Overcoming Constant Ringing in the Ears at Night-time

The most typical indicators of tinnitus is a  constant ringing in ears. You notice a noise, such as a ringing sound, buzzing or hissing, even when you’re surrounded by silence. There are many causes of tinnitus and even more choices around overcoming it. Night time can be a particularly difficult time. Trying to fall asleep when all that you can hear is the sounds in your head or ears can send sufferers over the edge.This article will help you explore different options and provide information about tinnitus.

Noise machines

Sounds or noise can be added to your sleeping environment. A background audio, often referred to as white noise, could reduce the actual or the perception of the constant ringing in ears enough to allow you to fall asleep. The background audio may be repetitive nature sounds, music or even the low hum of a fan. The additional background noise acts like a mask. Some individuals say that tinnitus declines rather than disappearing. . It might take testing a couple of different approaches until you find the right combination of tone, volume and rhythm that helps your tinnitus. Some individuals discover that white noise makes their tinnitus worse. The way forward is to at least give it a shot,  experiment a bit, tweak a bit and hopefully get some long overdue sleep.

Bedtime Routine

Create a routine during bedtime every evening that involves soothing activities. Turning off the TV, computer, and mobile phone at least an hour before bed is a no brainer. Designing a schedule that allows you to drift off naturally. Having problems staying asleep or falling asleep is mainly due to irregular sleeping, and can cause your constant ringing in ears to worsen. Routines can reduce this cycle of discomfort. You may want to complete some basic stretches, then resting quietly, focussing on your breathing as you drift into sleep. This routine may help to lower your blood pressure and relax you. Keep in mind that sleep may be difficult when you are not tired or to go to bed too early. Somel find going to sleep easier after  a busy, productive day.Practice and persevere.

Medication related Tinnitus

Did your constant ringing in ears start when you starting taking a particular medicine? Both medications and over-the-counter medicines can lead to tinnitus-like signs. Simply the sound can be stopped by stopping or modifying the treatment. Under guidance, try to stop taking each medicine one at a time for a week and find out if doing this stops or changes the tinnitus. Check with your doctor first.

Pressure, Stress and Tinnitus

Pressure and stress may worsen tinnitus. Keeping your life under control could lower your stress. Look for a less stressful career. Avoiding stress or restructuring an anxiety filled job could have a huge impact on the ringing in your ears. Working with people you don’t like is stressful. It may be time for a complete workplace change. Spending relaxing time with friends and family, that you like, helps manage your tinnitus and can also decrease stress.

A program of behavioural therapy run by a registered counsellor is a positive step for your tinnitus.Changing the emphasis from continuous irritation about your symptoms is the aim. Working with a professional psychologist will help you deal with your problems that may be causing your constant ringing in ears. It will also help you handle it better. Managing your issues and the impact of your tinnitus will improve your quality of life.

Meditation, Sleep and Tinnitus

Meditation can help you with pressure/stress induced tinnitus. This may help you let go of a few of the pressures and relax the way you are feeling. Meditation trains the mind to set aside the over-activity of the mind. Focus can also be redirected away from the noises. These forms of meditation and relaxation are useful for both waking and sleeping states.

Exercise

Exercise during the day is also a known benefit for reducing stress, improving sleep patterns and reducing the impacts of tinnitus.Start slowly with something you enjoy and then build up your exercise regime.

Try, experiment and persevere with overcoming your Tinnitus. Don’t forget to include your doctor and your Audiologist in your quest.

Can playing football cause Tinnitus?

Yes, it can. Apart from the normal risk factors for acquiring tinnitus as a symptom of hearing loss, football players have a greater risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) from concussions or head trauma that can also trigger tinnitus.

Are all football codes have the same tinnitus risk?

Tinnitus is a perception of sound (a tinkling or ringing in the ear) without there being an external source. It can be crudely called ‘noises in your head’. In Australia, most codes of football have a risk of head injury, whether that’s a full contact sport like AFL or NRL, or a less body-on-body sport like soccer, but where heading of the ball is integral to the game.

For those with Tinnitus it can range from annoying to severely debilitating. It’s a condition normally associated with some loss of hearing, but you could experience a temporary ringing in your ears after a sudden exposure to loud noise or TBI.

