“Why do I hear a ringing noise in my ears?” “Why won’t that noise stop?”
You may be suffering from tinnitus, a common hearing affliction that manifests noises in your ears that no one else can hear, if you find yourself making these kinds of statements. You’re not by yourself. Tinnitus is a disorder that impacts millions of individuals.
Ringing, pulsing, whistling, or buzzing are the noises that the majority of people describe.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its severity. But there are absolutely times when you shouldn’t neglect it. Something more significant might be the root cause of these sounds.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you really should take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
26% of individuals who suffer from tinnitus cope with symptoms continuously, according to some studies.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship troubles are all possible outcomes of this ever present ringing.
Something as basic as listening to your daughter share a recipe over the phone becomes a battle between her voice and the noise that overshadows it. The nonstop ringing has stressed you out to the point where you snap at a member of the family who simply asks you a question.
A vicious cycle can be the result of this constant ringing. The ringing gets louder as your stress level goes up. Loud noise makes you more nervous and so on.
If your tinnitus is contributing to these kinds of life challenges, you shouldn’t ignore it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be reduced or eliminated with available treatment choices.
2. The Noise in Your Ears Begins After You Change Medications
Whether you have persistent back pain or cancer, doctors might try several different medications to manage the same condition. You may ask for an alternative if you begin to experience severe side effects. Talk with your doctor and find out what the side effects are if you began experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Some common medications might cause tinnitus. These include some kinds of:
- Loop Diuretics
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Antibiotics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Chemo
3. It’s Accompanied by Headache, Blurred Vision, or Seizures
This normally means that your tinnitus symptoms are being caused by high blood pressure. When you have hypertension, the blood circulation to your inner ear is compromised. Your overall health is also in danger with high blood pressure. Age related hearing loss, over time, will worsen because of this.
4. You Only Hear it When Leaving a Concert, Gym, or Work
If you only hear the tinnitus when you leave a loud place such as a factory, concert, aerobics class, or bar, then the place you just left had noise levels above safe levels. If you neglect this occasional tinnitus and don’t begin to protect your ears, it will likely become permanent over time. And it’s commonly accompanied by hearing loss.
If you’re going to be exposed to loud noise, use the following to safeguard your hearing:
- At least once every hour, step outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
- Using earplugs
- Standing a little further away from loud speakers
Adhere to the rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a noisy environment. Your safety gear will only successfully protect you if you use it correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t dismiss facial paralysis irrespective of whether you have ringing in your ears. But when the tinnitus symptoms are accompanied by headaches, paralysis, and nausea, this may be a sign of a slow-growing benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma.
6. Fluctuating Hearing Loss is Accompanying Tinnitus
Are you experiencing hearing loss that comes and goes? Do you feel dizzy off and on? If these symptoms are happening along with tinnitus, you may need to get tested for Menier’s disease. This produces a fluid imbalance in your ears. If left untreated, it often gets worse and might increase your risks of serious falls caused by lack of balance.
Tinnitus is frequently a sign of hearing loss. So you should have your hearing tested if you’re experiencing it. Contact us to set up an appointment.