Understanding the Sounds of Tinnitus: FAQs
Tinnitus is a condition that is characterized by a perception of ringing noise inside one or both ears. If you have been hearing weird noises inside your head or inside one ear or two ears, you probably have tinnitus. It’s difficult to study the sounds of tinnitus. Studies have been made but with each understanding of the condition, it seems to become more unconquerable.
What exactly is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a common condition—much more common than you think. Hundreds of millions of people around the world have this often misunderstood hearing condition. As mentioned earlier, it’s a perception of noise. It can be described as a false perception of noise in the ears. The sound originates somewhere within the hearing system.
Scientists believe that the phantom noise originates from damaged hair cells in the cochlea. The damaged hair cells fire random signals, which are misinterpreted by the brain as noise. There are also studies that suggest that overactive neurons in the brain are responsible for the generation of “internal noises” heard as tinnitus. Another explanation says that the brain suffers from deficit of acoustic signals. As a result, it heightens its awareness, but this causes increased awareness to internal noise.
What causes tinnitus?
There is a wide range of disorders that cause tinnitus. However, the common causes of those weird sounds of tinnitus are abnormalities in or damage to the structures of the ears. Noise exposure causes the usual ear damage that result in tinnitus. Loud noise destroys hair cells in the cochlea, which are very delicate. This damage also causes hearing loss. That’s why people with tinnitus are often screened for hearing loss.
Other causes of tinnitus are Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, jaw misalignment, acoustic neuroma, and certain drugs. Doctors would find and properly identify the cause of ringing in ears first before prescribing medications or therapies. However, many cases of tinnitus occur with unidentified culprits. Idiopathic tinnitus is what we call tinnitus that has no determined cause.
How do most people describe tinnitus?
People with the problem often describe hearing a high-pitch noise in one ear. The noise resembles ringing, hence the common term “ringing in the ears.” But tinnitus sometimes sounds like clicking or roaring noise. Other patients report hearing crickets in their ears, and people with cardiovascular problems may hear thumping noises in their ears. The common denominator is that only the sufferer can hear the noises. Scientists don’t know why people hear tinnitus differently. There are patients who hear monotonal ringing and patients who hear polytonal ringing in their ears and those who hear clicking noises.
Do sufferers hear sounds of tinnitus in both ears?
Tinnitus can be unilateral or bilateral. Unilateral tinnitus occurs in one ear only, and it’s more common. Bilateral tinnitus involves both ears but is much less common than the other.
How is this condition treated?
We have come to the tricky part of the discussion. Treatment for tinnitus varies greatly. It’s one of those conditions whose methods of treatment are extremely varied. Doctors can prescribe medications to treat tinnitus. Medications include lidocaine and melatonin. None of these medications have been made for tinnitus treatment, although doctors seem to assume they can be used for tinnitus. These medications give some benefit to sufferers, but they are not fit for long-term use.
The most popular form of therapy for tinnitus involves the use of broadband noise. It comes in different techniques, each using white noise or pink noise as a means for treatment. White noise sounds like soft hissing or hushing sound, quite similar to that noise you hear when you tune in your radio to a vacant frequency. This noise has the ability to mask the ringing noise you hear inside your head. Broadband noise is the main component of masking or sound therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy.
Masking employs white noise through various ways. There is a tinnitus masking CD which can be played on any CD player. There are also maskers which can be worn every day. And there are noise generators which can be kept playing constantly at home. Masking can be employed without the constant aid of an audiologist or a therapist. However, a patient needs to see an audiologist for proper adjustment of the loudness of the masking device. The loudness depends on the perceived intensity of tinnitus. The broadband noise is adjusted to a volume that’s enough to cover the noise of tinnitus.
