Identifying The Cause Of Your Tinnitus

 

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Tinnitus, while not a fun condition, is managed by millions of people every day. Those who experience it will often hear a ringing, buzzing, clicking, hissing or humming sound, and this can come or go. 

This condition can be permanent, or it can be temporary, and even those who are afflicted with it unceasingly can have periods where it is much less noticeable. For this reason, try not to worry, as there are many ways to help soothe or aid this potential condition should you have it.

To begin with, it’s important to visit an audiologist or simply pay a visit to your doctor to express what you’ve been hearing and when it started. On top of this, a health professional will be interested in learning if this has been tangentially related to any other health issues or lifestyle changes you’ve undergone.

Now, this might not be as obvious as “I started working as a technical specialist for a touring band, and suddenly my ears ring after twelve hours stood next to amplifiers.” That said, sometimes identifying the cause of your tinnitus can maybe help you find a better solution, or learn a helpful way to lessen that harmful exposure.

Let’s consider a small, but not exhaustive list of possible issues that can contribute to tinnitus:

A Build-Up Of Earwax

A build-up of earwax in the inner ear, or even out of it, can cause a real problem with your hearing. But of course, it can also cause tinnitus, and as such you may wish to undergo professional cleaning. Hearing loss can occur naturally with age, which isn’t something to disregard, but it can be relieving to hear that it’s simply wax that needs attending to. In some cases, this, combined with other conditions that narrow the ear canal, can require additional medication to solve.

Dental Issues

Dental problems can affect your jaw health and also your hearing. For this reason, it might be that you become referred to a dentist after your audiologist consultation. The dentist might recommend wisdom teeth removal, repairing a damaged dental environment, or even notice infections that might be causing a problem. This way, the resolution of a mouth issue could potentially help you resolve the issues you’ve been experiencing already. Two birds, one stone. This is not always the case, but it can never hurt to ask the specialists to what extent this is possible. 

Certain Medications

It’s unfortunate, but certain medications can cause tinnitus also. In these cases, you might be able to alternate your medication, or at least seek further advice from your medical professional. These drugs can include NSAIDs, antibiotics, cancer drugs, diuretics, antidepressants, and even anti-malarial tablets.

If you do notice this side effect based on your medication, it’s important to relate that to your physician immediately. Don’t stop your medication unless you are instructed to - for instance stopping a course of antibiotics might be more harmful than not. Here you can work on the issue with a dedicated professional listening to your needs.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily identify the causes of your tinnitus going forward.