Tinnitus Hearing Loss-Causes, My Treatment and Deafness Awareness
83Ringing In My Ears
Have you gone to a concert in the past and subjected yourself to very loud music for a couple of hours, then when you left, your ears were ringing loudly? That is what the ongoing symptom of tinnitus is, but it remains constantly with you 24 hours a day, everyday, imagine what that's like to suffer tinnitus constantly, and I know a vast number of the population do suffer, this condition could also be responsible for my, and your irritability, fatigue, stress and depression, to some extent.
I have suffered from Tinnitus hearing loss, or ringing in the ears for a long time now. I am told it is the result of constantly subjecting myself to loud music when I was younger, which was, and is, common with most teenagers. But another contributor to my noise induced hearing loss, was as a consequence of my career choice, among other factors.
Having spent the last 25 years in the construction industry, being exposed to constant loud, sharp and sudden noises from power tools, impact drills, powered nail guns etc, my hearing suffered immensely. Deafness Awareness of the consequences and the practical prevention methods of industrial deafness in days past, was not a high priority, or even a priority for most employers in the industry. As a young apprentice, no one, including my boss were advocating wearing ear protection or what the consequences of not protecting my hearing would be, I, and they were ignorant about any sort of personal safety.
Caffeine, smoking and overuse of salt have all been linked to prolonged symptoms of tinnitus. It's very hard to hide or avoid our susceptibility to some known causes of tinnitus these days, when there are such a huge number of them.
So, for the past 15 years I have suffered the debilitating symptoms of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears on a 24 hour, daily, never ending basis. My symptoms included, high pitched ringing alternating with low pitch ringing with loud, soft, sharp and dullvariations of those, also a sudden feeling of one ear blocking up entirely, and pulsating in the ear. I find the tinnitus really affects me mostly when I am in a crowd and the ambient background noise is drowning out
the person I am trying to listen attentively to, the tinnitus makes it difficult to focus and hear what exactly is being said, without having to ask the other person to constantly repeat themselves. It drives me crazy.
Trying to get to sleep is also very frustrating, because all is much quieter at night and the symptoms of tinnitus are far louder and more annoying to say the least.
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Types Of Tinnitus
There are different types of tinnitus too, objective tinnitus- which is when the actual sound can be heard by a person outside other than the tinnitus sufferer themselves, this type of tinnitus arises from a variety of sources, like muscle spasms that are in the middle ear and produce a clicking or crackling sound. Pulsatile tinnitus or vascular tinnitus is a sound like the pulse or beats of your heart, the flow of blood in the ear itself. In a rare situation pulsatile tinnitus could be a symptom of a carotid artery aneurysm or a carotid artery dissection, which are life threatening ailments and need immediate assessment by a specialist. But, don't panic, there are less severe reasons for this type of symptom such as giant cell arteritis or vasculitis.
Subjective tinnitus is the other type and this is the most common type, when the ringing sound is only audible to the sufferer and is mostly caused by being subjected to loud noises for extended periods, although there may be cases where it is not caused by any external causes. Almost anyone is susceptible to getting tinnitus these days because of the environment in which we live.
If you notice any prolonged ringing in your ears, please seek a medical opinion and treatment
early on, a life living with this debilitating disease is no fun, I guarantee you, it leads to further hearing loss down the track.
How I Reduced My Tinnitus Symptoms
As a long time sufferer of tinnitus hearing loss, my symptoms have benefited somewhat from reducing my smoking, reducing my daily intake of coffee and completely stopped using salt in my diet. Wasn't easy, but these are fairly simple approaches to reducing the effects of my tinnitus, I have also added a vitamin supplement containing Niacin and Ginkgo Biloba to my
daily routine, with small results. I make sure I take every step in preventing further hearing loss by using protective equipment when I am exposed to loud noises, and any sounds that may aggrevate my condition further. Also I found that thousands
of sufferers of almost
every age have completely reversed any tinnitus issues they had and got rid
of the ringing sounds in their ears naturally, without drugs, risky surgery or "magic potions" simply by using the
clinically proven, scientifically-accurate step by step method found inside this Tinnitus guidebook.
My main advise to anyone either suffering from tinnitus now or who suspects they might be experiencing the early signs of the condition, to quickly seek the advise of your doctor and have tests to determine if you have the condition and also workout an effective treatment plan early, that will work for you.
Deafness awareness and early prevention of noise induced hearing loss is the key to a life 'with sound' and also to experience the sound of 'silence', when you want to.
Deaf Awareness Week
Deaf Awareness Week
- Deaf Awareness Week - Increasing Awareness of Deafness
Deaf Awareness Week is always the last full week of September. - RNID.org.uk: How you can help
How you can help us improve life for deaf and hard of hearing people - Hearing Awareness Week 2010
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Hi abhijeet4800, thank you for your comment and support, it is much appreciated. I was able to draw on my experience with Tinnitus hearing loss over many years, so it was good to write about this topic.
great hub,double thumbs up
Hey saleheensblog, Thanks for your support and taking the time to visit. Cheers
Ross great resource on the problem of Tinnitus. Like you I have suffered this for many years and have not had any success in reducing the levels. I find that masking the noise with similar white noise helps. Things like walking along the beach listening to the waves is very relaxing.
