Tinnitus is a common occurrence, which is often only a symptom of a specific disease. More than thirty percent of the entire world population suffers from tinnitus.
Moreover, it manifests itself differently in everyone. For some people, the sounds in the ears resemble a prolonged ringing, for others it is a continuous whistle. Everything directly depends on the root cause that led to the occurrence of tinnitus.
Today we will try to understand this problem in detail and find out why this unpleasant phenomenon occurs and how to deal with it.
Tinnitus: causes
Sometimes such a deviation appears against the background of cerebral atherosclerosis, leading to vasoconstriction. Even a slight decrease in the lumen of certain arteries can cause tinnitus and mild headaches. The insidiousness of this disease lies in the fact that for a long time a person feels completely healthy, with the exception of some minor deviations.
To identify this dangerous disease, it is recommended to perform transcranial Dopplerography or duplex scanning of blood vessels with the permission of the therapist (as an alternative, angiography of cerebral vessels can be used). Based on the medical history collected by the doctor, as well as diagnostic studies, an accurate diagnosis can be made.
If you have this disease, it is recommended to reduce the amount of salt, fatty meats, lard, alcohol and cigarettes you consume. It is recommended to increase the load on the body, regularly visit the pool or go for a run three times a week. An active lifestyle and proper nutrition for a person with atherosclerosis is the only way to slow down the progression of the disease.
What causes subjective tinnitus?
This is the most capacious category of reasons. Among them there are a wide variety of triggers:
- Chronic sound overload.
- Circulatory disorders in the vessels supplying the brain.
- Injuries.
- Inflammatory diseases.
- Lesions of the central nervous system.
Almost every item from the proposed generalized list includes subcategories. Let's get to know him better.
Chronic sound overload
Not the most dangerous, but an unpleasant situation. It's simple: if the ear is exposed to prolonged and/or strong impact, it simply gets tired.
The level of sound pollution in modern civilization is very high: incessant noise from cars, concerts, music in headphones, noisy neighbors.
Sometimes, to protect against street noise, it is necessary to install special double-glazed windows, and a noisy neighbor is a reason to use soundproofing materials when renovating an apartment.
Characteristic features of this reason:
- The tinnitus is monotonous, broadband, but after several hours of silence it subsides, at least at the beginning of the process.
- It often has a one-sided nature (the ear with which the person is facing the sound source is damaged).
- Over time, hearing weakens, and first the perception of high frequencies suffers.
We have described the signs of chronic overload of the auditory analyzer. And there is also an acute one, which is called acoustic trauma. Caused by very loud, powerful and sharp sounds. Leads to contusion of the eardrum and auditory ossicles.
Both chronic and acute overloads can be irreversible, as they cause a decrease in the elasticity of the eardrum.
Protect your ears from loud sounds.
Circulatory disorders
A very common cause of tinnitus. The main role in this is played by the two most common problems of modern man:
In the first case, the brain does not receive enough blood due to blocked vessels with plaques, and in the second, due to narrowing of certain sections of the vertebral artery, which passes through special openings in the cervical vertebrae.
Emotional shock
People suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia and constantly experiencing panic attacks, anxiety attacks and headaches are highly susceptible to tinnitus. The same thing can happen to a completely healthy person at the moment of a strong shock, when a significant amount of adrenaline enters the blood.
Tinnitus occurs against a background of severe depression, depression and overwork. To determine the exact cause of this defect, you must visit a general practitioner and undergo all the necessary tests.
In this case, you need to give yourself a short-term rest, at least for one weekend. It is recommended to go to the country, take a walk in the forest, relax with your family and not drink alcoholic beverages at all. It is imperative to normalize your sleep and daily routine. If possible, you can visit the sanatorium.
Causes of tinnitus
The main causes of tinnitus can be:
1) Very loud sounds. Noisy work (in large industries), loud music (relaxing in a nightclub), a loud sound source (sometimes even a clap near the ear is enough).
Getting rid of this kind of noise is not difficult. It will be enough to leave the place where the loud sound is localized and lie down to sleep and relax. If you often have to be in the epicenter of loud events, then this risks deafness.
