Millions of people suffer from ringing in their ears. Some hear it in one ear and other find both their ear ringing. Most people learn to live with it, but you can stop ringing in ears.
The condition is called Tinnitus, and is common. Constant tinnitus is irritating, stressful and can interfere with your concentration or sleep.With all these irritants, the good news is that Tinnitus is not life threatening condition.
Tinnitus is a medical term to explain random hearing of noises inside the ears without any external source of the noise. These noises can range from buzzing, hissing, ringing, humming, whistling or any other sound.
The ringing can be constant, intermittent or occasional. Each type of ear ringing may be caused by a variety of different reasons, but there are some common causes including, ear infection, sinus infection, wax, high blood pressure, damage to ear lining and other neural causes.
Causes of Ringing in One Ear
Though it is not very clear what causes ringing in one ear, occasionally High blood pressure, allergy or anemia can also cause sudden ringing in one ear or both. Other substances that may induce tinnitus are alcohol, caffeine, aspiring, antibiotics and some other drugs.
If you have suddenly realized the ringing during the past few days or weeks, then it may be most likely due to stuffy ear. It can either be wax or some sort of infection, but the long term ringing in one ear can be attributed to some sort of ear membrane damage or metabolic imbalances, nervous system issues, or circulatory problems. None of these things should be particularly be of real cause of concern.
However, one ear ringing can be serious in one case, particularly when the discomfort increase over a period of time and other symptoms emerge. In those cases, it may be worthwhile to exclude any tumor. This is rare but once you are clear that there is no tumor, it becomes easy to deal with the ringing.
How to Stop the Ringing?
You can deal with tinnitus with home remedies but perhaps you can't get rid of it for ever in most cases. Some lifestyle changes, giving up a few favorites such as coffee and Alcohol etc. and certain medication can help in reducing the impact of ringing in the ear.
Not a comprehensive list, but covering most of the items that can help you to reduce ringing are given below:
1. Mask the Noise:
It is more about diverting attention. trying to listen to the noises you like, so that the focus from the annoying ringing moves away. Masking the noise of ear ringing by other soothing sound like light music, is one of the best ways to stop ringing in one ear.
In fact, if you are driving or traveling, then listen to educational audio of your liking and choice. This will not only divert your attention ringing in ears, but also help you in learning new things.
2. Avoid Calm Places:
If ringing in your ears is already loud and constant then the calm and tranquil surroundings will make it worse. During the day time you can avoid such places, but the night time itself is calm. Sleeping can be disturbed. During the night when ringing in ear becomes more prominent due to quiet surrounding, a constant humming of humidifier or air conditioner can be very helpful in stopping the ringing sound in ear.
Even a constant running fan can mask the ringing. The regular patterns of noise created by any external source can easily distract you from the ear ringing so that you can sleep.
3. Take Rest
Stress can cause high blood pressure which can lead to ear ringing. Taking rest can calm you down and your blood pressure becomes normal. Yoga and meditation can help you to calm down. make it a regular practice. Get more rest.
Most of the methods discussed so far are basically using external sources to stop ringing in one ear or both, but there are some internal changes that can also help you to give a permanent long term solution of ringing ears.
4. Avoid Addictions
Addictions to caffeine, alcohol or nicotine can significantly increase ringing in ear. In fact they may be the real cause in some cases.
- Completely give up all caffeine containing food items, starting with giving up drinking coffee completely.
- No alcohol. Stop the alcohol consumption completely.
- Quit smoking. Nicotine actually retards blood circulation giving rise to the ringing in ear.
if your tinnitus was due to these addiction, then you will notice that your ringing in the ear has disappeared a few months after your giving up on these addictions. In fact it may happen in weeks.
If your ears have to work hard to hear, then the tinnitus can become worst. Therefore it is important to cure the hearing loss condition first. Since the part of the brain that functions to aid hearing will notice ringing as it works hard.
Even a mild hearing loss can exaggerate ringing in the ear. Correct it. All hearing losses cannot be cured completely but with hearing aids you can correct the defect.
If ear ringing has started after a head injury then you must call on your doctor because it may not be tinnitus. You should also consult your doctor if sudden ringing in one ear is followed by dizziness.
Otherwise Just learn to live with ringing in ear.
5. Correct Hearing Loss if Any