Currently around 13 million Americans suffer from consistent ringing in the ears. Over 66 million Americans will experience ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, during their lifetime. Exposure to noise is the number one reason people experience ringing in the ears. Most people think the noise level in concerts, clubs, or sporting events is loud, but not enough to actually cause any sort of damage to their ears. The problem with exposure to loud noises is that it will actually have a cumulative effect upon the ears. The damage may not be noticeable right away; however it will start to take its toll on the person as they age.

Permanent ringing of the ears can cause a lot of discomfort. Ringing in the ears can actually lead to other severe health problems like a lowered immune system. Ringing in the ears causes many people to lose focus in their jobs and social life and they find it hard to concentrate on even small tasks. Individuals with constant ringing in the ears find that the sound never goes away and they are in turn bothered by it throughout the duration of their life without relief. Currently there is not a cure for ringing in the ears, only treatments that may help to alleviate some of the annoyance.

For each individual, ringing in the ears will sound differently. Most people describe it as a buzzing, whistling, crackling, hissing, or ringing sound. People hear these sounds when there is no outside source making the noise. The noise is actually made from the brain and the ear that are attempting to fix the nerves and ear problems that came as a result of noise exposure or other things. There are various reasons people may experience ringing in the ears, here are some of the most common reasons:

• Ear trauma caused from exposure to loud noise
• Ear infection
• Medications
• Fluid in the ears
• Stress

Exposure to loud noise on a consistent basis will do damage to hearing. 85% of tinnitus cases are a direct result of exposure to loud noise. Loud noise will cause sudden hearing loss for several people. If a gun is fired without hearing protection, the ears will be damaged and the individual may experience short-term hearing loss. Unfortunately, ringing in the ears is a sign that permanent damage has been done and the individual’s hearing will eventually decrease and may leave the person permanently deaf.

Wearing ear plugs to a concert or sporting event may help reduce the noise exposure; however it may not be enough. The ear plugs are generally made from cotton or plastic, and while they help, they still allow a great deal of noise into the ear. Scientists have been working for a long time to create new ear plugs that will do a betterjob protecting the ears. Companies that require employees to work in loud environments, like construction zones and clubs, will provide hearing protection to their employees. Generally the hearing protection is ear plugs or over-the-ear protection. Studies have shown that hearing will be damaged if it is exposed to consistent noise on a daily basis that is over 70 decibels. 70 decibels is the equivalent of listening to a blender or a lawn mower. Exposure to loud noise is completely preventable. People need to begin protecting their ears at a younger age, so they are not impacted as they grow older.

When an individual has a common head cold, it can easily turn into a sinus infection. The ears, nose, and throat all work together to remove the mucus and other infections from the body. Quite often the ear will have excess wax and other fluid build-up during a cold. The individual needs to cleanse the ears on a consistent basis and remove the fluid build-up before it becomes hardened. The hardened ear wax will lead to partial or permanent hearing loss and the individual may have to return to the doctor’s office to have it removed.

Individuals that are currently experiencing ringing in the ears should not use Q-tips or cotton swabs to clean the wax build-up from their ears. The Q-tips and cotton swabs actually push the wax against the ear drum and make the ringing in the ear noise worse. Doctors can remove the wax from the patient’s ear or they will recommend different ways to remove the wax. Hydrogen Peroxide has been helpful for several suffers of tinnitus due to wax build-up. The patient lies on one side of their head and pours ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide into their ear. After 10 minutes, they will tip their ear over a sink and allow the hydrogen peroxide and ear wax to drain. This will help to break down the hard ear wax build-up and the patient will not have to worry about pushing the ear wax into the ear drum.

Quite often people that have suffered from allergies experience tinnitus as they age. The mucous in the inner ear becomes thicker as people use antibiotics and anti-histamines. The mucous inside the inner ear has a harder time draining because of the Eustachian tubes. If the mucous is not removed, the individual will experience ringing in the ears. Doctors will need to thin out the mucous so it can easily drain through the Eustachian tubes. Several people use home remedy treatments to help the mucous thin and break-down. Herbal remedies are quite popular as is ear candling.

Stress has been known to cause ringing in the ear problems for many people. Individuals with large amounts of stress normally have lower immune system because their body does not have time to relax. Around 5% of all tinnitus cases are directly related to stress. These individuals generally experience sleep problems and have a hard time focusing. Most doctors will recommend not only 30 minutes of daily exercise, but 30 minutes or more of relaxation therapy. Relaxation therapy may include massages, facials, spas, book reading, yoga, or anything that allows the body to relax. Several patients being treated for tinnitus will use white noise machines in their home to help them relax. White noise machines make relaxing noises like rainfall, the ocean waves, wind, and birds chirping.

Some medications have been directly linked to tinnitus. Anyone taking aspirin on a consistent basis is at risk for ringing in the ears if they take more than 12 doses in 24 hours. Various medications used to treat cancer have also been shown to cause ringing in the ears. Doctors often try changing the medication of the patient to see if that eliminates the ear problem.

For several people, ringing in the ears may be a direct result of a larger problem. It is known that hearing tends to decrease as we age and normally around the age of 60 the hearing will start fading. Over-exposure to loud noises years earlier will take their toll on the individual in their later years.

Tinnitus normally arises in 4 different areas of the ear; the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear, and the brain. Several doctors have been doing studies to determine if the neck and head can cause an individual to experience ringing in the ears. Some patients have reported ringing in the ear noise after visiting the dentist or getting a neck massage. It is normal for everyone to experience some tinnitus noise in their lifetime. One of the main reasons ringing in the ears starts is because of damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear. As we age, the nerves begin to have hearing impairment, but it will increase if we do not properly protect our ears.

In order to determine the severity of tinnitus, the doctor will need to perform special tests to find out where the tinnitus is originating. The doctor will discuss the medical history of the patient and they will need to know if the tinnitus is consistent, intermittent or pulsating, associated with hearing loss, or accompanied with vertigo. Individuals with high blood pressure have a higher risk of having tinnitus because the blood vessels in the ear have excess pressure. Every patient that has unexplained tinnitus will need an audiogram to test their hearing. The doctor will expose the patient to various noises at different frequencies and they will record which sounds the patient reacts to.

Some patients will need to have additional testing like the auditory brain stem response. This is a computerized test of the different hearing nerves and brain pathways. Doctors will be able to determine if there is damage to the inner ear, middle ear, or outer ear by using this test. If the hearing loss is severe, the doctor may recommend a CT or MRI scan to check for tumors or other obstructions that may be causing the ringing in the ears.

Once the doctor has made a complete evaluation, they will be able to provide the patient with treatment recommendations. Since there is not a cure for tinnitus, the doctor is only able to inform the patient how to alleviate some of the annoyance caused from tinnitus.