In TRT, patients are also exposed to white noise but through a professionally supervised therapy. They go through counseling to educate them about tinnitus and help them understand it’s not a threatening or serious condition. They are allowed to listen to white noise that is set at a moderate volume not enough to cover the noise of tinnitus. The goal is to provide another sound which the sufferers can listen to. The white noise should keep their focus away from the ringing inside their ears. This is done until they become accustomed to their tinnitus and they learn to shift their focus away from it. Tinnitus retraining therapy can take a long time to become effective.
Can homeopathy cure tinnitus?
Many patients resort to alternative remedies like homeopathic products. Homeopathy is gaining popularity in the medical field. Some doctors advocate the use of homeopathic remedies, but still many are in doubt. To answer the question, homeopathy cannot cure tinnitus. Nothing can cure tinnitus, and homeopaths know that. What homeopathic agents do is that they activate the natural healing mechanism of the body through using naturally occurring substances.
Tinnitus research continues to help understand this condition better. Researchers hope that they would come to figure out a drug or technique that can stop tinnitus once and for all.
Some Tips on Taking Care of your Inner Ear
When it comes to taking care of our bodies, most of us focus more on eating nutritional food, brushing our teeth after every meal, doing some exercise during our free time, taking a bath each day and maintaining a good hygiene. And while all these habits are very beneficial to one’s physical health and well-being, we sometimes overlook and forget an important bodily organ that enables us to hear all the different sounds within our surroundings. The inner ear is one of the most neglected organs of our body and is often given less importance. It is only when a person contracts ear-related diseases or has completely lost his/her sense of hearing that he/she will finally realize the true value of this bodily entity. Not known by many individuals, there are quite a number of ways to help preserve your sense of hearing and ultimately protect your ears from any form of sickness.
1 – Avoid Loud Noise
Maintaining your ear’s health is just a matter of tweaking your daily habits. And one of the things that you should really put importance on is avoiding loud and intolerable noises anywhere you go. The inner part of our ears is filled with tiny hair cells called Cochlea that capture sound waves and pass them to the brain for interpretation. When loud noise enters the ear canal, it can cause significant damage to these hair cells which then results to hearing problems. If you love to listen to music through the radio or your mp3 player, try to regulate the volume to a more comfortable level or lower it if it’s too loud. For professionals who ply the streets each day to go to work and are exposed different levels of noise pollution brought mostly by cars, it might be suitable to wear specialized ear protectors and ear plugs.
2 – Always Clean your Ears
Just like any other part of your body, ours ears can also accumulate dirt over time and should be immediately cleaned to avoid any forms of infection. While most people use cotton buds or cotton swabs to clean their ears, it is highly discouraged to insert any foreign objects into the inner ear as it may cause some accidental scratches in its walls. It too may push ear wax further inside your ears creating an obstruction that blocks sound from passing normally. When this happens, you can expect to suffer from hearing problems. To safely clean the ear, use a damp cloth to clean only your outer ear. You can also use warm water to remove excessive ear wax buildup. In certain circumstances, trained doctors can also administer professional ear cleaning services though they might cost more than the usual methods.
3 – Strengthen your Immune System
Did you know that your immune system is your primary defense against the different viruses and bacteria’s that threaten your very existence? As much as possible, try to include vegetables and fruits in your diet as they contain all the vitamins and minerals needed to boost your immune system. Garlic, ginger and raw pineapples are rich in essential minerals that help empower the body to combat various diseases. Protein-rich foods such as eggs, chicken and fish are also a big help to the overall protection of the body. Having a strong immune system will significantly lessen the chance of you getting ear problems and diseases. It can also lessen the impact of hearing loss due to aging.
4 – Rest your Ears
Our ears are one of the most utilized parts of our body. Whatever we do and wherever we go, we always use our ears in almost every situation we are in. It also helps to give our ears a break by simply going to places where noise is minimal or almost non-existent such as in parks and private resorts. By doing so, you give your ears a chance to recover from the different stresses caused by a loud and noisy environment. You can also pamper yourself by receiving a nice and relaxing body massage. Sleeping during your free time is also a good option.
