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Showing posts from September, 2023

10 Mistakes People Make When Trying to Get Rid of Their Tinnitus

Here are ten common mistakes people make when trying to get rid of their tinnitus: Ignoring Professional Advice : One of the biggest mistakes is not seeking help from a healthcare professional. They can provide accurate diagnosis and treatment options. Overlooking Underlying Health Issues : Tinnitus can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition like high blood pressure or ear infections. Ignoring these issues can make your tinnitus worse. Excessive Noise Exposure : Continued exposure to loud environments without protection can exacerbate tinnitus. It's crucial to wear ear protection in noisy settings. Skipping Hearing Tests : Some individuals assume they know the cause of their tinnitus and skip hearing tests. However, a comprehensive evaluation is necessary to determine the exact nature of the condition. Focusing on One Treatment Only : Relying solely on one treatment option, such as dietary changes or supplements, without considering a holistic approach can limit the effect

A Quick Review: Best Tinnitus Treatments

While there is currently no scientifically proven cure for most cases of chronic tinnitus, there are several treatments that can help manage the condition. Here are some of the best tinnitus treatments based on the search results: Earwax removal : Start with the easiest. You may not even know that you have wax on your ear drum, but according to Mayo Clinic, by removing any  earwax blockage , you can decrease or completely eliminate your tinnitus symptoms immediately. Have any underlying conditions treated : If your doctor has diagnosed you with blood vessel conditions, they may be making your tinnitus worse. Whether treatment is medication, surgery, or something else, get it done to address the problem and hopefully reduce your tinnitus. Hearing aids : If your tinnitus is caused by noise-induced or age-related hearing loss, using hearing aids may help improve your symptoms.  White noise machines and/or masking devices : Fans or noise machines and in-ear devices produce a continuous, l

How Exactly Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Increase the Risk of Tinnitus?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk of tinnitus in two ways: it causes hearing loss either directly or indirectly.  According to an article by rheumatologist Judith Frank in Arthritis Health, inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis can damage the tiny joints in the ear and it can also lead to the development of a rheumatoid nodule inside the ear. Still, rheumatologist  Nilanjana Bose notes at WebMD that in order for your hearing to be affected, you must have advanced RA, have had it for a long time, and you don't keep up with inflammation control treatments. In other words, hearing issues are most typically experienced by older people who have had rheumatoid arthritis for some time. Another reason why RA increases the risk of tinnitus is that many of the drugs that help with rheumatoid arthritis can actually bring on tinnitus. These include aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; however, you likely won't experience chronic tinnitus if you limit any N

Why Do We Focus So Much on Tinnitus Noise?

Blame your brain. According to an article in AARP , "researchers say people experience tinnitus when their brains pick up on a phantom sound and try to identify it but can’t. So the brain continues to focus on that sound and tries to solve the puzzle." And, says Grant Searchfield, head of audiology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, "because the brain can’t make sense of it, the sound becomes the forefront of attention. It’s an unfortunate side effect of how the brain works." It's why sound therapy is such an important approach in treating tinnitus. If you have a sound in your environment that sounds like (or masks) your tinnitus, your brain can stop searching for the source of that phantom sound. Author and tinnitus coach at Rewiring Tinnitus Glenn Schweitzer says habituation can get you "to a place where your tinnitus stops bothering you entirely, where your brain just stops paying attention to it and it fades from your awareness." Once y