“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “How can I make that sound go away?”
If you find yourself making these kinds of statements, you might be dealing with tinnitus, a common hearing condition that causes you to hear noises or perceive a sound that other people can’t hear. You’re not alone. Tinnitus is a disorder that affects millions of individuals.
Most describe it as ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like a dial tone, pulsing noise, buzzing, or whistling.
Depending on the severity, ringing in the ears might seem harmless. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be neglected. Tinnitus symptoms can frequently be a sign of something more serious taking place in your body.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you should take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
26% of individuals who have tinnitus experience symptoms continuously, according to some studies.
This aggravating, ever-present noise can result in all kinds of relationship problems, anxiety, insomnia, and even depression.
Something as simple as listening to your daughter share a recipe on the phone becomes a struggle between her voice and the noise that overpowers it. The constant ringing has stressed you out to the point where you snap at a member of the family who simply asks you a question.
A vicious cycle can be the result of this continuous ringing. As your stress level goes up, the ringing gets louder. Loud noise makes you more nervous and so on.
If tinnitus is contributing to these kinds of life challenges, it’s time to deal with it. It’s there, and your life is being affected. The noise can be decreased or eliminated with obtainable treatment choices.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Began to Ring
Doctors might try several different medications to manage the same ailment whether you have cancer or chronic pain. You may ask for an alternative if you start to experience severe side effects. Contact your doctor and learn what the side effects are if you started experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Tinnitus may be caused by some common medications. These include some kinds of:
- Loop Diuretics
- Antibiotics
- Chemo
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
3. Headache, Seizures, And Blurred Vision Come With Tinnitus Noises
This often indicates that your tinnitus symptoms are being triggered by high blood pressure. The blood flow in your inner ear is restricted when you suffer from hypertension. Your general health is also in danger with high blood pressure. As time passes, it may cause or worsen age-related hearing loss.
4. You Only Hear it After You Leave a Gym, Concert, or Work
If you only hear the tinnitus after you leave a loud setting like a concert, aerobics class, factory, or bar, then the place you were just in had noise levels above safe levels. If you neglect this episodic tinnitus and don’t start to protect your ears, it will likely become permanent over time. And it’s usually accompanied by hearing loss.
If you’re going to be exposed to loud sound, use the following to safeguard your hearing:
- At least once an hour, go outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
- Not standing too close to the speakers
- Using earplugs
Follow the rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a noisy setting. They’re made to protect you, but they only work if you use protective gear correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t ignore facial paralysis irrespective of whether you have ringing in your ears. But when the tinnitus symptoms are come along with headaches, paralysis, and nausea, this may 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? If these symptoms are taking place along with tinnitus, you may need to get tested for Menier’s disease. This causes a fluid imbalance in your ears. Your risk of falling due to lack of balance will get worse if this condition is left untreated.
Hearing loss is frequently signaled by tinnitus. So if you are experiencing it, you need to have your hearing checked more frequently. Contact us to set up an appointment.