Tinnitus is usually a symptom of hearing loss or damage to the inner ear. If you experience tinnitus, it is a symptom of either temporary or permanent damage to the sensory hair cells in the inner ear (cochlear). Hearing is the result of impulses sent along the auditory nerve from the cochlear to the part of the brain that can interpret them as recognisable sound. If these hair cells or the pathway between the ears and brain are damaged, your hearing can suffer, with tinnitus as a symptom of the damage.

Recognition of Tinnitus in Sports

It is only relatively recent for sporting codes to recognise concussion as a major health issue for both amateur and professional sports people. For instance, the AFL now reports concussion injuries as a rate per 1000 player hours. A concussion, for most who have one, usually involves a temporary disturbance to brain function rather than more permanent physical damage. The immediate effect is seen on screen with players unsteady on their feet, dazed, confused and assisted off the ground. Many symptoms improve over time and resolve themselves. Cognitive responses to a set of standard questions are used as an initial on-field concussion test, especially in contact sports. But, a symptom like tinnitus may not be initially identifiable amidst crowd noise and otherwise-focused medical attention, so recognition and reporting of it may happen at home well after the trauma.

Medical support and ongoing monitoring of players with a concussion is much more sustained in a professional environment of course. Tinnitus will be most evident when there is no other audio stimulus. As an example, testing for hearing loss is done in a soundproofed environment, which makes any tinnitus more obvious. Disturbed sleep patterns are also often associated with TBI and/or tinnitus. Some sufferers also report post-concussion syndrome, where some symptoms develop and then linger some time after the initial trauma.

In body contact sports, this awareness of concussion as immediate trauma is well known. In the UK, in a response to the fear of sustained ongoing effects of incremental concussion in juniors, the Football Association has ruled that children should not be taught how to head the ball until they are at least 12 years old, with limits on heading in training in older junior teams. This recognises the possible long-term effect of inexpert heading of a heavy adult ball. In Australia, this has not been adopted universally by the Football Federation of Australia, though they are reviewing guidelines, while some clubs and schools have copied the UK move.

Is crowd noise a factor for Sportsmen?

Persistent exposure to noise at above 85dB is deemed likely to permanently damage your hearing and induce tinnitus. Loud crowd noise in a frenzied stadium has been measured in the range of about 90-130 dBA. Whether this has more effect on players or spectators susceptibility to resulting tinnitus is not known.

Tinnitus is not necessarily a symptom and consequence of a mild or more serious TBI like concussion. It could be a symptom of an unrelated infection, inner ear problem or exposure to loud noise or music. If the tinnitus persists without improvement, your doctor can help with specifically targeted treatments.

David B is a semi retired hearing professional and friend of Tinnitus Relief HQ. His humorous approach to health education is well known.

Popular non-invasive tinnitus treatment options

Tinnitus can be unbelievably demanding to manage, which is why we are revisiting some long standing treatment options. Some techniques have become very popular while others continue to be less mainstream. You might like to revisit them too.

If you hear noise in your ears that other people around you cannot hear then you probably already know that you have tinnitus. Whether it be ringing or buzzing or humming is is still classified as tinnitus.

Many people have reversible tinnitus,  while many are stuck with ongoing, continuous sound which can reach volumes that are loud enough and annoying enough to disrupt daily activities.

Websites and forums include a wealth of useful advice, stories, and suggestions… and more than a handful of people claim to have experienced major breakthroughs. There is no shortage of things you can try to reduce the sound to a manageable level. Here are a few:

Popular Tinnitus Treatment Options

Suppress the noises

Raindrop sounds for tinnitus treatment

White noise is the term given to gentle, repetitive background sounds. The most efficient white noises include rainfall, seaside waves or breezes. These are sounds that are proven to have a calming effect which in turn suppresses how you hear the sounds of tinnitus. Certain studio produced music also claims to be an effective form of white noise.

For people who already have a known hearing loss and are wearing hearing aids, the technology is also available to incorporate a tinnitus dampening feature. This is an advanced technology which can be discussed with an experienced, Independent Audiologist about which is the right solution for you.

