Tinnitus
Tinnitus
For most people, the rhythmic sound of ocean waves caressing the shore is as soothing as a mother's lullaby. But if that splish-splash-hiss-crash is inside your ears, it's a different story. Tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears," is the name of that lullaby. And it's anything but soothing!
Tinnitus is not a disease, and it doesn't cause hearing disorders. It's any kind of swishing, hissing, whirring, ringing, whistling, buzzing or chirping that goes on inside your head.
The causes? Tinnitus can be a sign of hearing loss, or it can result from head injuries, ear infections or diseases that range from the common cold to diabetes. People who work with noisy equipment, such as power tools, can also get it. Or tinnitus may be initiated by a single loud noise, such as a gunshot or an explosion.
Sometimes tinnitus is only temporary. If you have a ringing in your ears for only a few days (perhaps after listening to loud music), take it as a warning sign. Tone down your listening habits or tinnitus may become permanent.
Even when tinnitus moves in to stay, there are still things you can do about it. The first move is a medical checkup. After that, here are some ways to make it easier to live with.
Tone down sound around you. "Never expose your ears to loud sounds, because they simply make tinnitus worse," says Jack Vernon, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology at Oregon Health Sciences University and director of the Oregon Hearing Research Center, both in Portland. "If you have to raise your voice to be heard, then the sound around you is too loud. That includes vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, lawn mowers and so forth."
So wear earplugs whenever noise abounds. Pharmacies carry foam, rubber and moldable wax plugs as well as headphones you wear like earmuffs.
Try a little night static. Some people don't notice their tinnitus in the daytime, but as soon as the lights go out, they're up to their inner ears in bells and buzzers. "For those folks, I recommend detuning an FM radio to static between stations," says Dr. Vernon. If you keep the radio near the bed just loud enough to be audible, the static near your head will mask the sounds in your head and let you fall asleep. Other sounds that might be the key to dreamland: a fan running all night or a bit of soft music.
Play that shower! In the "mask that sound" department: "Some people can't hear their tinnitus when they take showers," says Dr. Vernon. Of course, you can't stay in the shower all day, but you can carry shower sounds around with you. Dr. Vernon suggests making a long-playing tape of a running shower. When the tinnitus gets bad, listen to the tape through headphones, he recommends. (The idea is to find a band of tones that includes your tinnitus tone but is more acceptable to listen to.)
Breathe deeply to dismiss distress. "Reducing stress often reduces tinnitus," says Robert E. Brummett, Ph.D., a pharmacologist at the Oregon Hearing Research Center. Deep, slow breathing is one safe way to ease tension any time you feel it creeping up on you, according to Dr. Vernon. But he cautions that this may not be enough. See a counselor if you're having difficulty dealing with stress in your life and your tinnitus is becoming worse because of it.
Skip the smokes and drinks. "Restrict the nicotine, alcohol, tonic water and caffeine you consume," Dr. Brummett suggests. If you find that it helps to cut out one or all of these, consider a permanent vacation from the noise provoker.
Don't take aspirin. People with tinnitus who take aspirin daily (for arthritis, for example) should try a different anti-inflammatory drug if possible, suggests Dr. Brummett. Aspirin can cause or worsen tinnitus. Some of the other anti-inflammatory drugs can also cause or worsen tinnitus, but not in everyone. By working with your doctor, you can try some of the alternative drugs until you find one that you can tolerate.
Give yourself a dose of distraction. "Getting distracted from tinnitus surely will help," says Dr. Vernon. "Focus on some outside things: Help other people. Join some volunteer groups. Don't retire!" he suggests. "People with tinnitus need to enrich rather than restrict their lives."
