“Why do I hear a ringing noise in my ears?” “How can I make that noise go away?”
If you find yourself making these kinds of statements, you may have tinnitus, a common hearing condition where you hear noises or perceive a sound that others don’t hear. You’re not alone. Tinnitus is a disorder that impacts millions of individuals.
Ringing, buzzing, pulsing, or whistling are the noises that most people describe.
Depending on the severity, ringing in the ears might seem harmless. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be disregarded. Tinnitus symptoms can often be a sign of something more serious happening in your body.
You should take the following 6 symptoms seriously.
1. Your Quality of Life is Being Affected by The Ringing in Your Ears
Some research suggests that 26% of people with tinnitus cope with that ringing on a nearly constant basis.
This irritating, ever-present noise can lead to all kinds of relationship issues, anxiety, insomnia, and even depression.
It can be a struggle between the tinnitus noise and something as basic as attempting to hear your friend tell you a recipe over the phone. The constant ringing has stressed you out to the point where you snap at a family member who asks you a question.
A vicious cycle can be the outcome of this continuous ringing. The ringing gets louder as your stress level goes up. And you get more anxious the louder the noise is and on and on.
If your tinnitus is contributing to these types of life challenges, you shouldn’t neglect it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be reduced or eliminated with available treatment choices.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Began to Ring
Doctors may try several different medications to treat the same condition whether you have chronic pain or cancer. Some of these will have side effects so extreme that you may want to ask about alternatives. If your tinnitus began or got seriously worse after you started a new medication, check that list of side effects and talk to your doctor.
Some common medications may cause tinnitus. Here are a few examples:
- Chemo
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Loop Diuretics
- Antibiotics
3. Blurred Vision, Seizures, And Headache Come With Tinnitus Noises
This normally indicates that your tinnitus symptoms are being triggered by high blood pressure. When you have hypertension, the blood flow 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 After You Leave a Gym, Concert, or Work
If you leave a noisy place like a factory, bar, concert, or fitness class, and you begin to hear tinnitus noises, you were probably exposed to unsafe levels of noise and that’s most likely the cause of these noises. If you neglect this occasional tinnitus and don’t begin to safeguard your ears, it will most likely become permanent over time. And it’s commonly accompanied by hearing loss.
If you are going to be exposed to loud noise, use the following to protect your hearing:
- Not standing too close to the speakers
- Using earplugs
- Giving your ears a periodic break by stepping outside or into the restroom, if possible, at least once every hour
If you work in a loud environment, adhere to work rules pertaining to earplugs and earmuffs. Your safety gear will only successfully protect you if you use it correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t disregard 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
Do you have hearing loss that seems to worsen, then get better, then worse again? Are you sometimes dizzy? If these symptoms are occurring along with tinnitus, you may need to get tested for Menier’s disease. This causes your ears to ears get a fluid imbalance. If left without treatment, it often gets worse and may increase your risks of serious falls due to lack of balance.
Hearing loss is frequently signaled by tinnitus. So you should get your hearing examined if you’re experiencing it. Reach out to us to make an appointment for a hearing test.