The problem of tinnitus is quite common, and besides, it is unpleasant. After all, it interferes with the normal life of a person, diverting his attention, the patient feels discomfort. The sound can be intermittent or continuous, and is almost always observed when a person is exposed to noise with a large number of decibels. If you were at a concert and then went outside, you may have a ringing inside your head. This is quite normal, because every person has transient episodes of ringing. Another thing is when the sound is observed for several days, weeks and even months. This symptom directly indicates the presence of serious he alth problems. There are quite a few causes of tinnitus, and further treatment depends on them. Therefore, before solving the problem, it is necessary to find the source.
Medical certificate
Tinnitus is the sensation of sound in the ears in medical terminology. Otolaryngologists often encounter such a problem in practice. It is worth noting that about 10% of the world's population seek help with such a symptom, and even more people continue to live without consulting a doctor. Sometimesconstant tinnitus can be a disease in itself, but in most cases it is a sign of some other disease.
Tinnitus is considered one of the most difficult symptoms, because it does not have an external stimulus. According to patients, they often complain of high-pitched ringing. Usually people compare this sound with a bell. There are a lot of reasons for tinnitus: from a banal sulfur plug that clogs the ear canal, to complex nervous disorders in the central nervous system. Only a qualified doctor will be able to correctly diagnose the source of the ringing, and then treat it. Therefore, if possible, it is better to contact a trusted doctor.
Causes of tinnitus and head noise
The brain takes irritation of the inner ear for an extraneous sound. Consider the most common root causes of the problem:
- Stress or emotional tension. The release of adrenaline into the blood can lead to a sensation of hum or ringing in the ears and head. Sometimes hearing quality deteriorates due to depression or overwork. At the same time, consciousness and thoughts are confused, but the balance is maintained. To begin with, the patient just needs to have a good rest, form a daily routine, and calm down. If this does not help, then it's time to seek help from specialists.
- Sulfur cork. Extraneous noise often occurs due to blockage of the ear canal. How to get rid of tinnitus caused by this cause, we will tell in the corresponding section of ourmaterial.
- Loud music. Hearing loss and the appearance of extraneous hum may occur due to the passion for loud music. Today's teenagers wear headphones for half a day, sooner or later this will affect the he alth of their hearing aid.
- Allergy. One symptom of this problem is tinnitus. The symptom will go away on its own when you deal with the underlying condition.
- Arterial and atmospheric pressure. With their differences, a person often stuffs up his ears or an extraneous sound appears.
- Head injury with damage to hearing organs. This can be cured with surgery.
Non-hearing aid tinnitus
In addition to the above sources of ailment, there are other causes of tinnitus. Here we are talking about diseases that can be both systemic and localized. If a patient has a pulsating form of sound in the ears, then most likely he is worried about one of the following diseases:
- Atherosclerosis. The main symptom of the disease is the deposition of cholesterol under the endothelium of the vessel walls. Because of this, atherosclerotic plaques appear, which lead to a violation of the properties of the liquid part of the blood and a decrease in the lumen of the vessel. As a result, the blood flow changes, and when the plaque is close to the organs of hearing, the patient has a sound in the ears.
- High blood pressure. This disease occurs in 80% of the elderly, one of the most common diseases in the world. If the numbers on the tonometer go off scale, a person may feelnoise in the right or left ear. This is a standard symptom of hypertension. Taking caffeine and other foods or drugs that activate the nervous system will worsen the situation.
- Oncology. Only those cases are dangerous for the ears when the diseases are localized in the immediate vicinity. Acoustic neuroma is the most common cause of tinnitus of all cancers. It is worth noting that the tumor is benign, but causes a constant hum, which is almost impossible to get rid of.
Forms of tinnitus
As already noted, an extraneous sound appears for a reason. It could be a hearing problem or a symptom of other illnesses. So, with tinnitus, what to do? If a person feels ringing on an ongoing basis, it is necessary to make an appointment with an otolaryngologist. He will conduct a study and make a diagnosis.
