“What’s that ringing 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 issue where you hear noises or experience a sound that other people don’t hear. This is more common than you may think. Millions of individuals have this condition.
Ringing, buzzing, pulsing, or whistling are the noises that most people describe.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its intensity. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be disregarded. Something more serious may be the underlying cause of these noises.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you need to take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
26% of people who suffer from tinnitus cope with symptoms constantly, according to some studies.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship troubles are all possible repercussions of this ever present ringing.
It can be a struggle between the tinnitus noise and something as basic as trying to hear your friend give you a recipe over the phone. The nonstop ringing has stressed you out to the point where you snap at a family member who asks you a question.
Continuous ringing can cause a vicious cycle. The ringing gets louder as your stress level rises. And you get more anxious the louder the noise is and on and on.
If your tinnitus is contributing to these types of life struggles, you shouldn’t neglect it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be decreased or eliminated with available treatment choices.
2. The Noise in Your Ears Manifests After You Switch Medications
Doctors might try various 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 speak with your doctor.
Some common medications might cause tinnitus. Here are a few examples:
- Antibiotics
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
- Chemo
- Loop Diuretics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
3. Blurred Vision, Seizures, And Headache Come With Tinnitus Noises
This might be a sign that high blood pressure is causing your tinnitus. When you have hypertension, the flow of blood to your inner ear is restricted. Your general health is also at risk with high blood pressure. As time passes, it may cause or worsen age-related hearing loss.
4. You Always Seem to be Leaving Work, The Gym, or a Concert When You Hear it
If you only hear the tinnitus after you leave a loud place like a concert, aerobics class, factory, or bar, then the place you just left had unsafe levels of noise. If you disregard this episodic tinnitus and don’t start to safeguard your ears, it will most likely become constant over time. And hearing loss will usually accompany it.
If you enjoy a loud night out, take precautions like:
- Giving your ears a regular break by going outside or into the restroom, if possible, at least once every hour
- Not standing too close to the speakers
- Wearing earplugs
Adhere to the rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a noisy environment. Your safety gear will only effectively protect you if you use it correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
Whether you have ringing in your ears or not, you should never dismiss facial paralysis. But when the tinnitus symptoms are accompanied by headaches, paralysis, and nausea, this might 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? When accompanied by tinnitus, this suggests you need to be evaluated for Meniere’s disease. This produces a fluid imbalance in your ears. Your risk of falling due to lack of balance will get worse if this disorder is left untreated.
Tinnitus is often a sign of hearing loss. So you should have your hearing tested if you’re experiencing it. Reach out to us to make an appointment for a hearing test.