What You Need to Know About Ear Ringing that Most Doctors Will Not Tell You
Do you experience annoying ear ringing? Ear ringing is also known as tinnitus, a condition that describes hearing noises that only the person with the condition can hear. The sounds heard do not appear to be from the environment, but from within the head or the ear. Often, ear ringing is not harmful, but it can be annoying to the person experiencing it.
There are 15% of the people in the United States population who are experiencing ear ringing. Ear ringing can sound different to each person and there is a variety of symptoms.
For example, some people may hear sounds for a brief period of time and some people can experience it for long periods of time. Some sounds may be a continuous noise, whereas some other sounds may sound like a rhythmic pulse. The sounds heard can be quiet, loud, or can change in pitch.
A common cause of ear ringing is hearing loss due to age. The sensitive nerves inside the inner ear can get damaged, which produces an irregular stream of impulses. The brain will then interpret these signals as sounds, and these signals and impulses are associated with tinnitus. Many individuals over the age of 60 will experience natural hearing loss due to age (prebyacusis).
The younger population may also experience hearing loss when they overexpose themselves to loud noises. Concerts, heavy equipment, or even listening to iPods or mp3 players on high volume levels can cause tinnitus. Short-term tinnitus usually occurs after a brief exposure to loud noises, like a concert. However, when one is continuously exposed to loud noises, permanent damage can occur.
Another common cause of ear ringing is ear wax. Ear wax is supposed to trap dirt and minimize bacterial growth in your ear. However, sometimes ear wax can build up excessively, which can cause hearing loss or even irritation to the ear drum. When this happens, one is more susceptible to tinnitus.
Many different medications can also cause an individual to develop tinnitus or it can cause one’s tinnitus to worsen. Often, higher doses of medicines are correlated with worsening tinnitus. Medications that affect tinnitus are: certain types of antibiotics, diuretic pills, cancer medications, malaria medications, and uncommonly high doses of aspirin.
If you are experiencing tinnitus, but are unsure of which of the causes is affecting you, you should visit your family doctor to make sure that there isn’t a medical condition that is causing your ear ringing