Meditation for tinnitus

Clearing your mind of all thought is the classical meditation approach. Combining mindfulness with meditation allows for the clearing of the sounds you can hear. The ability to transform annoying, deafening noises into a more quiet situation is not instantaneous. It takes time and practice for your mind to be re-trained in this mindfulness technique.

Start by sitting in a comfortable position, relax your muscles and even your breathing. With practice you may surprise yourself.  Guided meditation with an experienced teacher may be helpful.

Less Mainstream Tinnitus Treatment Options

• Chiropractic
• Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (controversial)
• Fresh pineapple, and lots of it!
• Mullein (homeopathic herb)
• Vinpocetine (man-made chemical)

Tinnitus is a difficult symptom to live with. We always encourage you to check for underlying medical conditions which may be to blame. In the event that the ringing, buzzing sounds persist we understand the need to pursue treatment options. There are countless treatment options for you to try. We suggest that you use common sense and only try one new technique at a time – under the supervision of your doctor or Audiologist. When you have success please let us know.

Simple Guide to Alternative Therapies for Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a disconcerting and annoying ring in the ears that changes in onset and severity. Some cases after investigation have an underlying medical cause which can be successfully managed, others are intractable, that is, there is no known definite cause and subsequently no defined treatment. Alternative therapies and lifestyle changes are shared by the Tinnitus community and health professionals to improve quality of life.

Alternative Interventions for Tinnitus

There are many alternative treatments offered to help improve tinnitus symptoms, which might not work for one, while be really effective for another. They include

Diet Modification

•             Reduction or removal of stimulants – this includes caffeinated drinks like coffee, black tea, cola drinks
•             Reduction or removal of irritants – this would include nicotine, alcohol
•             Avoidance of salt – either added or hidden in highly processed foods

Diet Supplements

One study demonstrated melatonin can help tinnitus sufferers, especially those with disturbed sleep as a result of tinnitus, however, this was a small, study and the results have not been reproduced.

Likewise with no serious studies to confirm its use, Ginkgo biloba continues to be touted as an all-natural tinnitus treatment.

Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is being used to reduce tinnitus in some individuals. This is a painless, non-invasive treatment that is being used increasingly more often in the United States and is being utilized mainly in Europe. There is anecdotal, not scientific support for this therapy.

Noise exposure Modification

Avoid extreme noise environments if possible

Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as ear-muffs and specialty ear-plugs

Reduce ear-phone volume

Sound ‘Masking’

Most people notice their Tinnitus when they are in silent settings for example, sitting reading a book, preparing for sleep. Sound Masking benefits some people using methods like:

• Music
• Television
• Radio
• Electric Fan
• Ear devices that create low level white noise

Education, Counselling and Support

Stress and anxiety are known to worsen tinnitus. Equally, having tinnitus is known to worsen stress and anxiety. A vicious cycle that can result in depression and suicidal thoughts. Seeing a psychologist, counsellor or experienced Audiologist with a true understanding of tinnitus is a helpful course of action.

Additionally, there are support communities like TinnitusReliefHQ where people share their experiences and provide encouragement and inspiration..Have you read Andrew’s experience?  An extra piece of information may help a fellow sufferer- a new therapy or some new coping mechanism. Every little bit helps.

Meditation and Massage

Meditation and Massage are well accepted therapies for stress and anxiety. If stress and anxiety are factors in your tinnitus, these therapies could be very valuable to you.

Conventional Medicine for Tinnitus

Millions of people suffer from tinnitus which may result from an identifiable medical issue. Making an appointment with your doctor should not be overlooked. Assistance from your doctor, ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Specialist, TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) Specialist, or Audiologist to rule out serious health conditions is important. on your pathway to turning off or turning down the volume of your Tinnitus. They will consider:

• Impacted ear wax
• Drugs that damage nerves in the ear
• Middle ear disease
• Ageing
• Damage to hair cells in the cochlea of the ear
• TMJ and tooth grinding.

