Tinnitus affects thousands of people, it can be quite debilitating and those suffering from the condition are usually sensitive to loud noises and sometimes loss of balance. Sleep patterns are often interrupted which in turn can affect the tinnitus sufferers daily life dramatically. Most tinnitus comes from damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear.
The health of these nerve endings is important for acute hearing, and injury to them brings on hearing loss and often tinnitus. Tinnitus is common in people over the age of 40, but is becoming increasingly prevalent in younger people, as well, because of increased daily noise levels, including those caused by the unrestrained use of MP3s, iPods and other personal stereos.
If you are older, advancing age is generally accompanied by a certain amount of hearing nerve impairment and tinnitus. People with tinnitus hear a ringing or other sounds in their ears or head when there is no outside source. Whether it’s mild and intermittent or chronic and severe, tinnitus affects about one in 10 people.
If you are younger, exposure to loud noise is probably the leading cause of tinnitus, and often damages hearing as well.
There are many medical universities around the world studying and researching in the hope of finding a new tinnitus cure.
Is there a cure for tinnitus?
There is no medical cure for tinnitus, so treatment focuses on acceptance and management. For many people, the biggest hurdle can be learning to accept they have tinnitus But learning to acknowledge that you have the condition without focusing too much on the noises can be difficult.
Tags: Noise pollution, sleep patterns, Tinnitus retraining therapy, loud noises, noise levels, loud noise, Tinnitus maskerFiled under: Every Day Life
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An estimated 50 million people (according to the American Tinnitus Association) suffer from some degree of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) that ranges from mild to severe – so severe that it can have a huge impact on one’s life.
“One of the most important issues with ringing in the ears is the fact that it is traumatic to the person suffering from it, and it often affects their family or other close relationships, too,” says Andrew Cheng, M.D., an otolaryngologist and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at New York Medical College and ear health advisor for Lipo-Flavonoid ), a clinically-proven, dietary supplement that has shown promising relief for tinnitus sufferers. “The sufferer starts to believe he or she is crazy because the sound is heard clearly by them, but when they ask a spouse, friend, or anyone around them, that person does not hear this sound.”
“For everyone who suffers from tinnitus, whether the cause is known or not, it is necessary for sufferers to take control of their personal situation for greatest relief, since it can affect a sufferer emotionally and physically to hear a continual noise that no one around them can hear,” Dr. Cheng adds.
While there are some treatments available for tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, there is no real cure. Doctors suggest making lifestyle and dietary changes to help ease the intensity of the “ringing” (which can also appear as a whooshing or buzzing sound) including:
* Avoiding caffeine or alcohol
* Managing stress
* Avoiding exposure to additional loud noises which can aggravate tinnitus further (invest in a good pair of ear plugs)
* Taking Lipo-Flavonoid, a nutritional supplement that contains a complex of B vitamins proven to help decrease the intensity of tinnitus. Dr. Cheng sees improvement in seven out of 10 patients who take Lipo-Flavonoid, which is why he continues to recommend it to his tinnitus patients. The exact formulation of ingredients in Lipo-Flavonoid® has been clinically-tested to demonstrate relief
* Controlling blood pressure
* Decreasing salt/sodium intake
If you’re still not hearing well or your ears feel odd after several days, Dr. Cheng recommends making an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor or your health care provider.
For more information or to take an online quiz to assess your hearing health or to see if you are at risk for developing tinnitus, visit http://www.stopearringing.com.