Tinnitus Treatment Blog

Archive for the ‘Loud Noise’ Category

What Safety Precautions should be taken when working in a Noisy Place?

Our auditory system is quite sensitive and delicate and it cannot tolerate noise beyond a particular level. The experts on acoustics state that a prolonged exposure to noise of around 85 decibels and above can damage one’s hearing.

Our ears do not have any pain receptors to warn us about the damage to the auditory system. Hence, it is our own responsibility to understand the capacity of our hearing system and to take safety measures to protect it.

In order to avoid the problem of noise pollution at workplace it is essential to follow some safety measures such as:

•There should be a sound level meter to measure the loudness of sound.

•The noisy machineries should be transferred to a sound proof room.

•Efforts should be made by the company to generate the minimum amount of noise at the workplace. This can be done by preventing a metal-on-metal impact, purchasing less noisy machinery, preventing the machinery from vibrating against some other surface and fitting silencers where ever possible.

•There should be a periodic examination of the machinery to ensure that any extra noise is not being produced.

•Workers should work in less noisy areas. If this is not possible then they should use hearing aids. The companies are obliged to provide its workers with suitable protection for ears.

The following hearing aids can be used by the workers:

1.The ear plugs are available with a noise reduction rating or NRR. This rating indicates how many decibels of noise can be reduced. An ear plug can fit just inside the ears. It should be of a right shape and should be at the right angle so that it can provide proper protection. Customized ear plugs can be a suitable choice for many workers.

2.Semi-aural inserts come on a band that gets fit below the chin or behind the neck. They should be used to protect against noise up to 87 dB only.

3.Ear defenders mostly come on a band that can be fitted across one’s head. For the workers who require head protection also the ear defenders can come attached to a helmet.

If these safety measures are followed then one can protect the precious auditory system that makes our life easier for us.

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A hearing loss can occur due to various factors such as excess ear wax, acoustic trauma, age etc. There are different types of hearing loss. A hearing loss that is caused by some mechanical problem in the middle ear or the external ear canal and obstructs the conduction of sound is known as a conductive hearing loss. This type of a hearing is the easiest to treat and can occur either by simple factors such as excess ear wax or due to complex problems such as a tumor. Children who have ear infections usually experience a conductive hearing loss due to the buildup of fluid in their ears.

On the other hand, the sensorineural hearing loss involves the nerve cells or the inner ear. This type of hearing impairment usually implies damage to the inner ear or the acoustic nerve that may lead to nerve deafness. Within the cochlea there are hair cells, nerve endings and fluids which all work in cohesion to process sound. These structures are quite fragile and can get damaged easily. Due to this factor the sensorineural hearing loss is the hardest to treat and is one of the most challenging problems faced by the medicinal practitioners.

Sensorineural hearing loss can occur due to the following factors:

o Aging
o Certain drugs
o Brain tumors
o Congenital abnormality
o Childhood infections
o Congenital infection
o Demyelinating diseases
o Viral infection of the inner ear
o Hereditary
o Loud noise
o Meniere’s disease
o Sudden changes in pressure

The treatment that is used now-a-days for sensorineural hearing loss includes the following:

• A hearing aid, which is a tiny electronic device that can fit into the ear.
• A cochlear implant, which is an electronic gadget that is implanted behind the ear. Unlike a hearing aid that amplifies sounds, the cochlear implant directly stimulates the auditory nerve fibers in the cochlea.

• Vasodilative agents.
• Low-salt diets.
• Instructions in speech reading or lip-reading
• Anti-vertiginous and tranquilizing drugs

The above-mentioned treatments have helped in restoring the hearing levels in specific cases. However, a lot of scope still exists for further research in this area.

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White noise generators or CDs are a boon to the patients suffering from Tinnitus as the abnormal sounds that they tend to hear, get masked by the white noise. This article may prove useful to all those people who would like to not only get a short term relief by masking the ringing in their ears, but also to wipe it off completely by retraining their brains to stop paying attention to these irritating sounds by the process of auditory habituation.

Tinnitus is characterized by ringing in the ears which causes a lot of disturbance and irritation to its patients. A convenient way to protect one self from the side effects of these constant or intermittent annoying sounds is to mask them by some other more pleasing sound.

