Ringing in the ears must certainly be one of the most irritating medical conditions that exist. In fact, if there was a scale of 1-100 for annoying medical symptoms, ringing in the ears (or tinnitus) would surely rate well above 50%.
Ringing in the ears is a dismal condition and unless you have first-hand experience of it, it can be difficult to imagine.
The sufferer may find themselves with ringing in the ears after an evening at a night club where the music has been played far too loud, for example. (A common cause). This very loud buzzing can last for 24 hours afterward. Tinnitus can be present in both ears or just one ear. The noise may be in the range of an innocuous though annoying hum to a very loud ringing that never stops. Depending on the cause and the success of the treatment of tinnitus, the condition may last forever or just be a temporary condition.
Ringing in the ears can affect the sufferer's peace of mind, causing great irritation and anxiety. It can cause loss of acute hearing either temporarily, or permanently and seem worse when the quiet of night descends, sounding much louder than during the day. The condition can cause headaches, vertigo (dizziness) with or without accompanying nausea; and make the sufferer feel despondent and depressed either due to lack of sleep.
The diagnosis and cause of tinnitus is paramount. The general practitioner will know which medications the patient presenting with tinnitus is on and which of them could be causing this side-effect. Sometimes a change in medication can stop tinnitus in it's tracks. Removing large amounts of ear-wax could also provide relief from ringing in the ears. Should the general practitioner not be able to find any causative factor himself, he will definitely call in the assistance of an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist or a Neurologist. Sinusitis causing tinnitus can be successfully treated by the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist either through medication or surgery and a trip to the neurologist will either rule out or discover any other root causes which may or may not require invasive treatment.
Some medications, especially pain-killers, sinus problems, excessively loud music (which affects the delicate stapes of the inner ear) failing to protect the ears with muffs against say, aircraft noise - if the sufferer is a worker at an airport terminal. Also, using headphones (which are often tuned up far too loudly), air travel, illnesses linked to blood-flow problems (Pulsatile Tinnitus), and even other undiagnosed problems can all cause tinnitus.
Unfortunately, there are times when no reasons can be found for ringing in the ears and the patient has to learn to live with it - usually with the assistance of pharmacological support.
Recently, there was an interesting case on a reality television series documenting life in the ER of a busy hospital. A young woman presented with severe buzzing in one ear. She was so distraught that she needed sedation before permitting the emergency doctor to examine her ear. Much to the amazement of the staff and the doctor himself, he found quite a large beetle had trapped itself inside his patient's inner ear! He drowned the troublesome beetle with medical fluid inside her ear and then successfully removed it. When the patient awoke from her sedation, she was happy to find herself totally "cured" and shocked when she was shown what had caused her tinnitus!
Tinnitus is a condition to be taken seriously. The first course of action must be to see a physician to establish the cause and treat it accordingly. It could be as serious as the beginning of loss of hearing or be instantly cured by a simple change in medication - or removal of a bug!
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