What Should You Do if You Have Tinnitus?

Feb 07, 2023, 10:26 IST

By Dr.Anunya Reddy
ENT Surgeon, Allergy Specialist, Facial Cosmetic Surgeon

Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing sensation in the ears without an external sound. Tinnitus is a very common complaint which is seen in 7% of the population. Tinnitus is of 2 types, first is the objective type where the sound can be heard by surrounding people as well and the other is subjective tinnitus where the sound is heard only by you. Tinnitus is only a sign of an underlying problem and it’s not a disease by itself. The severity of the problem differs from person to person. For some people it can be sublime, unnoticed, not affecting their regular work and in some, it may cause depression and anxiety.

CAUSES OF TINNITUS:

Impacted wax
Ear infections
Sensorineural hearing loss
Meniere’s disease
otosclerosis
Vascular and neural tumours
Upper respiratory infections
Head trauma
Anaemia, high blood pressure
TMJ disorders
Allergies
Stress, anxiety, and insomnia
Some medications like aspirin, antidepressants, antibiotics, diuretics etc
Excessive use of caffeinated products, nicotine
Ageing
Idiopathic

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAVE TINNITUS?

Some of the precautions you need to follow are don’t use earphones at loud volume or avoid exposure to loud sounds. Include antioxidants containing fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you are already experiencing tinnitus, always make sure some sound is running in the background such as a fan, cooler, tv, etc, and avoid sitting in quite a silent environment. Engage yourself in some activities as the concentration on tinnitus will reduce hence the perception will reduce. If you have difficulty falling asleep due to tinnitus use some soft classical music in the background, this helps you fall asleep easily.

Tinnitus can impact your psychosocial and mental well-being too. So first consult with an ENT specialist as a proper evaluation is required to find out the severity and underlying cause of tinnitus.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SEEING A DOCTOR?

The doctor will first evaluate your symptoms. They will take some history to has how it started, when does it come or if is it persistent, will ask you some questions to elicit the underlying disease, and a thorough physical examination is done. Based on the history and physical examination doctor will decide upon the required test to come to a conclusion.

IS TINNITUS CURABLE? WHAT ARE MY TREATMENT OPTIONS?

Yes, unless it’s not idiopathic tinnitus is curable if an appropriate underlying cause is identified and treated. Sometimes it may resolve on it own but most of the time it may need treatment. So, the treatment is decided by your doctor based on the underlying cause and severity of tinnitus.

Treatment options would be lifestyle modification, treating anaemia if present, and antibiotics if there is an infection. Wax removal, nerve strengthen medications, sound maskers, tinnitus retraining therapy, customised hearing aids, and psychologist counselling in people who are suffering from depression, and anxiety. Surgery may be done if it’s required in ear infections if an underlying tumour is present but surgery for idiopathic cases is the last option and it's rarely done.