White noise plays an important role in masking the ringing in the ear. It consists of the entire spectrum of the frequencies which are audible to a human ear and works as good masking agent.

By gently stimulating the nerve cells, it programs them in such a way that the Tinnitus sounds are not noticed by the mind. At times when the patients try to sleep at night, the environment is usually peaceful. The silence makes them much more aware of the disturbing sounds arising due to Tinnitus, which otherwise get concealed due to the din during daytime.

At such times, the white noise Tinnitus generators come handy because they minimize the contrast between the Tinnitus sounds and the pin drop silence.

White noise Tinnitus CDs prove to be more effective then home remedies such as a noisy fan or air conditioner which can cause distress due to the unpleasant sounds they produce. The sound of the white noise Tinnitus CDs can be controlled to suit one’s mood.

White noise machines produce pure white noise which helps the patients of Tinnitus to ignore the abnormal sounds they hear which prevents them from focusing or concentrating on any work.

The pure white noise is a soothing sound such as the ocean waves or rainfall. Those persons who suffer from Tinnitus may have a problem in leading a normal life. The less inexpensive white noise Tinnitus CDs come to their rescue, in which the bass and the treble can be changed by the listeners to conceal the high or low background sounds at any place.

Not only do the white noise MP3 recordings and CDs give instant relief to the Tinnitus patients but over a period of time, they also bring about auditory habituation in which the brain does not react in negative way to the unpleasant Tinnitus sounds. It gets retrained to ignore the Tinnitus noise.

Tinnitus retraining therapy or white noise therapy is a recent advancement in the medical field. By exposing the patients to the white noise produced by a generator, till a particular period of time, the brain is forced to listen to the actual sound and ignore the Tinnitus sounds they tend to hear.

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What is the meaning of gushing sounds in the ear?

The noise that can be heard by some people without any external stimuli is known as tinnitus.

Tinnitus has been divided into different categories such as objective and subjective, vibratory and non-vibratory etc. Objective tinnitus is also referred to as pulsatile tinnitus or vascular tinnitus due to its vascular origin.

In this type of tinnitus, which occurs quite rarely, the symptoms are apparently related with blood vessels that obstruct the smooth flow of blood in the body. This leads to gushes in the blood flow. If the blood vessels become narrow due to any disorder such as atherosclerosis or the stiffening of the arteries then there is a localized increase in the blood flow. Consequently, the adjacent blood vessels are required to carry additional blood and this creates the gushing noise.

This disorder can occur due of stress, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

There have been several cases in which people have suffered from a gushing noise in their ears which made them totally frustrated. In such a condition it becomes tough to distinguish different voices when a group of people are talking. The patients usually suffer a lot of pain in the absence of any background noise that could mask the gushing noise. Incidentally, when there is an increase in noise in the environment then the gushing noise increases too.

This gushing noise can be caused by a plethora of underlying disorders, such as the following:

1. Hypertension
2. Arteriovenous Intracranial Hypertension
3. Intracranial Vascular Lesions
4. Vascular tumors in the middle ear
5. Twisted arteries
6. Infection in the middle ear.
7. Heart murmur
8. Abnormality in the vein or artery
9. Atherosclerotic Carotid Artery Disease.
10. Arteriovenous Malformations or AVMs.

It goes without saying that in this type of tinnitus a medical examination is of prime importance to establish the root cause. Several tests such as the MRI, MRA, CT scan, angiography, x-ray and ultrasound may be done to detect the root cause with accuracy.

The treatment for a gushing noise in the ears depends entirely on the root cause such as drug therapy for hypertensions and surgical reparation for narrowed arteries.

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Generally speaking tinnitus is a disorder in which the patients can hear different types of noise such as buzzing, ringing, whooshing, chirping, just to name a few. This noise is not actually produced anywhere in the environment.

Tinnitus can be divided into two sub-categories, namely the subjective tinnitus and the objective tinnitus. The main difference between these two types of tinnitus is that the subjective tinnitus produces noise which is audible only to the patients. On the other hand objective tinnitus, which occurs rarely, produces noise that can be heard by others also besides the patient.

The noise that is produced in objective tinnitus is caused by the following factors:

1. Problems with the opening of the Eustachian tube.
2. Circulatory problems such as aneurysm or a tumor in the blood vessel.
3. Frequent contractions in the muscles of the inner ears.
4. The pulsing flow of blood via the carotid artery situated in the neck.
5. The normal flow of blood through the jugular vein.
6. Jaw joint disorders.

