CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???????????................
Posted on 03/24/2023 1:05:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
Worldwide, more than 750 million people have tinnitus. More than 50 million Americans suffer from the condition.
Tinnitus is a common condition characterized by the perception of noise or ringing in the ears without an external sound source. Typically experienced as ringing, buzzing, hissing, or clicking, it can stem from various causes, such as age-related hearing loss, loud noise exposure, ear infections, or head injuries. Although tinnitus is often regarded as a symptom rather than a disease, it can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
Not a week goes by when I don’t see someone in my clinic complaining of a strange and constant phantom sound in one of their ears, or in both ears. The noise is loud, distracting and scary – and it doesn’t go away.
The kind of sound varies from patient to patient: buzzing, blowing, hissing, ringing, roaring, rumbling, whooshing, or a combination thereof. But whatever the sound, the condition is called tinnitus. And one thing tinnitus patients have in common is that the sound is not an external one. Instead, the noise is literally inside their head.
As a neurotologist – that’s an ear specialist – I have seen approximately 2,500 tinnitus patients during my 20-year career. That might sound like a lot, but it shouldn’t be a surprise – up to 15% of the U.S. population experiences tinnitus. That’s more than 50 million Americans.
Roughly 20 million of those have burdensome, chronic tinnitus, and another 2 million struggle with extreme and debilitating tinnitus. The condition seems to strike middle-aged people the most, but I have seen younger patients and even teenagers with tinnitus.
One way to stop tinnitus before it starts: Wear hearing protection when in noisy places.
Frustration with doctors
What causes the noise? Some researchers say tinnitus is generated in the ear. Others hypothesize that it happens in the brain. But no one is certain. At the moment, there is no cure.
Unfortunately, as many patients have told me over the years, a lot of doctors are dismissive about tinnitus. They say little to nothing can be done, tell patients to go live with it and bid them goodbye. This unsympathetic attitude leaves patients disappointed and angry.
True, tinnitus has no cure. But it’s also true that hearing specialists have many strategies to help patients cope. For most people, a lot can be done to lessen the discomfort.
Much about this condition remains a mystery, but clinicians and researchers do know that loud noise can trigger tinnitus. Firearms, power tools, heavy machinery, MRI scans and blaring music from even a single rock concert are often the culprits. Just one loud noise exposure – what doctors call acoustic trauma – can kick-start tinnitus, although in most of those cases it’s temporary.
This is why many people in the military have tinnitus, perhaps acquired after exposure to loud gunfire or vehicular and aircraft noise. Indeed, more than 2.5 million veterans receive disability benefits for tinnitus.
Other factors that can cause or contribute to tinnitus include sinus infections, fevers, flu, emotional stress, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and some medications, like aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. When people stop drinking these beverages or taking the medications, the tinnitus typically resolves itself or, at least, is reduced.
Among the strategies that may quiet the tinnitus: sound-generating videos.
Keys to recovery
People who are experiencing tinnitus should have an ear exam to rule out simple causes such as earwax buildup, an infection or a hole in the eardrum. They should also undergo a comprehensive hearing test to evaluate their tinnitus.
By the time they see a doctor, many patients are already caught in a cycle of stress: The tinnitus increases stress, the stress then increases the tinnitus, which increases the stress, and so on.
That’s why it’s critical for the doctor to reassure them that the tinnitus is not dangerous or life threatening, nor a sign or symptom of something more serious. This simple reassurance is often enough for most people to successfully manage their tinnitus. The goal is to get patients to a place where the condition doesn’t distract them as they go about their day, or keep them awake at night.
Treatments that can help Background noise often drowns out tinnitus, and many external sources will work. YouTube has many sound-generating videos that can help cancel out the uncomfortable sound, and some of these have black screens that will run all night. Free smartphone apps are available; for some people, air conditioners, fans, sound machines, television and radio can be effective at masking the tinnitus.
There are also sound-producing devices that fit in the ear to help counteract tinnitus. Programmed by an audiologist, these sound maskers emit a tone at the same pitch as the user’s tinnitus, helping to neutralize the internal sound. These devices are typically not covered by insurance carriers or Medicare.
For those with hearing loss, regular hearing aids may camouflage the tinnitus by bringing in background noise while at the same time helping patients hear.
Some types of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications work.
Another approach is cognitive behavioral therapy – that is, talk therapy. This particularly helps those with other conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, a history of concussion or other traumatic brain injury. By reducing this underlying stress, people can learn to live with it rather than fight against it.
For some patients, tinnitus retraining therapy works. It combines cognitive behavioral therapy with a programmed, noise-canceling device that plays pleasant music – with the tone of the patient’s tinnitus embedded in the music.
The theory is that because the patient associates the tinnitus with pleasant music, the tinnitus no longer triggers anxiety or stress. Research shows 80% of patients derive at least some benefit from the therapy.
But be careful about the many supplements on the market claiming to cure or decrease tinnitus. No scientific study has ever shown these supplements cure this condition.