Thumbs up!
Hello agvulpes, thank you for stopping by, I am sorry to hear that you too have tinnitus hearing loss, it's no fun is it. Ok, great, glad to know you have found something that helps, whether it's white noise or pink and brown noise maskers, brown noise masker offers that soothing sea sound as well for low to mid range pitched tinnitus, whatever provides some relief is good. Have you altered your diet as well, or added a supplement to see if that assists you? I hope you continue to get some good relief, and thankyou for the thumbs up, all the best mate.
Ross I was not aware that diet could help in this regard.
Although now being borderline diabetic I will have to watch what goes between my lips. Do you have any suggestions on what sort of supplement might work?
agvulpes, g'day mate. Yes, apparently scientists have linked certain food types in our dietary intake that can contribute to worsened tinnitus. I am sorry to hear you may also be susceptible to diabetes, however, your optimum diet to eliminate diabetes will also contribute to reducing your tinnitus hearing loss as well.
If you can reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol,(not easy when your an Aussie)salt, simple sugars, saturated and trans fats, smoking, it is a substantial list including processed foods, takeaway fast food, you know the stuff. Basically, a healthy diet avoiding these kinds of foods will assist not only with diabetes, but tinnitus as well.
I would like to quote some study results from the University of Brazil which states "Studies have shown that 84% to 92% of people with tinnitus have a sugar metabolism disorder known as hyperinsulinemia This is characterized by increased levels of insulin in the bloodstream. In and of itself, this is not a dangerous condition. However, it is the first step in the long slippery path to Type II Diabetes.
Researchers at the Federal University in Brazil conducted a clinical study by treating tinnitus patients with a diet suitable for diabetics. For a period of two years they were instructed to eat every three hours to prevent hypoglycemia; to avoid refined sugar and simple carbohydrates; to restrict their intake of fatty foods, especially saturated or hydrogenated fats; to take no more than 2 cups of coffee per day, limit intake of alcoholic beverages and drink four to six glasses of water per day. At the end of the study, 76% of the participants who observed the diet had improvement ranging from moderate to complete resolution of their tinnitus." Sounds very promising doesn't it?
As far as adding a supplement to your diet, in my article I stated I used a Gingko Biloba supplement and also a Vit B12 pill, Niacin also take a Multivitamin as well. You might want to checkout http://www.tinnitusformula.com/ for some suggested formulas that can help to treat tinnitus hearing loss.
I hope you're able to avoid Diabetes and relieve your tinnitus mate, all the best and let me know how you go. Good luck.
Its rotten isnt it? I tend to just try and ignore it. Just think that its not there. .. If its not there its not annoying me. When its really bad I find it is good to concentrate on other noise- TV music etc, I really just try and think sweet thoughts about it before it beats me. We have been battling with each other for 30 years, sometimes I win, sometimes it wins but todays a good day and i am winning
Case1worker, tell me about it, sounds very familiar. It's a never ending battle. I struggle at night when all is quiet, so I leave the TV on, or put on the radio, or plug in the mp3 earphones and then, I drift off eventually. I am glad you had a winner today, may there be many more. Continue the good fight, all the best Case1worker.
That sounds very painful!
You, however, have described a lot of great tips on dealing and preventing this illness! Thank you for that!
I had no idea that smoking and caffine could affect someone's Tinnitus. Great hub lots of information. I voted up.
Hi Marian, Yes It can be painful at times and very frustrating, even more so for severe sufferers of tinnitus, I truly hope these few tips will assist those to be better able to deal with this condition and hopefully reduce or even prevent it's severity. Thank you very much for visiting and taking the time to comment.
Hey What's News, Thank you for taking the time to read my hub and for the comment. I was surprised to discover that as well, mind you, it was also great to be able to find some other underlying contributors to the condition, that I could do something actionable on to help reduce the impact of my tinnitus. Reducing my smoking and caffeine intake has certainly helped in more ways than one.
The buzzing Tinnitus in my ears are causing me hearing loss
I am sorry to hear that Nash, so many people suffer with the effects of tinnitus hearing loss in a not so silent world. Have you tried any of the suggestions above to try and relieve some symptoms?
Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that originate in the ear or head . In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that eventually resolves.
When a hearing loss is diagnosed, hearing aids are generally fitted before trying the various masking devices for tinnitus.
Since hearing aids alone generally are insufficient to solve the problem, tinnitus maskers are usually tried next.u can visit
http://hearingaidsdelhi.com/tinnitus_Hearinglosspr
and get information for its treatment and causes
mega35 thanks for your comment, I found that prolonged exposure to loud noises, particularly loud music or industrial noise makes it difficult for tinnitus to resolve on it's own, in fact it worsens. As you say, generally, hearing aids are not the primary answer to the problem, but, maskers and other remedies like I mentioned in the article can and do provide some relief.
