Tinnitus hearing loss
Understanding Tinnitus Hearing Loss
If you have tinnitus hearing loss, you probably have a lot of questions about it, what causes it and what can be done about it. Tinnitus and hearing loss seem to go hand in hand. In fact, it’s estimated that somewhere around ninety percent of all people who suffer with tinnitus also have some form of hearing loss. This is not a surprise since the two often accompany each other. This is because tinnitus is usually the symptom caused by the problem that is responsible for your hearing loss.
The link between tinnitus and hearing loss can vary. In some cases, there is no actual permanent hearing loss within the person. It’s just a case of the tinnitus being so loud and annoying that the person cannot concentrate on other sounds around them.
In some cases, the untreated tinnitus will cause hearing loss or if the tinnitus was caused by ear damage, it could have caused hearing loss at the same time. If you suspect tinnitus hearing loss, it’s very important that you see a doctor to be tested. You need to find out the level of hearing loss and how severe it is.
Once you have been properly tested for your tinnitus hearing loss, you will be able to determine what can help your situation. In some cases, you might need a hearing aid. There are even special tinnitus hearing aids that help reduce the ringing in the ears while also helping you recover some of your hearing that may have been lost.
When the hearing aid is not enough, then masking techniques are usually recommended. Many patients have found relief with a combination of hearing aid and masking techniques. If you’re suffering from tinnitus, it’s vital that you see your doctor and have your hearing checked. This is the first step to your recovery.
If the real cause of your hearing loss can be determined, it may be possible to treat it and improve your hearing to some degree. This will most likely help reduce the tinnitus as well. If the hearing problem can’t be corrected, hearing aids can help to improve your hearing and help reduce the noises associated with tinnitus.
Meniere’s Disease
What can Cause Meniere’s Disease?
Menieres Disease Vertigo
There are many schools of thought on the actual cause of Meniere’s disease. The most common thought is that it is caused by an injury to the inner ear. While this is not a known fact, many physicians treat it as such. Some of the symptoms are very like those of vertigo. This is main symptom that is treated when treating this disease.
Some ways that the inner ear can be damaged is by a viral infection. When a person gets an ear infection, this can cause the disease. Some medications can also be the cause of the disease. There are other ways that this disease can be caused but they are only speculations, not actual fact.
Vertigo is commonly known by feelings of dizziness, the room spinning, feeling like you are falling when standing upright. Other symptoms of Meniere’s disease are nausea, vomiting, sweating and exhaustion. The exhaustion can come from the other symptoms. In most cases this is when an attack is on its final stages. These symptoms can also be associated with vertigo as well.
Some of the ways that this disease can be treated is by using medications that are typically used by those who suffer from vertigo. Drugs that are used for nausea is going to be prescribed for the vomiting. Because an attack can make a person anxious, anti depressants or anxiety medications may be prescribed.
Meniere’s disease can be controlled by watching the diet. Keep the cholesterol levels down and take it easy on the chocolate. It is also important to keep the salt and the sugar that are being used to a minimum as well. Some may want to purchase a hearing aid to help with the vertigo. Getting the proper treatment for the ear injury will help as well.
Meniere’s Disease Symptoms
Menieres Disease
If you suffer with Meniere’s disease then you know that you can expect sudden bouts of vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling that you are spinning or dizzy. This can be accompanied by feeling nauseous, actual vomiting and a general feeling of imbalance. Once an attack has run its course, you are going to feel like sleeping as you are going to be very tired.
These are the most common Meniere’s disease symptoms along with tinnitus or ringing of the ears. These symptoms can be brief or can last for a long period of time.
Many times medication like anti depressants can keep the Meniere’s disease at bay. While there is no known cure, the disease can be controlled to some degree. Some may find that using a hearing aid is going to help as well. Anti-vertigo medications can also help to alleviate the symptoms of this disease.
Many feel that this disease is the cause of inner ear infections or injury. There are no conclusive reports to support this theory however. Since there is no cure, finding out the cause is vital if it is going to be cured. Now, all that can be done is to make sure that the person who suffers from is can maintain a normal lifestyle. There are many studies that are being conducted to come up with exact answers as to how this disease is contracted and cured.