Other types of tinnitus
People who hear their pulse in one or both ears – this is called pulsatile or pulse-synchronous tinnitus – should seek medical attention. The cause of pulsatile tinnitus, often described as a whooshing sound coinciding with the pulse, may be due to an abnormality in one of the blood vessels near the ear. Often, these abnormalities are treatable and the pulsatile tinnitus can be reduced or even eliminated.
Likewise, those complaining of a clicking or thumping-type tinnitus should also have a more thorough evaluation, along with those awakened by the noise; that can be a sign of a rare form of tinnitus.
There is some additional good news here. For many tinnitus patients, the passage of time can make a huge difference. It may take several months, or even a few years, but at some point, the condition often largely resolves itself – and its impact is greatly diminished.
Written by Bradley Kesser, Professor of Otology and Neurotology, University of Virginia.
This article was first published in The Conversation.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???????????................
Eh?
When had cicadas two years ago. As I explained to many, welcome to my world.
What helped me, and this is no joke, is that I could be continually hearing something much worse than a constant ring in my ear like a Hillary Clinton speech, a Taylor Swift ‘song’, an opioid drunk Kamala Harris saying that “we did it Joe” phone call, listening to Joy Behar, a lot more horrific things could be heard.
I’m resigned to the fact that I’ll be inflicted with ringing in my ears for the rest of my life. There is no cure.
I started a program a month ago that plays frequencies in my hearing aids that are supposed to reduce the tinnitus. It takes about a year to be noticeable.
I can’t tell the program is making any sounds. But I figure I’ll try it for a year or so.
Why 2 posts? I heard you the first time.
Not as bad as Exploding Head Syndrome
Exploding head syndrome (EHS) is a disorder characterized by the perception of loud noises (e.g. a bomb explosion, gunshot or cymbal crash) when going to sleep or awakening. Contrary to the name, ENS is not associated with pain. However the noise attacks can elicit a great deal of fear, confusion and distress in sufferers. Reports of tachycardia and palpitations are also common. Despite the distressing nature of EHS, relatively little is known about the prevalence and underlying cause of the condition.
https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep-disorders/more-sleep-disorders/exploding-head-syndrome/
I’ve heard it can be like Howitzer suddenly going off in your head.
1. Cut out caffeine
This isn’t a new concept, and most doctors recommend limiting your caffeine intake as a general rule anyway. In the case of tinnitus, caffeine can reduce the flow of blood to the head and ears – constricting the capillaries and aggravating your symptoms.(1)
2. Take some Ginkgo biloba
This natural supplement made from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree will increase blood flow to the head, neck and brain, whilst also reducing inflammation in blood vessels. Though this may not have an immediate effect, ginkgo biloba will alleviate your symptoms with time.(1)
3. Reduce your salt intake
This is another recommendation from medical professionals that you should really apply to your everyday life: Limit the amount of salt you have in your diet. Salt will increase your blood pressure, which helps to aggravate tinnitus. By limiting it, you should find that the intensity of the ringing diminishes.(1)
4. Give CoEnzyme Q10 a go
CoQ10 has been found to be helpful in some cases of tinnitus, according to a study by the Journal of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. CoQ10 can reduce the noises you experience, as well as the intensity of your tinnitus.(1)
5. Stay away from loud noises
While this seems logical, you’d be surprised how many people suffering with tinnitus neglect to avoid the types of noises that cause it in the first place. Protect your ears if you absolutely must be around loud noise, for example if you work in construction.(1)
6. Listen to white noise
Fans or similar household items that create gentle white noise can help to cover up the tinnitus, providing relief from the constant ringing.(1)
7. Remove any built up wax
Make sure that your tinnitus isn’t due to wax buildup. It is recommended that you visit an audiologist to have your condition assessed, however there are various ways to remove wax at home. Try using a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil or commercial ear drops for a couple of days to soften the wax, before syringing with lukewarm water.(1,3)
8. Drum your fingers
A technique that probably requires a little more patience, and doesn’t necessarily have any medical studies to back it up, is the finger drumming technique. It’s pretty simple. Place the palms of your hands over your ears and rest your fingers gently on the back of your head, middle fingers pointing towards each other. Place your index fingers on top of your middle fingers and tap them onto the skull to create a loud, drumming noise. Repeat this about 50 times. Some people have reported immediate relief with this slightly bizarre method. You can do this several times each day, depending upon the extent of the ringing.(1)
These simple, cheap and natural home remedies should help to relieve that irritating ringing, allowing you to concentrate on your day-to-day life without distraction.
You do get used it.
I transcribe dictations for an otologist in Indiana who has been treating people with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus with transtympanic steroid injections. Many of his patients started experiencing their symptoms after taking the COVID shots.
Copy that.
Huh? What? Climate change has effected my hearing.....
Anyone here experience this?
Had it, now I don’t.
I’m on a carnivore diet and that fixed it ( after a couple of weeks) No supplements, still drink coffee and didn’t change anything else. BUT if I eat carbs for a few days it comes back.
I’m on a low carb diet for life I guess.
Ear plugs work with #3. I keep a set in my pocket because a lot of restaurants have bad acoustics. Hard surfaces and echo.
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