5 – Be Aware of Certain Medicinal Side Effects
When a doctor prescribes you a certain medication, always make it a point to ask about its side effects. There are certain medicines that may trigger allergic reactions which could ultimately lead to different illnesses of the ears. If you encounter some abnormal behavior in your ears such as hearing some wild ringing sounds after you have taken a medicinal drug, consult with your doctor immediately. While allergic reactions are only temporary, they too can cause significant damage to your ears if not attended in the earliest time.
You should really consider yourself lucky for having a pair of healthy ears that enable you to hear and appreciate the enchanting beauty of sound. By following some simple yet helpful tips, you can effectively protect your inner ear from harm brought by different diseases and illnesses. And while hearing problems can’t really be fully avoided, you can at least significantly minimize its effects.
How to Find a Natural Cure for Ringing in the Ears
There are several causes of ringing in the ears, but the most common is an unhealthy lifestyle and frequent exposure to loud noise. When a person becomes troubled by hearing a constant ringing in the ears, there is a big problem and a natural cure for ringing in the ears may be needed. Here are ways to find the most effective natural tinnitus healing:
1. Know what caused the ear ringing – Knowing the cause helps in establishing the right cure for the problem and thus eliminate the ringing in ears.
2. Use of homeopathic remedies – If you want a safe and cheap way to cure ear ringing, homeopathy is what you need.
3. Staying away from stress – Whether you have tinnitus or not, stress is not a good thing. Stress can cause and aggravate tinnitus too.
4. Get into a healthy lifestyle – Smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks are definitely unhealthy and can also lead to ringing in the ears problems. Eating a healthy diet, taking vitamins and doing regular exercises help a lot.
Natural cures helps you avoid the risk of getting side effects that you usually get from synthetic drugs and other conventional tinnitus cures. They are also very practical on the budget.
How to Avoid a Steady Ringing in the Ears
Hearing a steady ringing in the ears can be very pesky. Some people are lucky that they experience a ringing in the ear for intermittent periods only. On the other hand, there are some very unlucky individuals who would have it at prolonged periods. Nevertheless, there are ways to avoid having a constant ear ringing:
• Avoid exposure to loud noise – As loud noise may cause ear ringing, it may also aggravate an existing one.
• Be healthy – Nothing beats having a healthy body. By eating the right food and living a healthy lifestyle, your body’s immune system gets a boost and makes it easier to adapt to any health problems.
• Stay away from stressors – It can be in the form of a person, an event, or a place. If you are with something that brings about stress to you, the ear ringing will be aggravated.
• Proper care of your ears – Exercise proper care for the ears when cleaning them.
By avoiding a ringing in the ears, you do not risk your life to be greatly altered. If you know how to avoid it, then take all necessary precautions.
How to Get Rid of the Constant Sound of Crickets in My Ears
When I started hearing the constant sound of crickets in my ears, I had the impression that there were a number of crickets nearby. Then I realized I was in the city and crickets were nowhere near me. After doing some research, I realized that I had tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. For me it was a cricket in the ears though. Either way, there are ways to stop ear ringing that constantly bugs you:
1. Determine what caused your tinnitus – You can see a medical professional to seek consultation and to get a diagnosis. Being diagnosed of its cause will help determine the type of treatment that you may need.
2. Avoid exposure to loud noise – Very loud noise does not only cause tinnitus but also aggravates an already existing one.
3. Avoid going into extremely quiet environments – As you avoid loud noise, you also need to avoid the exact opposite of it. Being in a very quiet surrounding can also magnify the noise that you hear, making it more bothersome.
4. Live healthy – Nothing beats a healthy lifestyle. Aside from finding a remedy for ringing in the ears, start having a healthy diet, exercising regularly and getting rid of bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. This can help your body cope up with any medical problem easily.
There is no need to suffer constantly from a ringing in the ears. If you know the ways to get rid of it, then do it.