The noise that is produced in the objective tinnitus can be heard through a stethoscope.

We have two tiny muscles in the middle ears. They are attached to the ossicles which are little bones that conduct sound. Whenever there is a sudden or loud noise these muscles contract briefly. Sometimes these muscles start contracting and relaxing rhythmically without any apparent reason. Since these muscles are attached to the little ear bones they produce a clicking sound.

The brief and rapid twitching of a muscle or muscle group is known as Myoclonus. The twitching happens suddenly and it cannot be stopped or controlled at will. Sometimes the tiny ear muscles can develop a twitch or Myoclonus. This causes vibrations in the ossicles which leads to rapid and repeated clicking noise in the ears.

Palatal Myoclonus is a rapid contraction of the palatal or roof of the mouth muscles which leads to clicking noise in the ear.

Palatal Myoclonus is a rhythmic contraction of either one or both sides of the rear of the roof of our mouth which is also called the soft palate. Some people occasionally complain of a clicking noise in the ear which is made as the muscles in the soft palate contract.

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Buzzing in the ears and tinnitus can occur due to a wide spectrum of causes. Anxiety can also trigger and aggravate tinnitus.

Studies have been conducted to understand the link between tinnitus and anxiety. An epidemiological national survey was conducted on tinnitus, hearing loss and dizziness. A cross-section sample of 283 people was acquired from this survey. The results showed that there is a positive co-relation between anxiety and tinnitus. It has been proven that anxiety does not only trigger tinnitus but also aggravates it.

Anxiety can affect one’s overall health. It also heightens the awareness about the buzzing ears syndrome.

Anxiety can make the tinnitus noise seem louder and unbearable. If buzzing in the ears and tinnitus are caused due to some other factors such as a hearing loss, high salt intake etc then anxiety can aggravate the already existing problem. This makes it difficult for the tinnitus patients to focus on their day-to-day work.

Anxiety should be dealt with properly in order to prevent tinnitus noise from becoming unbearable.

The following procedures can be followed to control anxiety:

• Relaxation techniques can help one in relieving mental and physical stress.
• If one notices a high level of anxiety and stress then a doctor can be consulted. He can prescribe suitable medicines. A person can also seek assistance from a counselor or a psychologist.
• Understanding the mechanism of tinnitus can help one in reducing the levels of stress and anxiety. Awareness of the fact that tinnitus is not a life-threatening situation can calm down a person. This will reduce the anxiety levels too.

Some of the other therapies that help one in maintaining a composed state of mind are:

• Psychotherapy
• Aromatherapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Acupuncture
• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Yoga
• Herbal therapy

Herbs such as catnip tea, kava and motherwort tincture, passionflower, skullcap etc help in alleviating the anxiety levels. The aromatherapy oils that are widely used to curb anxiety include sandalwood, sweet marjoram, bergamot, lavender, cedar wood, geranium etc. These therapies help in soothing one’s senses and in controlling anxiety levels effectively.

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Nature has provided us with a delicate and sensitive hearing mechanism. Our hearing capacity is up to a certain limit. Beyond that limit our hearing system is bound to suffer from damage.

We hear lot of noise throughout the day usually. The noises of television, household appliances etc do not cause much harm. However, if we are exposed to blaring noise such as an explosion, then our hearing system suffers. A hearing loss can lead to tinnitus also.

This is evident by the fact that during a war the soldiers often develop tinnitus. This happens due to frequent exposure to heavy explosions and gunfire.

Explosions can damage the sensitive structures within the ears. These sensitive structures are called hair cells. They are tiny sensory cells that convert the sound that enters our ears into electrical signals that reach the brain. These hair cells are not repairable.

Explosions can cause a hearing loss which can be permanent. Such a hearing loss is often associated with tinnitus. Tinnitus that is caused by an explosion can either affect one ear or both.

Sensorineural hearing loss can also cause tinnitus. This type of hearing loss can be triggered by an acoustic trauma such as a sudden explosion. Tinnitus that is caused due to an acoustic trauma is usually temporary.

Exposure to a single explosion of around 85 decibels can cause a noise induced hearing loss or NIHL.

