North Jefferson News
COMMENTARY —
Dear Savvy Senior
What can you tell me
the about the constant ear
ringing syndrome known
as tinnitus?
At
age 56, I
have had
it for several
years
but it has gotten more and
more noticeable lately. Is
there anything I can do?
— Ringing Rhonda
Dear Rhonda,
Tinnitus (pronounced
ti-NIGHT-us) is a common
disorder that affects nearly
one in six Americans.
Here’s what you should
know along with some tips
and treatments that may
help.
Ringing ears
Tinnitus is the sensation
of hearing a ringing,
buzzing, roaring, hissing
or whistling sound in one
or both ears when no
external sound is present.
The sounds, which can
vary in pitch and loudness,
are usually worse when
background noise is low,
so you may be most aware
of it at night when you’re
trying to fall asleep in a
quiet room. For most people
tinnitus is merely
annoying, but for many
others it can be extremely
disturbing.
What causes tinnitus?
It’s important to know
that tinnitus is not a disease,
but a symptom that
can be caused by a variety
of underlying conditions.
The best way to find out
what’s causing your tinnitus
is to see an audiologist,
or ear, nose and
throat doctor (otolaryngologist).
The various things
that can cause tinnitus are:
• Exposure to loud
noise: This is the most
common cause.
• Hearing loss: For
many people, hearing loss
can cause tinnitus.
• Earwax: A build-up of
wax deep in the ear canal
can cause temporary tinnitus
and hearing loss.
• Medications: Over
200 different drugs can
cause ringing ears including
aspirin, especially
when taken in high doses.
For a list of drugs that can
cause tinnitus call the
American Tinnitus
Association at 800-634-
8978.
• Health conditions:
Various medical conditions
can also trigger tinnitus
such as high blood
pressure, vascular disease,
diabetes, allergies, thyroid
problems, ear or sinus
infections, Meniere’s disease,
otosclerosis, temporomandibular
joint
(TMJ) syndrome, a tumor,
an injury to the head or
neck and more.
Treating the causes
While there’s currently
no cure for tinnitus there
are some ways to treat it
depending on the cause.
For example, if your tinnitus
is caused by a medical
condition (high blood
pressure, thyroid problems,
ear infection, etc.)
treating the condition may
reduce or eliminate the
noise. If you have wax
build-up in your ears,
removing it can help. Or,
if you think a medication
you’re taking may be causing
the problem, switching
to a different drug, or lowering
the dosage (with a
doctor’s approval) may
provide some relief.
Other treatments
Another treatment
option for tinnitus that can
help suppress or mask the
sound so it’s less bothersome
are “sound therapies.”
These can be something
as simple as a fan or a
white noise machine, or
something more sophisticated
like small electronic
masking device that you
wear, or a music therapy
device like Neuromonics
(see neuromonics.com)
that actually trains your
brain not to hear the
tinnitus. Or, if you have
hearing loss, hearing aids
can help mask your tinnitus
by improving your ability
to hear actual sounds.
Your audiologist or hearing
health professional can
help you with these
options.
There are also certain
medications that help too.
While there’s currently no
drugs specifically designed
to treat tinnitus, anti-anxiety
drugs, antidepressants,
antihistamines, anesthetics,
as well as drugs intended
to treat alcoholism, epilepsy
and even Alzheimer’s
have been effective in
reliving symptoms in some
people. Alternative treatments
like acupuncture,
hypnosis, massage therapy,
biofeedback, meditation,
the herb ginkgo and zinc
supplements are also
worth looking into. And
counseling and support
groups can also be helpful.
Other things you can do
to help quiet the noise is
to avoid things that can
aggravate the problem like
salt, artificial sweeteners,
sugar, alcohol, tonic water,
tobacco and caffeine. And
protect yourself from loud
noises by wearing
earplugs.
Savvy tip
For more information,
visit the American
Tinnitus Association’s at
ata.org.
Send your senior questions
to: Savvy Senior, P.O.
Box 5443, Norman, OK
73070, or visit
SavvySenior.org. Jim
Miller is a contributor to
the NBC Today show and
author of “The Savvy
Senior” book.
