Tinnitus Help - Stop the Ringing in Your Ears

If you've got temporary hearing loss or tinnitus after being at a loud concert or sports event, you may be able to fix it -- if you act fast. A 2021 Keck Medicine of USC study published in Science Daily  has found that the nerve damage to the inner ear caused by loud noises is basically a build up of fluids. Treating that "fluid buildup with a readily available saline solution lessened nerve damage in the inner ear." A previous study by the same otolaryngologist showed that inner ear fluid level is not affected until noises reach 100 decibels, which is how loud a motorcycle is.  "When researchers applied hypertonic saline, a salt-based solution used to treat nasal congestions in humans, into affected ears one hour after the noise exposure, both the immediate fluid buildup and the long-term nerve damage lessened, implying that the hearing loss could be at least partially prevented." The benefits of this knowledge are twofold: 1. If fluid buildup can be measured, ...

There are many risk factors for developing tinnitus.  Some, like smoking, you can control. Others, like getting older, you can't. Still other risks, like high traffic noise , are sometimes difficult to do much about. These risk factors include: Exposure to loud noises Regular exposure to loud noises is known to be associated with both hearing loss and tinnitus. Ongoing exposure causes damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear that help transmit sound to your brain. Advanced Age As you get older, there is a decline in the number of functioning nerve fibers in your ears, which may lead to hearing problems and tinnitus. Smoking Smokers have a higher risk of developing tinnitus. It's not a direct correlation, but a kind of side effect from all the other bad stuff smoking does to your body : reduced blood circulation; harmful substances like nicotine and carbon monoxide generate oxidative stress; vascular disorders; and neurological effects. Drinking alcohol Booze also increase...

While there are a number of tinnitus treatment options available, none have been very successful. A 2022 study published in Frontiers In Neurology found that the number of articles published on tinnitus treatment has been increasing steadily since 2000: 2,933 publications in 74 countries. Researchers have been concentrating on neuroplasticity, sound therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in their attempt to develop "innovative diagnostic and treatment strategies for tinnitus." The reason for this push in research is that tinnitus affects so many people around the world and is thought to increase in the future.  "The prevalence of tinnitus is increasing, impacting approximately one in five people," the researchers note, adding that the reason for this increase is "due to the fast-paced lifestyle, demographic shifts, and increased occupational and recreational noise exposure." Still, the work is not evenly distributed between countries.  The U.S. h...

Researchers at the University of Auckland developed a mobile-phone-based therapy last year that has shown clinically significant improvements in patients with tinnitus. The clinical trial was extremely small, with 61 patients. Half were given the new treatment and the other half used a white noise app. Those 31 people using the "new digital polytherapeutic" prototype showed "clinically significant improvements at 12 weeks, while the other group (30 people) did not." The trial participants were instructed to aim for a minimum of two hours of total use per day for 12 weeks.  The device uses a personalized treatment plan that "essentially rewires the brain in a way that de-emphasizes the sound of the tinnitus to a background noise that has no meaning or relevance to the listener." So, it's not a cure per se, but a treatment that can improve the lives of people who are bothered by their tinnitus. The original research article was published in  Frontiers in...

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a natural substance produced by the body to protect and lubricate the ear canal. In normal circumstances, earwax is not a problem and actually helps maintain ear health.  However, excessive earwax buildup or impacted earwax can cause discomfort and affect your hearing. In fact, excessive or impacted earwax can sometimes contribute to the development or worsening of tinnitus. When there's an accumulation of earwax in the ear canal, it can block the passage of sound waves, leading to a feeling of fullness and decreased hearing.  This blockage can also disrupt the normal functioning of the ear, potentially causing or exacerbating tinnitus symptoms. The amount of earwax that becomes problematic varies from person to person. Some people naturally produce more earwax than others, which can increase the likelihood of problems. Additionally, factors such as the shape of your ear canal, the consistency of your earwax, and your personal hygiene practice...

Bottom line: More men get tinnitus, but women are more bothered by it. Of course, it's never a straightforward journey. In 2014, a study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research  reported that tinnitus is "significantly higher for males, and increased with age, doubling between the youngest and oldest age groups (males 13% and 26%; females 9% and 19% respectively). Of those with tinnitus, females were more likely to report bothersome tinnitus." Another study  also found that women are more annoyed by tinnitus and perceive more stress than men. "In addition, women scored lower than men in proactive coping, sense of coherence, and personal resources but had lower levels of hearing loss and tinnitus loudness than men did." JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery  published a study in 2016 confirming that tinnitus tends to be "more prevalent in men (10.5%) than women (8.8%), with no significant differences in severity between the 2 groups. Men were more lik...

Tinnitus can be a distressing condition for some children, although many kids don't even notice it and most outgrow it.  But if your child is upset by the sporadic or constant noises, there are ways you can help them cope. Provide background noise Tinnitus can be distracting, making it difficult for your child to pay attention at home or at school. One way to combat this is to provide background noise, such as a fan or white-noise machine. This can blend with the sound of the tinnitus and make it less noticeable. It helps your child to feel in control of their condition, helps their nervous system adapt to the tinnitus, and improves your child's ability to concentrate. Seek professional help   If you suspect that your child has tinnitus, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional. The healthcare professional may perform a hearing test and other diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the tinnitus and develop an appropriate treatment plan. Consider hearing aid...

The same things that cause tinnitus in adults also cause tinnitus in children. The  Boston Children's Hospital puts it this way: "Tinnitus happens most commonly because neurons in the brain’s auditory pathways are sending signals that are not related to an actual sound source. In rare cases, tinnitus is a physical sound produced within the body by the musculoskeletal or circulatory system." The possible causes include: - impacted ear wax - hearing loss - damaging noise exposure - concussion - Lyme disease - jaw and dental issues - medications.  They add that: "Most cases of tinnitus in children do not have an obvious medical cause and are nothing to worry about. Tinnitus increases when a person is anxious about it or when a person stressed for other reasons." The team at Atlanta Hearing Associates note that other potential causes include "circulatory problems [and] slow-growing tumors on nerves in the face and ears." It's good to remember that ...

A surprising amount of children have tinnitus. The Boston Children's Hospital says about 15% have chronic tinnitus, while the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia  (CHOP) says "one-third of children experience it at some point." It's hard to know exactly how many children have tinnitus. "In some cases," notes the staff at CHOP, "the child is too young to describe what they are hearing, has come to think of it as normal, or is not troubled by the experience enough to mention it." The good thing about pediatric tinnitus is that most kids "have otherwise normal hearing and outgrow the symptoms before adulthood," according to the team at Children'sHealth . If a child is adversely affected by tinnitus (and only about 0.5% of children have troublesome cases) parents usually see behavior issues like anxiety, depression and problems sleeping. School age kids can have difficult concentrating. Unfortunately, young children don't know t...

We've talked about how hearing aids can help with tinnitus : They don't cure the condition, but they do reduce the noise of tinnitus.  And hearing aids help in other ways too. They amplify external sounds, so distract from the tinnitus noise. Some have built-in sound therapy features, like white noise. Plus, hearing aids improve speech comprehension, reducing stress and allowing you to take part in your social environment. But there's a problem. Even with all the positives that hearing aids provide, especially for people with tinnitus, many are too embarrassed to wear them. In fact, a recent study finds that "1 in 3 people aged between 45 and 70 would or do feel a degree of embarrassment wearing an assisted hearing device. This is in sharp contrast to only 1 in 10 people who feel the same way about wearing glasses." Because of the stigma attached to wearing hearing aids, people tend to wait an average of seven years before seeking treatment for hearing loss. Not ...