A bell doesn’t ring without reason. A car doesn’t honk without reason. Alarms don’t blare without it, either.
Similarly, your ears are ringing for a reason. If you’re getting disturbances in your ears, it can only mean that something is wrong.
In this post, we’re going to discuss a list of possible causes, as well as coping mechanisms. And by the way, several reports have confirmed that roughly between 1% and 3% of the world’s population suffer from tinnitus. Just so you know, you’re not alone in this.
Ringing in the ears: What is it really like?
Based on several anecdotal reports from qualified audiologists and ear doctors, it’s understood that tinnitus isn’t just limited to the common “ringing” that everybody knows. The condition extends to other possibilities like buzzing, clicking, humming, tapping, hissing, and even roaring.
Which one have you been experiencing? I’m sure you know. In any case, below are some possible causes.
Ringing in the ears: Possible causes
1. Infection or blockage
If you hear humming or clicking sounds each time you go to bed at night, it could be a signal that your ear is filled with a buildup of fluid. This usually happens when the ear canal is plugged up with dirt, earwax, or other foreign agents.
The best way to resolve this is to book an appointment with a professional ear doctor at an earwax removal clinic. There, your ear canals will be inspected and cleaned of excessive wax buildup.
In the event that your ears are found clean, you can then arrange to get a hearing test with an audiologist at the earwax clinic.
2. Hearing loss
Are you always blazing music on your headphones at above the recommended volume levels? Do you spend a good chunk of your time at noisy places like clubs and concerts? Does your world revolve around constant exposure to noise pollution?
If so, that may be the reason for your buzzing ears. It’s believed that excessive exposure to noise can break or bend the hair cells in the inner ear. When this happens, the ear begins to pick up sounds irregularly, sending wrong signals to the brain.
The good news, however, is that hearing loss is easily corrected with hearing aids. If you discuss your problem with an audiologist, they can fit you with a hearing device that will not only stop the ringing but also resolve your hearing loss. And if need be, you can buy some Oticon hearing aid supplies to improve on the fit and features of the device provided.
3. Injuries to the neck or head
Accidents involving head trauma, concussions, or neck injuries can also result in tinnitus.
4. Tinnitus-inducing medications
Did you know there are medications that can cause you to experience ringing in your ears? Oh, you bet there are.
The guilty ones include aspirin, antidepressants, cancer medications, antimalarial drugs, antibiotics, and even medications for high blood pressure (diuretics). In most cases, the higher the dosage of these medications you take, the greater the severity of the ringing.
The good news is that the uncomfortable noise disappears the minute you discontinue the medication.
Ringing in the ears: Coping mechanisms
Now that you know the causes of ringing or buzzing in the ears, the next thing to mention is the coping mechanisms – in other words, things you can do to either resolve the situation or manage it.
1. Schedule a CBT session
CBT stands for cognitive-behavioral therapy. It’s a psycho-social procedure that seeks to help people change how they see, think, and react to their problems.
In this case, it teaches you how to change your reaction to tinnitus using various behavioral techniques.
2. Get hearing aids
We already established this, so we’re merely restating its importance. Hearing aids can help you resolve your issues with tinnitus. You just need to speak with an audiologist, so that they can evaluate you for the right device from among the variety of options.
3. Try and get rid of the wax buildup
As stated earlier, clicking or ringing in the ears can be a result of excessive wax buildup. In this case, you only need to clean your ears to get back to normalcy.
It’s always best to visit an earwax removal clinic to get your ear cleaning done. Why? Because the procedure demands caution. By trying to DIY the cleaning, one could push the wax further down the ear canal, thereby worsening the condition in the process.
4. Try over-the-counter supplements
If you have a pharmacy near you, you can go there and ask for the over-the-counter supplements Lipo-Flavonoid or vitamin B6. Based on anecdotal evidence, these supplements work too.
5. Develop counter-sounds
A strategy many have found effective is creating background sounds that cancel out the tinnitus sounds from your ears.
This could be music playing in the background, an air conditioner humming, or a fan rotating.
6. Kick out coffee
Hard as it may be, you have to stop drinking your favorite coffee for a while.
Based on scientific knowledge, it’s believed that caffeine – the leading compound in coffee – is capable of causing a dramatic spike in blood pressure. When the blood pressure is raised, it generally affects all parts of the body, including the ear nerves, thus making the ringing in your ears a lot more pronounced.
7. Time to change your medications
As we’ve said, certain medications may be responsible for the tapping and humming in your ears. This could even be your favorite pain-relieving pills – ibuprofen or aspirin. If you’re struggling with the uncomfortable sounds created in your ears, you may have no choice but to find alternative drugs to relieve your pain.
8. Acupuncture works too
Although it’s not the medical procedure you’re used to, anecdotal evidence suggests that acupuncture sometimes helps in the battle against ringing ears. If you have access to acupuncture clinics, you may want to give this a try.
Story by Uday Tank
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