There are certain forms of tinnitus, let's take a closer look at each of them:
- Constant noise. This symptom is characteristic of atherosclerosis and lesions of the arteries of the neck. This type of tinnitus will not go away on its own and will require long-term treatment. It is worth noting that medicines in this case are powerless. A person quickly gets used to a constant sound, so it does not reduce his ability to work so much.
- Ringing and pain in the ear. Often, such a sign is observed when inflammatory processes occur, localized near the inner or middle ear. Quite often, the patient has otitis media. If the disease proceeds with the formationpus, this can change the anatomical structure of the auditory ossicles. As a result, the patient feels a hum in the ears of a constant nature, but with variable intensity.
- Ripple in the ears. This symptom directly indicates the appearance of hypertension. If the blood pressure is greatly increased, then there is an increase in the pulse wave that extends to the ear area. After the problem with hypertension is resolved, the ringing will go away on its own. A rare cause of tinnitus of this nature is erythrocytosis. With such a disease, an excessive number of red blood cells is found in a person, which worsens the properties of the blood.
- Noise coupled with dizziness. The situation is the opposite of hypertension. If the patient has low blood pressure, he will also feel an extraneous sound, which is always accompanied by dizziness. This is due to a lack of oxygen in the brain tissue. Also, a symptom is observed in atherosclerosis with a large number of plaques.
- One-sided noise. If the sound is localized either in the right or in the left ear, then this indicates damage to the vascular tissue on only one side. The sign also manifests itself in the presence of systemic autoimmune diseases.
Classification
It is worth noting that the causes and treatment of tinnitus are interrelated. It is impossible to offer quality therapy without understanding the source of the problem. Information is needed about the nature of the sound and its accompanying symptoms. The situation is complicated by the fact that the signs are often subjective. How then to diagnose the disease? For relaxFor this task, the Soviet academician Soldatov I. B. developed a classification that became a landmark in the further development of medicine.
The method of isolating four degrees of noise is quite popular among current doctors, as it is very convenient and practical. The academician divided the noise into several steps:
- Extraneous sound does not reduce performance, it is easy to get used to it, it practically does not interfere with the normal life of people.
- The ringing is quite pronounced, especially disturbing patients at night.
- The noise is continuous, attacking the patient day and night. A person has to be distracted by it, insomnia and irritability appear.
- Extraneous sound is difficult to bear, the patient hears it every second, the performance decreases to zero.
In practice, this classification is easy to apply. The specialist evaluates the patient's behavior by symptoms, assigns it to any stage, and then determines its diagnosis. Thus, the classification of the academician greatly simplifies the final diagnosis.
Signs of tinnitus
However, an extraneous sound is not always a symptom of any disease. There are many cases when a patient was found to have tinnitus, that is, a noise disease. A ringing or hum that occurs constantly significantly distracts a person’s attention and reduces his level of performance.
Consider the symptoms of tinnitus:
- hearing lossattention;
- a person cannot focus on simple tasks, he needs to make extra efforts for this;
- sharp irritability - constant noise has a strong effect on the patient's nerves, so you should not expect manifestations of tolerance from him;
- excruciating insomnia - sometimes an extraneous sound disturbs the patient so much that he cannot fall asleep;
- aggressiveness - the patient rudely responds to people around him, chronic fatigue manifests itself, he falls into a state of disappointment;
- there are cases when a person cannot distinguish the real extraneous noise from the sound in his head, this is the most serious symptom.
The problem under consideration in each situation may manifest itself in different ways. The ringing can pester both day and night, or it can abruptly disappear for an indefinite time, only to reappear for no apparent reason. Treatment of tinnitus and head noise should be carried out only after a correct diagnosis.
Doctor's actions
As already noted, the otolaryngologist must first make a preliminary examination. After identifying certain symptoms, it is necessary to proceed to laboratory and instrumental diagnostic studies. It must be said that only a comprehensive examination will help to identify the cause without error.
After collecting an anamnesis, specialists prescribe a series of measures to confirm or refute the preliminary diagnosis. Consider the most effective methods for determining the disease:
- Otoscopy. This method consists in an external examination by a doctor of the ear canal. Otoscopy allows you to immediately confirm or exclude some variants of diseases, such as blockage with a sulfuric plug, the presence of an inflammatory process in the ear. The study takes place using a device called an "otoscope".
