There are few conditions that are more difficult to understand for those who don’t suffer from tinnitus. That’s because unless you’re afflicted with tinnitus, you won’t feel, see or hear the symptoms in the same way you might other ailments.
Tinnitus is a very real and extremely challenging experience for the almost 50 million Americans who suffer from it. Ringing in the ears is the best definition of tinnitus, but according to the American Tinnitus Association, it can present sufferers with whistling, hissing, swooshing, clicking, and buzzing. These sounds aren’t perceptible by others and that might be the most disheartening part of tinnitus, which can lead to confusion, disorientation, depression and delayed diagnosis.
The number is truly staggering when you take into consideration that 15 percent of the overall public has tinnitus. A report released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control states that 2 million of those individuals experience symptoms that are debilitating and extreme while another 20 million have what’s considered burdensome and chronic tinnitus.
There’s a common connection between hearing loss and tinnitus, which is why people frequently turn to hearing aids to enhance their hearing and to drown out the ringing. While a hearing aid has shown to be a reliable method of reducing the symptoms linked with tinnitus, there are behavioral actions you can take to reduce the ringing.
Here are 10 things to steer clear of if you suffer from tinnitus:
- Excess earwax; There’s no doubt that earwax serves a beneficial role in the in the overall health of your ears. But actually dirt is trapped and our ears are protected by this gunk that we hate. Even so, tinnitus can get worse if too much wax builds up. Your doctor may be able to help you get rid of some of the accumulation and provide prevention advice to make sure it doesn’t build up to a dangerous level again.
- Harmful blood pressure levels; If you want to keep your tinnitus under control you should keep track of your blood pressure which can also help safeguard you from other illnesses. You should be diligent about consistently checking your blood pressure because both high and low blood pressure can make tinnitus worse.
- Alcohol; There’s a well-known adage that says drinking a small glass of wine daily can have a positive influence on heart health and cholesterol levels, and that might be true; however, you definitely can have too much of a good thing with regards to alcohol and tinnitus. For many people drinking too much alcohol makes tinnitus symptoms louder because it tends to raise your blood pressure.
- Smoking; Your blood pressure can definitely be increased by smoking. Additionally, it can shrink the blood vessels to the ears, which can cause tinnitus symptoms to get worse.
- Poor sleeping habits; When mom said you need to get your eight hours of sleep every night, she wasn’t joking. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep can help you to avoid tinnitus triggers and also offers a wide variety of other health benefits.
- Loud noises; It might be obvious but the noises you’re hearing internally can be made worse by loud noises. If a scenario appears where you will be subjected to loud noises, be mindful. This includes construction sites, concerts, and loud restaurants. If you can’t stay away from loud settings, consider wearing earplugs to protect you from some of the noise. Earplugs can be especially helpful for individuals whose job involves using loud machinery.
- Infections; Since a lingering cold can quickly turn into a sinus infection there has always been commentary about the need to find a cure for it. Infections in both the ears and sinus have been known to worsen tinnitus, so make certain you’re doing everything you can to limit your exposure to infections.
- Caffeine; Here’s yet another influencer of blood pressure that can cause a rise in levels. You will most likely notice a change in sleeping habits if you drink too much caffeine.
- Particular medicines; Particular medications such as aspirin, as an example, are good at reducing pain but they could also trigger tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be impacted by other medication including prescription antibiotics or cancer drugs. But before you quit using a medication that was prescribed by your doctor, you should set up a consultation.
- Jaw issues; If you’re having jaw pain, you should already be consulting a doctor, but particularly if you also have tinnitus. Since the jaw and ears share components such as nerves and ligaments, minimizing jaw pain might have an impact on your tinnitus.
You can take back your life and regulate your tinnitus symptoms even though there is no known cure. You might be surprised in the changes in your overall health and your tinnitus symptoms if you try these 10 recommendations. If these don’t help, schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist.