If you have tinnitus, you know how annoying it can be. Although commonly referred to as “ringing ears,” some people hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking, too. It can be constant or intermittent. The volume can range from barely audible to roaring. The noise can drive a person crazy. And looking for effective treatment can be totally frustrating.
It is medically accepted that there is no tinnitus cure at this time, but there are many ways to manage it. The best way to manage tinnititus is to stop it at the source.
Here are some things that are known to stimulate or worsen tinnitus that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. All the tinnitus remedies in the world probably can’t overcome your continued exposure to doing what is causing it in the first place. It would be like trying to get rid of a headache at a rock concert.
Smoking, too much salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, MSG, caffeine, and drugs, whether they be over-the-counter or prescription can cause or aggravate tinnitus. The families of drugs that can cause tinnitus are the “anti” families – antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and antidepressants. If you have tinnitus and are taking one of these types of drugs, talk to your doctor about trying something different.
Exposure to loud noise is considered the leading cause of tinnitus. Most of us face a lot of noise every day – traffic, hairdryers, barking dogs, and one of the worst offenders, listening to music with headsets. Certain occupations are high risk for tinnitus and hearing loss. Musicians, construction workers, firemen, and people in the military are exposed to high levels of loud noise every day.
Then there is the occasional really loud situation such as when you cut your grass, use your leaf blower, or attend a rock concert. Control the volume on situations that you can, like keeping the volume down on you iPod. And avoid any situations where you can’t control your noise exposure as much as possible, and use ear protection when necessary.
Sometimes tinnitus can be caused by something simple such as too much ear wax or an ear infection. It is best to see your doctor to rule these two things out.
Certain medical conditions such as allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, or thyroid conditions can cause tinnitus. Getting any medical conditions you have under control can only help relieve your tinnitus.
It is believed that people with a type A personality are more susceptible to getting tinnitus, so get your stress level under control. Practice meditation, yoga, or whatever form of relaxation you prefer. If being still and quiet is too foreign to you, burn off excess energy by getting plenty of exercise.
These suggestions only scratch the surface on how to stop tinnitus. And everyone is different. What helps one person doesn’t necessarily help another. But there is lots of tinnitus help available, so don’t suffer, keep looking, and you are bound to find tinnitus relief soon.