There are few conditions that are more difficult to comprehend for those who don’t suffer from tinnitus. The problem with tinnitus is that if you are not afflicted with it, you won’t hear, see or feel the symptoms in the same way you would other conditions.
Tinnitus is a very real and extremely difficult experience for the nearly 50 million Americans who have it. Ringing in the ears is the best classification of tinnitus, but the American Tinnitus Association says, it can present sufferers with whistling, hissing, swooshing, clicking, and buzzing. These sounds aren’t noticeable by others and that might be the most discouraging part of tinnitus, which can lead to disorientation, delayed diagnosis, confusion, and depression.
The number is truly staggering when you take into consideration that 15 percent of the overall public suffers from tinnitus. A report put out by the U.S. Center for Disease Control reports that 2 million of those individuals experience symptoms that are debilitating and extreme while another 20 million suffer from what’s known as burdensome and chronic tinnitus.
There’s a common connection between hearing loss and tinnitus, which is why people frequently turn to hearing aids to augment their hearing and to drown out the ringing. While a hearing aid has shown to be a reliable method of reducing the symptoms connected with tinnitus, there are behavioral actions you can take to minimize the ringing.
If you have tinnitus here are 10 things to avoid:
- Poor sleeping habits; Mom wasn’t kidding when she said you needed to get eight hours every night. Getting plenty of sleep can help you to avoid tinnitus triggers and also offers a wide array of other health benefits.
- Dangerous blood pressure levels; If you want to keep your tinnitus under control you should monitor your blood pressure which can also help safeguard you from other ailments. You should be diligent about routinely checking your blood pressure because both high and low blood pressure can make tinnitus worse.
- Jaw issues; You should seek advice from a doctor if you have jaw pain and even more so if you are experiencing tinnitus. Reducing jaw pain might have some effect on your tinnitus since the jaw and ears share nerves and ligaments.
- Loud sounds; This one most likely seems obvious, but it bears repeating that loud noises can exacerbate the sounds you’re already hearing internally. Be cautious of scenarios where you’ll hear sounds at an elevated level. This can include concerts, loud restaurants, and construction sites. Think about protecting your ears with earplugs if you can’t steer clear of the noise. People who have loud jobs are especially benefited by ear plugs.
- Excess earwax; There’s no doubting that earwax serves a beneficial role in the in the overall health of your ears. But actually dirt is trapped and our ears are protected by this sludge that we hate. Even so, tinnitus can get worse if too much wax accumulates. To make sure it doesn’t accumulate to a dangerous amount, your doctor can clear some of it out and help with prevention.
- Smoking; Smoking is another habit that can raise your blood pressure. Also, it can make the tinnitus worse by shrinking the blood vessels to the ears.
- Some medicines; Particular medications like aspirin, for example, are good at decreasing pain but they might also induce tinnitus. There are other prescription medications like cancer drugs and antibiotics that can also have an impact on tinnitus. However, you should always consult with your doctor about any problems you’re having before stopping a prescribed medication.
- Caffeine; Here again, a spike in tinnitus levels goes along with this influence due to an increase in blood pressure. You might also find that too much caffeine changes your sleeping habits.
- Infections; There’s a long-running commentary about the need to cure the common cold, especially because a lingering cold can quickly change into a sinus infection. Make certain you’re controlling your exposure to ear and sinus infections because they have can worsen tinnitus.
- Alcohol; There’s a common adage that says drinking a small glass of wine daily can have a positive impact on heart health and cholesterol levels, and that may be true; however, you absolutely can have too much of a good thing with regards to alcohol and tinnitus. Drinking too much alcohol increases your blood pressure, which makes the ringing more evident for some people.
You can take back your life and manage your tinnitus symptoms even though there is no known cure. You might be surprised in the changes in your general health and your tinnitus symptoms if you try these 10 suggestions. If these don’t help, set up an appointment with a hearing specialist.