If you have never had these symptoms but suddenly are feeling them, you should get checked by your doctor. Only a physician can prescribe the proper medications so you can get on with your life. Just remember that this can be brought on by stress so it is important to always stay calm.
Try to keep the stress levels down in all areas of your life.
Do You Need a Tinnitus Hearing Aid?
As you may already know, tinnitus that goes untreated can lead to hearing loss. This is why many people end up with a tinnitus hearing aid. You may be asking yourself whether or not a hearing aid will help with your tinnitus. First it’s important to know whether or not you have hearing loss with your tinnitus. If you catch tinnitus early enough and begin treatment for it, then it’s not likely you will need a hearing aid.
However, if you already have some level of hearing loss, then a hearing aid might help relieve your tinnitus as well as help you hear. You will need to be seen and examined by a professional to find out if a tinnitus hearing aid will assist you in your tinnitus problem and hearing loss.
When it comes to tinnitus and hearing loss, there are hearing aids, maskers and combination hearing aids made especially for tinnitus sufferers that include a hearing aid and masker in one device. So then before we move on, let’s discuss what a tinnitus masker is.
Tinnitus maskers are devices that look very much like hearing aids and they fit inside the ear to help cover up the sounds of tinnitus so that they are less bothersome to the sufferer. The characteristics of your tinnitus such as what sounds and pitches you hear will help determine the sounds the masker needs to make to help you.
Many people find external noises like this to help relieve their tinnitus symptoms. It’s like white noise except it’s used in a device that other people around you won’t be able to hear. Maskers are useful for some but not all people who suffer with tinnitus.
When you have hearing loss along with your tinnitus, a combination device is usually used. This is meant to help with the hearing loss while also masking the sounds of the tinnitus. With the two working together, it can be very helpful for many people who suffer from this condition but again, not everyone will find relief.
A tinnitus hearing aid or tinnitus instrument is a small electronic device that fits inside the ear. It sits behind the external flap of the ear and has independent volume controls of hearing and masking of the tinnitus. Research is still being done on these combination units and how they can be improved.
For many people, tinnitus instruments have helped relieve tinnitus symptoms in many people. If you’re looking for help with your tinnitus, you can consider a tinnitus hearing aid today. Make sure you talk with a qualified expert with experience in these types of cases to get an expert opinion on whether or not one will be helpful to you.
Tinnitus Acoustic Neuroma Explained
Tinnitus Acoustic Neuroma
What is tinnitus acoustic neuroma and how does it affect you?
When you first go to the doctor with ear problems and tinnitus the first thing that will be done is a hearing test. This is to determine if you have any hearing loss.
The second thing will normally be having an MRI test run.
This is used to find out if your tinnitus is caused by acoustic neuroma. The condition is often referred to as “Vestibular Schwannomas” and it involves non-malignant growths that appear on the “eight cranial nerve”.
This is the nerve that leads from the inner ear to the brain.
In order to understand tinnitus acoustic neuroma, you need to understand what kind of effect these growths can have on this cranial nerve. This nerve is composed of two different parts and it’s located near the facial nerve.
One part carries sound to the brain and the other carries balance. They pass through a very small bony canal that is referred to as the internal auditory canal. This is the canal in which the growths will begin to grow when a person is suffering from acoustic neuroma.
These growths are not cancerous and they grow very slowly over a number of years. They don’t spread to other parts of the ear but they can continue to grow in size. When they grow big enough, they will begin to reach outside of this canal and they can press against the brain. This of course, can become a very serious problem.
The symptoms associated with this condition are tinnitus, dizziness and hearing loss. When the condition becomes severe tingling, facial numbness, headaches, mental confusion and clumsiness can occur. As you can see, this can be a very serious condition but luckily, it‘s very rare.
There are three methods of treating tinnitus acoustic neuroma. First, your health care provider will keep a close eye on the condition to look for any changes. Microsurgery can be performed to remove some or all of the growth in hopes of preserving the hearing if it continues to get worse. Radiation is a non-invasive treatment that is also used for small and medium growths. The radiation, if done precisely, will stop the growths while doing little damage to the nerves thus, preserving the hearing in many cases.
* image courtesy of Northwestern University
