“What’s that annoying sound in my ears?” “Why won’t that noise stop?”
You may be suffering from tinnitus, a common hearing condition that manifests noises in your ears that no one else can hear, if you find yourself making these types of remarks. You’re not by yourself. Tinnitus is a condition that impacts millions of people.
Ringing, pulsing, whistling, or buzzing are the sounds that the majority of people describe.
Ringing in the ears might seem harmless, depending on its intensity. But tinnitus shouldn’t always be neglected. Tinnitus symptoms can frequently be a sign of something more serious going on in your body.
Here are 6 tinnitus symptoms you need to take seriously.
1. The Ringing in Your Ears is Affecting The Quality of Your Life
Some research suggests that 26% of tinnitus sufferers experience that ringing on a nearly constant basis.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues are all possible outcomes of this ever present ringing.
Something as simple as listening to your daughter share a recipe on the phone becomes a battle between her voice and the noise that overpowers it. You might snap at your grandson, who asks a simple question, because the ringing makes you stressed.
Continuous ringing can cause a vicious cycle. As your stress level goes up, the ringing gets louder. And you get more anxious the louder the noise is and on and on.
If tinnitus is contributing to these types of life challenges, it’s time to deal with it. It’s real, and it affects your quality of life. The noise can be reduced or eliminated with available treatment options.
2. After You Switched Medications, Your Ears Started to Ring
Doctors might try several different medications to treat the same ailment whether you have chronic pain or cancer. You might ask for a different option if you begin to experience significant side effects. Contact your doctor and determine what the side effects are if you began experiencing tinnitus symptoms after starting a new medication.
Some common medications might cause tinnitus. These include some kinds of:
- Loop Diuretics
- Over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, and even aspirin) when taken several times a day for an extended period of time.
- Antibiotics
- Chemo
- Opioids (Pain Killers)
3. Headache, Seizures, And Blurred Vision Come With Tinnitus Noises
This normally means that your tinnitus symptoms are being caused by high blood pressure. The blood circulation in your inner ear is compromised when you have hypertension. Your general health is also in danger with high blood pressure. Age related hearing loss, as time passes, will worsen because of this.
4. You Only Hear it When Leaving a Gym, Concert, or Work
If you only hear the tinnitus after you leave a noisy place like a concert, aerobics class, factory, or bar, then the place you were just in had unsafe levels of noise. If you neglect this episodic tinnitus and don’t begin to protect your ears, it will most likely become constant 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:
- Standing a little further away from loud speakers
- Using earplugs
- At least once every hour, step outside or into the restroom to give your ears a break
Adhere to the rules regarding earmuffs and earplugs if you work in a loud setting. Your safety gear will only successfully protect you if you use it correctly.
5. You Also Have Facial Paralysis
We hope you wouldn’t dismiss facial paralysis regardless 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? Are you sometimes dizzy? If these symptoms are happening along with tinnitus, you may need to get screened for Menier’s disease. This causes a fluid imbalance in your ears. Your risk of falling due to lack of balance will worsen if this disorder is left untreated.
Hearing loss is frequently signaled by tinnitus. So you should get your hearing checked if you’re experiencing it. Reach out to us to make an appointment for a hearing test.