2) Ear dysfunction caused by otosclerosis. This happens when spongy bone completely fills the inner ear.
3) Abuse of stimulants. Nicotine, quinine, caffeine are all the real cause of the problem. Tinnitus can be triggered by drinking too much energy drinks.
4) A cold can also cause complications in the ears. Swelling and even nasal congestion affect hearing abilities.
5) Some medications can also cause tinnitus.
6) Ear and head injuries in general are also the primary source of the problem.
7) Jumps in blood pressure are accompanied by ringing.
Tinnitus can be caused by vascular and heart diseases - hypertension, atherosclerosis, improper pulsation of blood in the vessels.
9) Tumors and neoplasms in the neck and head.
10) Ringing in the ears can also occur with diabetes and kidney problems.
11) Frequent headaches and migraines
Pay attention to whether the tinnitus is accompanied by any other symptoms. If it is in tandem with dizziness and malaise, then you should take a break and allow yourself a little relaxation.
Most likely, ringing and dizziness are caused by overwork, stress, and disruption of the nervous system. You need to have a good rest and reboot your body.
Be sure to keep an eye on what other symptoms are associated with tinnitus.
Each of the above diseases has its own characteristic contributing factors and symptoms. At the first unpleasant sensations and sounds in the ears, you should consult a qualified doctor. He will establish the exact causes, clarify the diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. You should not take any measures on your own.
A specialist will help eliminate the problem efficiently and without harm to the body. In the case where tinnitus occurs due to age-related reasons, the doctor will not be of much help. It is only possible to reduce the strength of unpleasant sensations.
Meniere's disease
Persistent tinnitus occurs due to excessive fluid that builds up in the inner ear as Meniere's disease develops.
This disease is characterized by disorientation in space due to excessive pressure on the cells of the vestibular apparatus, dizziness, nausea, drop in blood pressure, excessive sweating and regular tinnitus.
It becomes difficult for a person to sit and especially stand. Diagnosis of the disease includes conducting a variety of tests and studies, based on the results of which the otolaryngologist excludes similar diseases and makes a final diagnosis. In most cases, treatment of the disease is carried out on an outpatient basis; surgical intervention is rarely required.
During attacks, it is recommended to reduce physical activity to zero. During periods between attacks, on the contrary, you should try to move as much as possible and lead an active lifestyle. Due to pronounced emotional lability, a person must be constantly monitored by loved ones, devoting a sufficient amount of time to him.
How to determine the causes of tinnitus based on accompanying symptoms
The progression of tinnitus is accompanied by a strong ringing that can disturb a person both at night and during the day. At the same time, this condition affects the psycho-emotional state of the patient: mood worsens, depression develops. Experts also identify other symptoms that accompany constant noise inside the ear canals. As a rule, these symptoms are directly related to diseases that are the root cause of tinnitus. They suggest:
- vomiting, nausea, lack of coordination, pale skin, lethargy, tremor (shaking) of the limbs, darkening before the eyes, impaired concentration - all this is observed in patients with increasing hypotension (low blood pressure);
- weakness, dizziness, fatigue, flashing white spots before the eyes, apathy - the patient’s condition is caused by a hypertensive crisis (high blood pressure);
- hearing loss, dizziness, problems with moving in the elevator, nausea, increased body temperature - these phenomena are observed due to water getting inside the ear;
- fever, acute pain, sensitivity to any touch to the parotid area are characteristic symptoms of otitis media (inflammation) of the middle ear.
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High blood pressure
People with high blood pressure constantly experience noise in the ears and head. At normal pressure, a person does not hear how blood moves through his vessels located in the brain, but with a sharp increase in blood pressure, a person involuntarily begins to feel and even hear the flow of blood through the vessels.
This noise usually resembles rustling tree leaves and goes away immediately after the pressure drops. In this case, there is no danger to hearing, since the root cause is hidden in hypertension.