At one time or another, nearly everyone experiences ringing in their ears. It is not unusual after attending an exciting football game or a loud concert, or after taking an antibiotic for a short time or aspirin. Mostly everyone has had an experience like this and lucky for them, this ringing goes away and they do not think about it ever again. Sadly, tinnitus doesn’t always go away naturally. You should always seek a medical professional as there may be a relatively straightforward medical solution Beyond that you will need to find alternate ways to moderate and improve the tinnitus symptoms.

How I manage my Tinnitus: Sarah’s story

I suffer from tinnitus, like many others. I have done a lot of searching and reading and uncovered tons of different ideas, tips and tricks which really didn’t help at all. I kept at it and did find several ways to manage my tinnitus which really help me. I am writing this so that maybe what has helped me can possibly help others.

Asking for help for Tinnitus

My do-it-yourself, self diagnosis, self help for ringing in the ears was getting me nowhere. I finally thought, maybe I need help on how I manage my tinnitus. That help started with going to an ENT Specialist first.  An ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) is a physician trained in the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose throat, and related structures of the head and neck. They have special expertise in managing diseases of the ears, nose and nasal passage sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), as well as structures of the neck and face. (source: entassociates.com)

my hearing was pretty good

I was a little hesitant on visiting an ENT Specialist, however, nothing else was working, so I thought why not. I thought my tinnitus was job related because I work in an atmosphere where LOUD noises are the norm, so naturally, I thought that was the reason for my tinnitus. The ENT Specialist conducted a very thorough test to check my hearing and my ear and concluded that my hearing was pretty good. Now, despite my hearing being very good, the doctor didn’t rule out my tinnitus could be caused my work environment.

More questions:  possible TMJ and Tinnitus

As the doctor dug further, he was interested in possibly understanding any other underlying issues that may be causing my tinnitus so he started by asking me questions. Now these questions were not geared toward anything related to my ear, hearing, noises so I was not sure where this was going. He asked me questions like what time did I wake up, or what did I eat last night. So after about 5-10 minutes of questions, the doctor had a hypothesis. The doctor told me that my tinnitus is most likely due to TMJ, or temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Kind of shocked, and puzzled, I told the doctor that my jaw was fine. In fact, I didn’t recall any jaw issues, until the doctor asked me some more specific questions. He asked questions about my jaw clicking or perhaps locking up at times. I told him that after thinking about it, it has happened on occasion. The doctor then started feeling my jawbone and as soon as he moved down a little I felt a great deal of pain. My first thought was this is not helping me in how I am going to manage my tinnitus. The doctor however revealed to me that the muscles were spasming and he bet anything that this is the reason for my tinnitus.  He referred me to a specialist for TMJ and though I was a little annoyed I would have to visit someone else, I didn’t complain and decided to go see what this other specialist has to say.

The next step: TMJ treatment for Tinnitus

I made an appointment with a TMJ specialist. TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) sounded pretty bad and I wasn’t too thrilled about having to visit another doctor, but I thought if I gave everything else a chance, why not this. After all, I may be able to manage my tinnitus better than I have been doing and maybe I will find some tinnitus relief.

My first meeting with the TMJ Specialist was actually very good. He asked lots of questions and provided me with tons of tips. I made several appointments over the course of 3 months and he would always give me tips and pointers on relaxation techniques for my jaw along with jaw therapy. The doctor was very patient with me and very supportive. On my third appointment he actually gave me a jaw corrector plate along with a medicine that is a type of tranquilizer that calms the brain and nerves. I was concerned about this drug, but after some research, I noticed that I was not alone in my journey. In fact, I found out a lot of people who suffer from tinnitus have followed the same or almost the same steps I have.  As my sessions were coming to end my TMJ Specialist recommended one more thing. He had a friend who was a chiropractor who had helped someone previously with tinnitus. Now, again, my first reaction was why am I going to a chiropractor, but then I thought, I have been hesitant twice, and twice I have found more and more relief when it comes to me managing my tinnitus. So I was very optimistic and was open to going to a chiropractor.

Then more: a Chiropractor

So the first day I went to the chiropractor she informed me of the conversations she had with my TMJ Specialist. I found out that they had many conversations about me and my TMJ Specialist provided lots of insight on what I felt and what I was doing to try to find some sort of tinnitus relief. The chiropractor worked wonders around my jaw area, shoulders and neck. He recommended some additional jaw exercises that I can do at home and told me to avoid certain foods for it can cause more stress on the jaw.

