July 28, 2005

Ears Ringing

Imagine spending every day with a distracting buzzing, roaring, humming, whooshing, ringing sound in your ears. Such is life for someone like Daily Health News reader John, who suffers from tinnitus and is desperately in search of ways to deal with this stressful condition. For most people, there is no cure -- but there are better ways to cope with tinnitus and not allow it to come between you and living your life to the fullest.

A Symptom, Not a Disease

Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom. It has a number of possible causes, ranging from age-related hearing loss, ear injury or exposure to excessive noise, to blood vessel disorders such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure or narrowing of a carotid artery, a major artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain. Another possible cause is the long-term use of certain medications (such as antibiotics or large doses of aspirin). Depending on the source of the tinnitus, treatment varies.

Coping with Tinnitus

Each person experiences the condition in a different way, explains audiologist Janice Howard of the New England Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic in Hamden, Connecticut.

Although the din of tinnitus can be frustrating and annoying, Howard says that it is rarely the sign of a serious problem, except of course if associated with arteriosclerosis or ill effects due to antibiotic use. (Note: These may either be a reaction to the antibiotic or a result of long-term antibiotic use.) Treatments vary widely and depend on the underlying cause. At its simplest, the ringing simply may be due to wax buildup and can be improved simply by removing the wax. Another common cause of tinnitus is a cervical spinal subluxation, potentially compressing one or both of the vertebral arteries, which carry blood to the neck, vertebrae, spinal cord and brain. A chiropractor or naturopathic physician may be able to correct this condition.

Additional considerations...

When tinnitus is due to conditions such as high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis, work with your doctor(s) to treat the underlying problem.
If ringing in the ears occurs as a result of a drug, talk to your physician about adjusting or altering your prescription.

In other cases, as when tinnitus is due to age-related hearing loss, the focus is on reducing the impact of the buzz since little or nothing can be done about the noise itself with drugs or surgery. Strategies include...

Identify and avoid factors that aggravate the ringing in your ears. These vary from person to person, but may include caffeine, alcohol, salt, tonic water, high doses of aspirin, loud noises, lack of sleep and fatigue.

Practice good stress management. Stress can elevate your perception of the noise. Look at stresses at work and home and think about how you can eliminate them or use stress management techniques to better deal with them, says Howard.

Try tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This approach combines a quiet sound generator worn in the ear and counseling to change the patient's perception of tinnitus, since little or nothing can be done about the noise itself. You set the volume yourself to mix and blend with the tinnitus, rather than to mask or cover it, explains Howard. The goal is not to drown out the noise, but to train your brain to ignore it. TRT is a long-term approach that requires a one- to two-year commitment.

Be well, Carole Jackson,  Bottom Line's Daily Health News, http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com

Sources:
The Ears Are Ringing

Janice Howard, audiologist, New England Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic, Hamden, Connecticut.
American Tinnitus Association, www.ata.org