If possible, it is recommended to sit upright and apply a cool bandage to your forehead. For severe attacks, you can use medications to lower your blood pressure. Alternatively, cooling your feet by soaking them in a bowl of cool water is a great way to quickly lower your blood pressure at home.
A condition is considered pathological when it comes to poisoning, disease of the inner and middle ear, taking specific medications, or inflammation of the auditory nerve. In such cases, tinnitus may sound like whistling, rustling leaves, or hissing. It can wax and wane. All these nuances are of great importance for diagnosing the disease that provoked tinnitus.
Almost always, such symptoms directly or indirectly indicate that a person has problems with the organs of hearing. In approximately 10-15% of cases, similar manifestations are observed in circulatory disorders in elderly people, as well as in young people who have suffered trauma or severe nervous shock. The same thing is observed in people suffering from intracranial and blood pressure.
Why does tinnitus occur? What are the reasons?
The causes of tinnitus are shown in the table:
| Why does tinnitus occur? | What does a person hear at this time? |
| Pathological decrease in the diameter of cerebral vessels, disruption of its blood supply. A similar situation is observed with atherosclerosis, dystonia of the vegetative-vascular system, with high blood pressure and osteochondrosis. | In this case, a person is haunted by a pulsating noise in the head, which is of high intensity. It tends to increase during the period when blood pressure increases. |
| Disturbances in the functioning of the auditory nerve in which a malfunction may occur at the stage of perception, transmission or generation of nerve impulses. The reasons may be the following: head injuries, failure of cerebral circulation, inflammatory phenomena with damage to ear structures. | A person experiences hearing loss. At the same time, monotonous noises in my head begin to bother me. |
| Disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus. In this case, the person will not be able to coordinate his movements and will lose his balance. | Most often, this situation occurs when there is a sudden change in body position. For example, when quickly moving from a horizontal to a vertical position, which is accompanied by tinnitus. |
| Narrowing of the vessels supplying the cervical spine. | Pathology of the cervical vertebrae leads to the formation of growths. They, in turn, put pressure on the blood vessels, which can cause tinnitus. |
| Emotional shocks, diseases of the nervous system, chronic fatigue syndrome. | Noise in the ears and head can appear against a background of mental instability. This is explained by the fact that under stress conditions the sensitivity of the hearing organ increases. |
The following disorders can lead to tinnitus:
| All of the above reasons can lead to pulsating tinnitus, as the blood supply to the brain suffers. |
| Taking certain medications. | Tinnitus can occur due to taking NSAIDs, antibiotics, antidepressants, and heart medications. Also, tinnitus may indicate intoxication of the body with drugs. This side effect occurs when taking large doses of salicylates, quinine and diuretics. |
| Aging of the body. | The older a person gets, the more the hearing organs wear out. In this case, loss of hearing acuity can be accompanied by various noises: grinding, humming, squeaking. |
Naturally, this is not a complete list of reasons that can cause tinnitus.
It can bother a person with the following diseases and pathological conditions:
- Vitamin deficiency in the body.
- Osteosclerosis.
- Brain injury.
- Pathologies of the urinary system.
- Osteochondrosis.
- Diseases of the endocrine system that develop against the background of iodine deficiency.
- Temporal bone injury.
- Meniere's disease.
- Benign tumors that develop in the brain, such as acoustic neuroma.
- Brain neoplasms of malignant origin.
- Suffered a stroke.
- Chronic or acute sensorineural hearing loss.
- Middle ear diseases.
- Low blood pressure.
- Inflammation of the membranes of the brain of a viral or bacterial nature.
- Diabetes.
- Pathologies of the nervous system, for example, schizophrenia.
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Video: Elena Malysheva’s program “Why is there noise in my ears?”:
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Often, tinnitus appears against the background of progressive osteochondrosis. The more the vertebrae compress the arteries and vessels communicating with the brain, the more varied consequences appear.
Pain in the neck, periodic numbness of the extremities, headaches, dizziness and tinnitus are sure to be noted. Prolonged tilting of the head back or tilting it to the sides can also lead to increasing tinnitus.