The Outcome of my Tinnitus Management

All in all this experience has helped me manage my tinnitus to the point where I don’t even feel like I have tinnitus anymore. From visiting an ENT, to a TMJ Specialist and a chiropractor, I feel the combination of those three individuals along with my dedicated and willingness to try new things have changed me for the better. I live each and every day much more peacefully and don’t ever notice my tinnitus. I would recommend, if you have not, maybe paying a visit to the same three doctors that I have. You never know, it may help you as it has me. I now know specific exercises, relaxation techniques, foods to avoid and other valuable tips and tricks that all play a tremendously big part in how i manage my tinnitus day after day.

Sarah C is a high level consultant. Her struggle with Tinnitus could have but did not seriously damage her career.

Teenager Tinnitus affects both Boys and Girls

Tinnitus can occur in young Teenagers. Tinnitus is a symptom, a bi-product of hearing loss or damage to the inner ear. The possible causes of Teenager Tinnitus  are many and include infection or injury, while prolonged exposure to loud noise can do irreversible damage. Another theory links puberty to Tinnitus, with growth factors, hormones and stress as possible triggers. Tinnitus is an indication of ear problems, but similarly, doesn’t necessarily lead to significant hearing loss or deafness.

Tinnitus – What is it?

Tinnitus comes from a Latin term that translates as a ‘tinkling’, but it is most often described as a ringing in the ears. The important thing to understand is that Tinnitus is a symptom not a disease, and fixing the cause of it, or preventing it in the first place, are smarter goals. Finding out if the Tinnitus is a symptom of an infection, an inner ear problem, exposure to loud music or another cause can take some time and effort. Time and effort worth making.

Tinnitus Causes in Young Teens

Causes of Tinnitus in young teens could range from simple things like wax build up, ear or sinus infections to acquired or congenital hearing loss, where a family history of Tinnitus exists. Though younger teens are less likely to be exposed to loud rock concerts, music venues, clubs and bars, they can be risking their hearing by listening to personal audio devices at unsafe levels of exposure and volume through ear pods or headphones. So, screen time is not the only thing parents should monitor.

Diagnosing Tinnitus in Teenagers

Ear and hearing problems can still be some of the hardest to diagnose and treat, even though they are quite common. Ascertaining a diagnosis in early teens is possibly more difficult, because it’s unexpected, unless they specifically complain about a tinkling, buzzing or ringing in their ears. Tinnitus is most obvious in quiet or silent settings. The sound-proof conditions created for a hearing test may be the only place that the teen will be completely aware of the ringing in their ears. Their day to day world of noise, may be masking or minimizing the Tinnitus symptoms. Awareness may start when the batteries of their phone goes flat! Obvious behavioural indicators could be sensitivity to noise and holding their ears,  a drop in focus, irritability and anger, tiredness, anxiety or depression can also be signs. But, they are teens after all.

….sensitivity to noise and holding their ears…..

Because reporting of Tinnitus or hearing loss can be difficult to elicit from teens themselves, parents should consider routinely asking their children about sounds or noises in their head or ears. Tinnitus sufferers tend to also have an intolerance for loud noise. Hyperacusis is another condition for some, when certain high-frequency sounds can be very painful. Any degree of reduced sound tolerance is viewed as a sign of hidden damage to the nerves that process sound and an indicator of possible hearing loss later in life.

What can you do for Teenager Tinnitus?

If your teen is experiencing Tinnitus, even if a temporary Tinnitus, that would be an early warning sign of vulnerability to the effects of high noise exposure. With a noise-induced hearing loss, the hair cells in your inner ear have been damaged by the exposure to noise. Using earplugs in a noisy environment is one way to protect hearing, while paediatric audiology services can help with therapies, drugs, procedures and hearing aids as part of specifically targeted treatments. A hearing aid can diminish or effectively eliminate Tinnitus as well as being protection from further hearing damage or loss.