Also, I'd appreciate it if you not place links in your comments. Thanks
Excellent Hub! I am so glad I found this. I have suffered many years with ringing of the ears. I went to the ENT doctor and he said the tiny hairs in my ear were ruined. I listened to loud music my whole life and the one thing that damaged me big time was firing a 357 magnum. No eye protection at all. In a canyon and shot 3 boxes of bullets. When done my ears were in pain. I arrived home and for 3 days everyone that would talk would sound like Mickey Mouse (that kind of sound) Ever since I have 24 hour per day ringing of the ears. Not to say Hearing loss I'm sure. People get upset with me because I need to turn the TV up and they say isn't loud enough and I of course say I can't hardly hear it.
Thanks so much for this hub. I bookmarked it and voted UP. Nicely written and well researched.
Hi the clean life, thanks for your compliment and for visiting.(and voting it up) I am sorry to hear of your pain, why you didn't think to use ear protection I'll never know. Loud sudden impact noises, like those from your 357 magnum, are especially hazardous for your ears, and can cause long term damage.
I have a similar problem with listening to the TV and get the same criticism for having it up louder than normal, but that is one of many a price we pay for neglecting our sensitive hearing earlier in life.
I am glad you found my article of good use, please try some of the suggestions to gain relief from your tinnitus.
Thanks again and all the best to you.
This is really informative and well written. I have a friend who's keep saying: "there is a bug living inside my ear." But this experience not constant. It will gone for several days and then it will be back again. Should he start to be worry now?
Hello Freya, nice to see you, thankyou for reading. Unless your friend actually has an insect in their ear, which they should get removed by their GP, I'd suggest they go and see their Doctor anyway to have him/her check their eardrum for any damage and perhaps get a referral to see an ear specialist if they are concerned.
really good article...wish id read some of these pages before writing my own article about deafness
Hi kev6185, thank you for your compliment and for reading my article.
Good article. I had this problem. After consultation I had used Stabelite which produced excellent result.
Thanks for sharing your article. I have heard it is a beginning to hearing loss and old age or possibly a health condition in the inner ear. Yes the constant echolating in the ear would drive a person mad.
I've had Tinnitis for 14 years - brought on by a work accident that involved a dislocated jaw. In the beginning it nearly drove me mad. It is high pitched and hasn't improved at all - I've simply improved how I handle it. That, and I guess I've just gotten used to it. When I'm in a quiet place, which is rare, it really bothers me but during a normal day I simply forget about it. Like this morning, although it's there I didn't notice it until I started reading your hub - if I stop to think about it, I notice it and it begins to bother me. At night I watch TV in bed and always fall asleep with the TV on - that masks the ringing for me and helps get me to sleep.
I, too, wasn't aware of diet being a factor but unfortunately I already follow the guidelines you discuss - the healthy diet, no added salt, no alcohol, etc. Fortunately, though, I've just learned to live with it and it no longer affects my life. Thanks for the great hub!
By the way, I have to ask - that's a Mastif in your profile picture, right? I must know - is it REALLY that big?!?
Hi Lily Rose, your story sounds very familiar, you do get use to the ringing in the ears eventually I guess. Not ideal, but not a choice either. I just heard that the mineral supplement Magnesium, taken daily may help reduce tinnitus too, might add it to the list. Thankfully there is constant research being undertaken towards a cure for tinnitus, can't wait for that. Sorry my hub made you stop and notice the ringing, I know it's bad enough without being reminded about it.
I'm glad you stopped by, thanks for commenting.
It's a BIG dog, yes, not mine though thankfully.
Great hub. I've now learned a little more about my own hearing health and am now following you.
Hi,
Thanks for your article, its very informative. My father is 84yrs old and suffers severe industrial deafness (ringing/buzzing in the head) from being an Electrician many years ago and not wearing protective ear muffs, and tinnitus on a regular, and at times daily basis.
He has seen various GPs, ENT specialists and hearing centres but noone has been able to assist him. He has tried various types of hearing aids to help reduce the background noise, but still finds it extremely difficult to talk to people as he can't hear or understand them or stand to be around a large group of people (including family, ie. his kids & grandkids) as he can't cope with the noise, plus the noise in his head, which is causing him grief.
It's very sad to see him silently suffer, and not know what we can do to help him. Unfortunately it is very hard to get him to try anything new.
Do you find the "white noise" and/or "brown noise maskers" help relieve or mask the tinnitus? Would you know of any treatments that can help people with industrial deafness? Any help or advice you could provide me would be appreciated.
thanks, Julie
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abhijeet4800 21 months ago
nice and well researched article....i would request the readers of this hub to contribute by adding more comments...very nice article...