- Audiometry. This method is needed to determine the sensitivity threshold of the hearing aid. Thanks to the study, it is possible to establish the amplitude of the sound and its audibility by the patient.
- Auscultation. Here the doctor will use a phonendoscope, which allows you to pick up extraneous sound and vibration. This method is indispensable for determining the pulsating ringing or hum.
Immediately after such events, treatment for tinnitus can be prescribed. However, in some situations, the information obtained is not enough. Then the doctor should apply other methods, such as computed tomography of the head and angiography of the arteries. Based on the results of all studies, a diagnosis is made and therapy is prescribed.
Treatment for tinnitus and head noise
It is aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. If the cause could not be found (this also happens), then the doctor should look at the situation. The specialist often stops at one of the following methods:
- Drug therapy. Includes medicines containing vitamin B, zinc, and drugs to improve brain activity.
- Special implants. They are aimed at creating white noise that overlaps other extraneous sound. Sickusually turns on a CD with nature sounds and falls asleep safely.
- Psychotherapy. Treatment of this type comes down to the ability to meditate. The patient shifts his attention to another sound and is no longer distracted by the noise in his ears.
Drug therapy
The treatment of tinnitus and head noise with drugs is the most effective, despite the fact that at present there are no drugs that universally relieve the problem. Diagnosis plays an important role in the choice of therapy. When the doctor knows a certain cause, he tries to eliminate it. If the underlying disease is cured, then the accompanying symptoms will not bother.
If a patient has otitis media, experts prescribe antibiotics. Augmentin, Levomycetin and Ceftriaxone are quite effective. It is worth noting that self-selection of medicines is not always a good idea. Before taking any drug, it is better to consult with your doctor.
Medications are excellent in detecting inflammatory processes along with the appearance of tinnitus. Reviews of such drugs as Albucid, Otipaks, Resorcinol, Sofradex, etc., are the most positive. These products are available in drops and solutions, so they are easy to use.
In case of extraneous sound in the ears due to hypertension, the treatment should be aimed at normalizing blood pressure. Ifnoises appear for psychological and neurological reasons, it is necessary to connect a specialist in the relevant field.
How to properly clean your ears? Sulfur Plug
The most common way to clean the ear canal is to use a Q-tip. But in the case of a sulfur plug, this method is ineffective, since it only pushes it further. For prevention purposes, you can purchase Remo-Vax drops at the pharmacy. Drip them into your ears several times a month, they are great at softening the passage and removing wax.
Clog is found quite often, especially after diving into the water or taking a shower. When moistened, it swells, so a person hears worse. To remove an old sulfur plug, you must first soften it. Warm sunflower oil is ideal for this. Be prepared for hearing loss during the procedure due to the presence of additional fluid.
Traditional medicine
As always, in addition to the methods of traditional medicine, you can use folk methods. The main goal is to alleviate the patient's condition, but by no means cure completely. Dill infusion is considered quite effective. This plant must be crushed, pour boiling water and let it brew for twenty minutes. It is recommended to take half a glass thirty minutes before meals for a month.
Another way to reduce noise is to finely chop two or three cloves of garlic. Then you need to fill it with two tablespoons of propolis, strain after five days. Use the prepared solution for rubbing behind the ears.shells several times a day.
Useful herbs are lemon balm and hawthorn. Their action can alleviate the suffering of people suffering from extraneous sound in the ears.
Preventive measures
The appearance of noise in the ear: causes, treatment, drugs that are the most effective - we have considered all this in our material. To reduce the likelihood of a symptom, you must follow the preventive recommendations:
- While listening to music with headphones, watch the volume, especially when riding the subway. The combination of the sound of the train and the music results in a huge strain on the ears.
- If your job involves constant noise, use earplugs.
- When you're suffering from tinnitus, avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol. They only increase the discomfort.
- Use solutions or drops to clean your ears, cotton buds push wax into your ear canal, causing blockage.
There are quite a few causes of tinnitus, we have covered the main ones. Preventive measures simply involve being more mindful of he alth. It is much easier to prevent a disease than to treat it later. So the choice is yours.