If you suspect that your child has Tinnitus you should have them examined by your doctor first. If necessary, your doctor can refer your child to an ear, nose and throat specialist or paediatric audiologist. Understandably, the diagnosis and management of their specific Tinnitus will need to fully respect the child’s age, maturity and comprehension of their individual circumstances.

At age 13 and above, it is likely that most responsibility for effectively managing the Tinnitus will be on the teen themselves. They need to recognise their symptoms, participate in their diagnosis and be active in their treatment.

Do hearing aids stop tinnitus?

Hearing aids are often a way of masking tinnitus, not stopping it.  Using a customized, specialty hearing aid may, over time, alter the brain auditory pathways and improve the perception of Tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus comes from a Latin term that translates as a ‘tinkling’, but it is most often described as a ringing in the ears. It is a symptom of hearing loss or damage to the inner ear. For those with Tinnitus it can range from annoying to severely debilitating. It’s a condition normally associated with some loss of hearing, but you could experience a temporary ringing in your ears after a sudden exposure to loud noise (such as attendance at a loud rock concert or an air show with low flying jets).

For people who suffer from persistent tinnitus, it will be most evident when there is no other audio stimulus. As an example, testing for hearing loss is done in a soundproofed environment, which is when tinnitus is likely to be most obvious.

How do we hear Sound?

In very simplified terms, the sound we hear is a combination of pitch, measured in Hertz (Hz), and loudness, measured in Decibels (dB). Sounds range between low (think bass) and high (think treble) pitch, while loudness is like the volume on the dial. For adults, basic hearing tests deem your hearing as normal if you respond to sounds across a range of 0-25dB (loudness). To compare that to sounds in our day-to-day lives, gentle breathing is about 10dB, human speech is about 50dB, a baby crying might be 80dB, while a motorbike hits 100dB. Persistent exposure to noise at above 85dB is likely to permanently damage your hearing. However, it’s more often that people experience difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds (pitch) as a sign of their hearing loss. This is most evident when you lose comprehension of people’s speech, even people close to you, due to their particular pitch and the normal level of their voice. Women’s voices have a higher pitch than men’s.

How do Hearing Aids Work?

Hearing loss affects pitch perception, and why tinnitus may become more evident in those spaces of perception loss. Hearing aids aim to both manipulate pitch and amplify particular sounds to compensate for the loss of hearing acuity. Most people will not need to use a hearing aid until experiencing what’s described as a moderate level of hearing loss, where sounds are getting lost in the 41-70dB range.

Hearing loss affects pitch perception………… tinnitus may become more evident in those spaces of perception loss.

Modern hearing aids can be effective for all types of hearing loss. The mechanics of it consist of a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker. The microphone receives sound, converts those sound waves to electrical signals which are then sent to the amplifier. The amplifier is there to increase the power of the signals before sending them to the speaker, which is in the ear. An analogue hearing aid will be preset with customised levels, whereas newer digital aids can be more flexible in making adjustments, including possible Bluetooth connectivity to various devices.  Your specific settings will need to be determined by a professional audiologist or ENT specialist.

When can a Hearing Aid help Tinnitus?

So, even though a hearing aid may not be technically necessary until there is a volume problem, they could have greater benefit for those whose pitch recognition problems exacerbate their symptoms of tinnitus. By better linking your brain to your auditory perception, a hearing aid can diminish or effectively eliminate tinnitus as well as improving your quality of life and protecting your hearing from further damage or loss.

Your doctor should be the first to get involved and can refer or recommend audiologists and ENT specialists. Pinpointing whether the Tinnitus is a symptom of an infection, and inner ear problem, exposure to loud music or any other cause can take time.

A hearing aid could be an essential part of managing your tinnitus and improving your hearing.

What is Causing My Tinnitus?

Is there an actual medical condition that could possibly be causing the tinnitus? Could there be an ear problem or something else? Is the ringing in your ears a side effect of some medicines that you take? The starting point, if you have ringing in your ears, is your doctor.

Finding the Cause of Your Tinnitus

To find out what actual medical condition could possibly be causing tinnitus, your physician provides you with a broad real assessment. This will include a careful examination of your ears. Make sure you inform your doctor of all medicines you’re using. Tinnitus could be a side effect of some drugs.

