an ‘ok’ sound and will tune in to it, this in turn will mean you start to hear it even more. Some people can be more sensitive to everyday sounds than is normal.

If the noises are linked to a medical condition, an ear infection for example, then this can be treated which should improve the tinnitus. It can also be a side effect of medication in some cases. Emotional stress is also a known cause.

The first thing you should do is to go and see your doctor. They can check your ears for infection and excess wax. . If your condition is causing you distress or affecting your sleep tell your doctor you are having problems with it. Doctors are highly trained but they are not normally experts in tinnitus, so they may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.

The specialist will be able to offer you counselling, they may also suggest relaxation or sound therapy. In some cases they may even recommend a hearing aid. Hearing aids can help by stopping your ears from straining to hear, this will allow your brain to pick up more background noises and hopefully then pay less attention to your tinnitus.

Another way to help your hearing system filter out tinnitus is sound therapy. This involves listening to a range of pleasant sounds like nature recordings. Because most sufferers hear noises during quiet periods, sound therapy fills in the silence with therapeutic sounds. Your brain is then distracted from your tinnitus noises making them less noticeable, this helps your hearing filters to make the noises less intrusive.

Some people find watching television or listening to music helpful. You can experiment with different types of music to see which one works best for you. The music shouldn’t be too loud or too emotional. Low background, easy listening music or nature noises at night may also help you sleep. A whole range of CD’s of this type are available.

Relaxation techniques can also help you to control tinnitus; your specialist will be able to advise you of any relaxation classes. These techniques should also help by reducing your anxiety and stress levels. Many people notice an increase in tinnitus during times of stress.

The information in this article is not medical advice, before acting on any of this information or undertaking any treatment, you are advised to seek advice from a medical professional or go and see your own doctor.

Former tinnitus sufferer reveals own system for tinnitus freedom. Find out more HERE