Let’s set the stage: You’re lying in bed trying to fall asleep after a long exhausting day. Your eyelids are getting heavy and you recognize that sleep is right around the corner. Then you start to hear it: a ringing sound inside your ears. You’re certain it’s nothing in your room because the TV, radio, and phone are all off. Unfortunately, this sound is inside your ears and it won’t stop.
If this scenario has happened to you, then it’s likely that you’re one of the 50 million people who suffer from tinnitus. Buzzing, ringing, and a range of other sounds will be heard in your ears when you have this condition. The majority of people who have tinnitus think of it as a mere annoyance; they notice it now and again but it doesn’t really impact their daily lives. But this is not the situation with everyone who suffers from tinnitus. For some, it can cause them to Disengage socially, have a hard time working, and to lose sleep.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is still a bit of a mystery, but this problem has been narrowed down to a few causes. It shows up mostly in people who have damaged hearing, as well as people who have heart problems. It’s believed that tinnitus occurs due to restricted blood flow around the ears, which causes the heart to pump blood harder in order for it to get where it needs to go. People who have iron-deficiency anemia frequently suffer from tinnitus symptoms since their blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout their body, which, again, makes the heart work extra hard to get oxygen and other nutrients where they need to go.
Tinnitus also occurs as a symptom of other conditions, like Meniere’s disease, ear infections, and ear canal blockages. All of these ailments impact the hearing and result in scenarios where tinnitus becomes more prevalent. At times treatment can be challenging when the cause of tinnitus isn’t easily discernible, but that doesn’t mean treatment is impossible.
Is There Any Cure For Tinnitus?
Depending on the underlying cause of your tinnitus, there may be a number of possible treatment options. One important thing to take note of, however, is that there is currently no known cure for tinnitus. Despite this fact, there’s still an excellent possibility that your tinnitus will get better or even go away altogether due to these treatments.
Studies have shown that hearing aids help mask tinnitus in individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
If covering up the noise isn’t helpful, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to help people live with the buzzing in their ears that does not fade away with other treatments. This kind of mental health treatment helps patients change their negative ideas about tinnitus into more positive, practical thoughts that will help them function normally on a regular basis.