Head, hearing and dental investigation

When the cause of the issue remains unclear, you might be recommended to see one or more specialists in the field.  The referral may be to an otologist or an otolaryngologist (both head specialists) or an audiologist (a hearing consultant) for hearing and nerve checks. Included in your assessment, you may be given an interactive test called an audiogram. An imaging technique, such as an MRI or a CT scan, is often advised to expose any structural problem. An orthodontist or dental expert may be recommended if jaw movements are implicated in your tinnitus.

Environmental investigation

The next area of investigation is your environment. That is your home, hobbies and work. These areas of inquiry are important, but exploring medical causes comes first. Overlooking a serious medical condition may result in permanent hearing loss or at worst an undiagnosed life-threatening medical condition.

Common Treatments for Tinnitus can include

Overview

Make sure that your tinnitus is not a symptom of another medical condition. If it is, your first step is to address that condition. When there is no underlying medical condition, sometimes the tinnitus disappears automatically, with no specific treatment. It should be recognized, however, that not all tinnitus can be reduced or eliminated, no matter the trigger. But don’t give up, common treatments do assist many, many people.

Earwax, Infection, and Growths

Some people experience tinnitus as a result of excessive earwax. Your ears can be cleared by an expert with a tiny instrument called a curette, or by flushing it out with hot water. DO NOT try to do this yourself.  If an ear infection is identified, you might be prescribed ear drops containing hydrocortisone to treat a persistent infection. Surgery might be essential in rare instances of a tumor, cyst, or otosclerosis (a calcium deposit on the head bone).

Temporo-mandibular joint disorder

In case your tinnitus is the result of joint syndrome — often called TMJ — your physician will likely refer you to an orthodontist or other dental expert for specialized treatment. We have included a link, for your interest, to an extensive, a quite technical article on TMJ  by Dr. Malcolm Grenness in Australia.

Environmental Noise

Testing by an Audiologist will clarify if your tinnitus is due to exposure to prolonged or persistent loud sound.  There are various recommendations for workplace and lifestyle changes that can be very successful or at the very least reduce the risks of further ear and hearing damage.

Alternative Therapies

If tinnitus remains after treatment, health professionals regularly advocate different non-medical choices that might help decrease or hide the unwanted noise. You may find Alternative Therapies useful.

Counselling

In case you are having difficulty handling your tinnitus, you might find counseling valuable. Consult your doctor for a referral to a reputable person who understands the special challenges that Tinnitus brings.

Can Musicians get Tinnitus?

That’s a hard YES. Loud music, like machinery, like traffic noise, like any one-off or consistent exposure to loud noise, can affect your hearing. But, it’s important to understand that Tinnitus is a symptom not a disease, and fixing the cause of it, or preventing it in the first place, are better goals.

You don’t need to be a Musician to have Tinnitus, though, if you are a Musician, you’ve chosen a profession with an in-built and obvious exposure to risk.

Do all types of Musicians get Tinnitus?

I define a Musician as someone who plies their trade creating music … and gets paid for it, consistently and often. Your eight-year-old blowing excruciatingly and (what seems like) interminably into a recorder is not a Musician. And, while the immediate pain in your ears might be hard to shake as a consequence, it’s not Tinnitus and it’s not causing your child to ‘get’ Tinnitus. By the way, tone deafness is something completely different.

While trying to define a Musician, it’s also important to realise that not all Musicians, and their likelihood to ‘get’ Tinnitus, are facing a similar risk. Just compare an acoustic guitarist with a weekend residency at the local country pub (yes, they qualify as a Musician) to a base player in a thrash rock band playing 200 stadium dates on a world tour. Pubs can get noisy, but, hello, don’t even attempt to compare the long-term risk. And that acoustic guitarist takes more breaks to rest their ears (and use their drinks card).

Which Musicians have less Tinnitus?

Back to Musicians. Oddly, the fully professional thrash rock guitarist is far more likely to use preventative measures to protect their hearing than the crowd at their concert or the weekend acoustic guitarist, specifically because it’s their livelihood and they recognise the risks of doing nothing. Musicians of all types often use specially engineered in-ear plugs to filter the loud and high sounds and ambient crowd noise. These help them to better hear the rest of the band, their own performance and, for lead singers, to stay in tune. It also protects their hearing.

