Tinnitus is something that doesn’t affect everyone, but it can be a fairly common problem that affects around 15 to 20% of people in general. It’s a symptom of an underlying condition, whether it be age-related hearing loss, an ear injury or some kind of a problem with your circulatory system. Whatever the reason, tinnitus can be something that isn’t a problem for most people and isn’t something that you should particularly worry about. Tinnitus can worsen with age, but with the right tips, you can possibly slow its progression.
What are the symptoms of tinnitus?
The symptoms of tinnitus are mostly the sound of noise that may vary in the type of sound you hear. It could be a ringing or buzzing sound, it could be roaring, clicking, hissing or even humming. These phantom sounds aren’t audible to anyone else but yourself and sometimes, you may lose your hearing somewhat, for a brief second or two before it returns. It can be a little nerve-racking to experience for the first time but it’s something that’s common.
Tinnitus is something that might be present all the time for some people but only occasionally for others. There are two kinds of tinnitus that you should know of:
- Subjective tinnitus: This is something only you can hear
- Objective tinnitus: The person examining you can hear this and is often a rare type of tinnitus.
It’s important that you seek treatment for tinnitus if it develops suddenly and without any apparent cause, or if you experience any dizziness or hearing loss with tinnitus.
What lifestyle factors influence tinnitus?
There are many lifestyle factors that might influence the appearance of tinnitus more so than usual. It’s worth knowing what these lifestyle factors are so that you can try to avoid them where possible.
Exposure to loud noises
Exposure to loud noise can come from a variety of places. It might be that you’re attending a music concert or festival and the volume is louder than you usually experience. This would result in damage to your hearing if you’re either subjected to it for you too long or you get so close that without ear protection of any kind, it could lead to severe hearing damage.
Lack of hearing protection in the workplace
It’s important that whoever you work for if it’s in an environment that’s potentially dangerous for your ears, there must be the right health and safety in place. This includes making sure that the correct ear protection is provided in order to prevent you from causing damage to your hearing.
If you feel as though you’re not given the right protection or haven’t received anything at all, then it’s something you should take up with HR. It’s important that you’re doing your bit to protect your hearing where possible, even if your employers aren’t.
Hygiene when it comes to earwax
Hygiene is important because if you’re not active in keeping your ears clean and dry, they may be prone to more infections. This could have an impact on the health of your ears and this could damage your hearing if it’s pretty severe. Earwax is good for your ears because it helps protect the ear follicles from dirt, however, too much of it can be a bad thing. It’s important that your earwax is cleared if it becomes too hard to simply wash away naturally.
How to prevent or help with tinnitus
Prevention would be to avoid doing any of the above and to stop them from happening if possible. Some of it might be out of your control, like an age-related hearing loss but being more conscious of noisy environments can certainly help keep your hearing in good condition for longer.
If you experience tinnitus and want to help improve the battle you might be having with it, then hearing aids are known to help reduce the noise it creates. It’s worth exploring what a hearing aid can offer you and the benefits it has when it comes to tinnitus. If you’re looking to get hearing aids, then you’ll want to approach a hearing health professional who’ll be able to give you the best advice possible.
You can get in touch with the team at Hear Again America who will be more than happy to guide you through the process of getting hearing aids and helping you with your tinnitus too. Give us a call at (877) 905-9493 to learn more, even if it’s to simply answer a few questions you’ve been thinking about.