What the Cause of Tinnitus? Remedies for Ringing Ears

Remedies for Tinnitus – What Causes Ringing in the Ears and
What Can Help Relieve Tinnitus Symptoms

Tinnitus Remedies – Cause and Sounds of Tinnitus

Learn what causes ringing in the ears and what can help relieve tinnitus and TMJ.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus (sometimes misspelled tinitus or tinnitis and also just called “ringing ears”)
is the medical term for the perception of sound when no external sound is present.

Tinnitus is often referred to as a ringing in the ears although some people will experience it has whining,
screaming, cicadas, hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping, clicking or clucking noises.

Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant with single or multiple tones and its perceived volume can range
from subtle to shattering.

Cause of Temporary Tinnitus

Most people experience a temporary tinnitus condition at some point in their life, such as after a loud concert,
or as a complication to an inner ear infection.

Unfortunately for some 17% of the adult population, this condition is chronic – it never goes away. Of the
66+ million people in North America with chronic tinnitus, some 12 million have a severe case.

For these people it is not unusual to perceive a tone greater than 90 dB-SPL. Note that 80dB-SPL is the level
in industry at which a hearing conservation program is required. (Room-level conversation is typically 65
dB-SPL and a jet engine is around 110 dB-SPL)

Chronic tinnitus can be caused in a number of ways: an over-exposure to constant loud or explosive noise (on
the job exposure is a common source), reaction to medication, a head injury (car crashes are a common source),
complication of illness, and others.

One of the most common complaints related to tinnitus is that it adversely affects sleeping patterns, thereby
increasing stress and anxiety levels.

Tinnitus sufferers find they can’t get to sleep in a quiet room because of the annoying sound they perceive
in their head. For many, this results in being progressively sleep deprived, and can start a downward spiral
in psychological health.

The reality is that tinnitus is the only hearing affliction where anxiety, depression, and contemplating suicide
are normal psychological complications.

For most sufferers, their perceived level of tinnitus is not constant and can worsen from exposure to high
intensity noise, negative emotional pressures, stress, anxiety, heavy physical exertion, caffeine, salt,
tobacco, allergens, and certain medications.

Outside of a cure, the most common desire of tinnitus sufferers is to be able to control their tinnitus rather
than have it control them. A major factor in this is being able to sleep well and have the energy to face
tinnitus every day.

When tinnitus sufferers feel they have control, they are once again able to lead productive lives and many
are able to get off all medications.

What Does Tinnitus Sound Like?

The noises experienced by tinnitus sufferers vary greatly in loudness. It is often worse when background noise
is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you’re trying to fall asleep in a quiet room.

Some people with tinnitus experience no difficulty hearing, and in a few cases they even become so acutely
sensitive to sound (hyperacusis) that they must take steps to muffle or mask external noises.

The cause of tinnitus is usually unknown, and most people with tinnitus never find out why they have it. It
is equally common in men and women and can be associated with almost any disorder of the ear.

Tinnitus is associated with hearing loss from any cause and for this reason it is more common in older people
who have age-related hearing loss. Specific causes of tinnitus include:

  1. Meniere’s disease, a condition comprising deafness, dizziness and tinnitus, caused by increased pressure
    in the inner ear,
  2. trauma to the ear as a result of loud noises and blasts,
  3. otosclerosis, a condition in which the small bones of the middle ear become immobile,
  4. ear infections and inflammation,
  5. wax in the ear,
  6. secretory otitis media (an ear infection often known as ‘glue ear’) in children,
  7. acoustic neuroma, a benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the nerve which goes from the ear to the brain,
  8. high doses of drugs including aspirin, quinine and some antibiotics,
  9. anemia,
  10. head injury,
  11. low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism),
  12. disorders of the heart and blood vessels,
  13. high blood pressure,
  14. temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (pain in the head, jaw and face when the parts of the TMJ do
    not work properly together).

Whatever the cause of the tinnitus, it is almost always made worse by stress, which can be physical, emotional
or psychological. Some sufferers can clearly hear the sound of their tinnitus and are able to live with it
quite happily. In others, the sound is terribly annoying and can often drive them to distraction. The sound
can be in both ears or in only one.

What are the Common Symptoms of Tinnitus?

The noise heard in the ear can be a high-pitched ringing or whistling or buzzing, ringing, hissing, roaring,
crackling, buzzing, cicada like sounds, or even a quite complex sound. The sounds may be constant or come
and go.

There are wonderful natural tinnitus remedies to help relieve the annoying symptoms that often interfere with
sleep and waking life. Essential oils blends of unrefined grapeseed oil blended with lavender, chamomile,
and lemon used as a compress is known to help a lot of people.

HealthyNewAge Related Resource Page

If you want to learn morea about natural and alternative treatments for various symptoms and ailments, read
another article about Herbal Remedies.

What is the message of Pain, when coping with TMJ?