Nevertheless, Musicians do suffer symptoms and hearing loss at a rate far above the general public. Prolonged exposure to loud music is directly responsible for hearing loss and Tinnitus is a likely symptom of that.

Best Hearing Tip for Musicians

The first rule about Tinnitus is to not ignore Tinnitus. It indicates there’s a problem in your ear. By the way, Tinnitus is not the Roman God of loud music, though the name derives, like many health and medical terms, from Latin. It translates, delightfully, as a ‘tinkling’, but not everyone has the same experience of it, and it’s rarely delightful, ranging from annoying to severely debilitating.

Ear and hearing problems can still be some of the hardest to diagnose and treat, even though they are quite common. Your GP should be the first to get involved, but we didn’t train up audiologists and ENT specialists for no reason. Pinpointing whether the Tinnitus is a symptom of an infection, and inner ear problem, exposure to loud music or any other cause can take time. Therapies, drugs, procedures and hearing aids could be part of specifically targeted treatments.

Prevention is better than cure. It’s possibly better to ask whether Musicians (or any of us) can avoid or prevent Tinnitus. Not a hard yes for a Musician, and, for the rest of us it’s best to remember that noise is not music to our ears.

David B is a semi retired hearing professional and friend of Tinnitus Relief HQ. His humorous approach to health education is well known.

Tinnitus- an early warning system for health problems

It is now recognized that Tinnitus may be an indicator of an underlying, serious, health issue. Ignoring tinnitus and treating it as little more than an irritation may be the biggest mistake you ever make. Improve your awareness of health problems that may be developing in your body with this brief overview of Tinnitus related health conditions

Do you have Tinnitus?

Hearing sounds in the head or ears, when there is no outside source of the sounds is a strong indicator for the condition known as Tinnitus. The sounds are often described and ringing or buzzing. The sounds may be happening in isolation and attributable to Common Causes or may be accompanied by other obvious or very subtle changes in the body. It is important, if you are hearing sounds – ringing, buzzing- in your ears that  you look out for early indicators of other illnesses and conditions.

5 Extra Signs and Symptoms to look for:

1. Ear Related

 Watch out for ear infections or any swelling in and around the ears. Prolonged infections within the bones of the inner ear if left unnoticed and untreated may cause long term irreversible hearing loss. If you experience sudden hearing loss this is a medical emergency. Seek help immediately. Your tinnitus may be trying to tell you something!

2. Brain Related

Be skeptical of changes in sleeping patterns and the ability to concentrate. Seizures or vomiting may be an indication of an un-diagnosed brain injury. There may or may not be an associated head injury incident like a hit or a fall.The ringing in your ears may be your early warning system.

3. Nose & Throat Related

Consider extremely congested nasal passages. Long term nasal congestion will also damage the auditory structures.  Preventative measures for sinusitis or allergies are available over the counter for initial use and relief. Seek medical attention if nasal and throat symptoms persist or worsen. You may think you are being tough and “soldiering on” but your tinnitus will worsen until you listen!

4. High Blood Pressure

It is very common for high blood pressure to go unnoticed or ignored. Reluctance to use some kind of maintenance medication is very shortsighted. Elevated blood pressure is associated with damage to your arteries and veins and resultant blood flow. Elevated blood pressure is a contributing factor to a lot of life threatening conditions. If you have tinnitus, you must have your blood pressure checked. It is such an easy check and maintenance medication may save your life.

5. Poor Circulation

Arteries supply every part of your body with blood. When there is not enough blood our hands and feet may become very cold, we may develop wounds that are hard to heal, your knees and ankles may feel unstable and you may get migraines, dizziness or vertigo. If you have Tinnitus as well, get on with it, and book an appointment with your doctor.

When ringing or buzzing in your ears starts, and doesn’t seem to go away, it is exactly the time to have a think about how your body is feeling. Your tinnitus may be trying to tell you something. Please don’t ignore seemingly minor signs and symptoms. Seek medical opinion and attention.