To prevent ear noise, it is recommended to move more often and lead an active lifestyle. You should not sit at the computer for a long time, and in general it is not recommended to be in static positions without moving for a long time. You should visit the pool at least occasionally.
Medicinal and alternative treatments for tinnitus
Treatment occurs in three directions. The first is with medication, the second with the help of traditional medicine, and the third with the help of medical equipment.
In the first type of treatment, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Anticonvulsants;
- Psychotropic;
- Antihistamines.
In medicine, devices called “noise maskers” are used to treat noise. They suppress internal noise.
Separately, it is worth mentioning about getting rid of traffic jams. If you have tinnitus caused by cerumen, then you need to get rid of it. The disposal procedure is best carried out by a specialist doctor.
To get rid of the hum and noise in the ears, recipes from traditional medicine will also help.
First.
To combat this disease, you can use drops based on vegetables:
- Boil the beets and grate them; their juice is used for treatment.
- Bake the onion in the oven and extract the juice from it.
- Grate the potatoes on a fine grater and mix with honey, use the resulting juice as a compress during sleep.
- Onion juice has a miraculous property in the fight against tinnitus. Grate the onion on a fine grater, squeeze out a few drops of juice from the pulp. Soak a cotton swab in it and insert the ear canal into the ear canal.
- You can put almond oil in your ears. 2 drops in each ear.
- Place a turunda moistened with alcohol tincture of propolis in your ear.
Second. An excellent medicine is viburnum berries mixed with bee honey.
Grind a small amount of both components together and place in gauze. Then place it in the affected ear overnight.
Third. Melissa tincture.
Take one part of dried lemon balm and mix with three parts of vodka. Then place in a dark place for seven days. Place three drops of tincture in each ear and seal the ear opening with cotton wool.
Fourth. The use of medicinal plants that have anti-inflammatory effects:
- Take one part of currant leaves and one part of black elderberry leaves, and one part of lilac. Pour four teaspoons of the resulting mixture with water in the amount of four hundred milliliters and boil for twenty minutes. Leave the resulting broth to brew for fifteen minutes and strain. Drink seventy milliliters of tincture once a day.
- Strawberry leaf tea. Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of dry or fresh strawberry leaves. Drink this tea twice a day. Better with honey. This drink is an effective prevention of the condition.
- Tea made from dried clover flowers. Pour one teaspoon of raw material into 1 glass of boiling water. You should drink this tea in the morning and evening.
Sulfur plugs
This is the most common and most harmless cause of tinnitus. Normally, earwax is produced daily in certain quantities and plays a protective role. Usually, excess earwax is successfully removed from the ear, but this does not always happen.
In some cases, the narrowed structure of the ear canal and increased production of earwax disrupt natural processes and lead to the formation of cerumen plugs. They, in turn, put pressure on the eardrums, causing various noises.
To remove wax plugs, it is recommended to consult an otolaryngologist. You can also try to remove excess wax from your ear yourself using a large syringe and a warm furatsilin solution. However, before doing this, you must soften the cork using a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide. As an alternative, you can use modern ear drops that soften and remove plugs from the ears, like A-cerumen.
To determine the cause of the disease, it is sometimes necessary to undergo several examinations. If problems with blood vessels are suspected, Dopplerography and ultrasound examination are usually prescribed. Additionally, rheoencephalography may be prescribed, which can be used to examine the elasticity and tone of brain vessels.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of tinnitus, you should try to spend less time in cinemas, clubs and other noisy events. For the same reason, it is not recommended to listen to music loudly on headphones.
When visiting the pool, be sure to plug your ears with earplugs, as chlorinated water lingers in the ears and causes tinnitus. Here are some ways to mask and suppress chronic ear noise:
- White noise device (it creates alternative sounds of wind, rain or sea surf, suppressing the unpleasant hum in the ears).
- Fan
- Air conditioner
- Computer noise
- Hearing aid (it does a great job of masking noise)
The most important thing is to never clean your ears with cotton swabs, much less a towel. Such methods of “cleaning” only worsen the existing situation.