Awareness about the decibel levels is essential. Whereas a normal conversation may be of 60 decibels the noise of heavy traffic can be up to 85 decibels. Explosions can be of around 120 decibels or so. Long or frequent exposure to a sound of 85 decibels can cause a hearing loss. So we can well imagine the outcome of an explosion which is of around 120 decibels. It can surely wreak havoc to our hearing system.

Any noisy environment in which we have to shout to make ourselves be heard can be risky for our hearing system.

To prevent the adverse impact of potentially deafening explosions noise canceling ear muffs can be used to reduce the damage caused to one’s hearing.

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People often attend rock concerts in their leisure time. It provides entertainment to music lovers. However, we do notice at times that a ringing sound lingers in our ears hours after the rock concert has got over. This is the consequence of listening to music that exceeds the level of sound that our ears can tolerate. This problem is scientifically known as tinnitus. It is a highly frustrating and annoying problem.

Generally speaking noise refers to unwanted sound. Unfortunately people do not realize the damage that is done when they expose themselves to blaring music. As a matter of fact, noise of around 80 decibels is considered to be dangerous to our ears. The music that is played in rock concerts is of 150 dB. One can imagine the kind of strain it can produce on our hearing system.

Frequent exposure to such a dangerous level of music can cause irreversible damage in some cases.

To get rid of ringing after attending a concert you can take the following steps:

• It is considered to be prudent to cure the root cause of the problem rather then the symptoms. In this case it is exposure to a dangerous level of noise that is the root cause. Hence, try to prevent further damage by avoiding blaring noise. Wear ear plugs or ear muffs when exposed to blaring noise produced by traffic or at work-place.
• Keep the volume low while hearing to music on iPod or walkman.
• Increase your awareness about noise pollution.
• Try to keep your calm when your ears ring because anger can affect you psychologically also.
• Sometimes there is already potential harm done by the time you realize what has happened. So consult a doctor to have your hearing tested.

If we are exposed to so much noise that we need to shout to make ourselves heard then it means that our ears need protection.

Moderation is the keyword here. Music lovers can continue listening to music but in moderation. The love for music should not affect our health. After all suffering from tinnitus or a hearing loss would be a very heavy price one would have to pay for the sake of music.

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The problem of an abnormal twisted blood vessel can occur in various medical conditions. Let us discuss those conditions one by one and find out whether our hearing can get affected due to those conditions or not.

• Arteriovenous malformation or AVM can cause an abnormal twist in the blood vessels. As a rule, the blood flows from the heart to the different parts of the body via arteries and returns to the heart via the veins. On its journey back to the heart the blood travels through the capillaries before it enters the veins. In case of AVM the capillaries do not exist. This results in the blood flowing swiftly from the arteries directly into the veins. It pushes too hard against the walls of the veins. This leads to an abnormal twisting of the blood vessels. This condition can be present either from birth or can be caused due to a high blood pressure, severe trauma to the head by an accident etc. However, it does not cause a hearing loss.
• Glomus tumor can occur in the ear or just below it. It is a mild vascular tumor that comprises of a mass of twisted blood vessels. The younger people who have this tumor are usually operated upon for removal of the tumor. The elderly do not need a surgery as the tumor grows gradually in their body. A hearing loss is one of the symptoms of the glomus tumor.
• If an abnormally twisted artery lies too close to the cochlea then one can face pulsatile tinnitus. This problem is usually associated with a hearing loss. However, tinnitus is a symptom not a disease. Hence, it does not cause a hearing loss. In fact it is the other way round.
• Circulatory problems or vascular problems can cause abnormal twisted arteries. The peripheral vascular disease or PVD are problems in the blood vessels outside the heart and the brain. Varicose veins are a type PVD in which the veins become abnormally twisted, swollen and dark. However, they lead to swelling and inflammation but not any hearing loss.

The above mentioned information gives us a fair idea that abnormally twisted blood vessels do not necessarily cause a hearing loss an all the cases.

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Acupuncture is an ancient treatment that originated in China. The treatment is done by inserting thin needles into specific points in the body.

Acupuncture can cause certain side-effects such as mild bruising caused by the needles. However, they cannot cause any buzzing in the ears and the head.

If buzzing sounds occur in the ears and the head then they can be quite distracting. They can worsen if the root cause is not cured. Such sounds can occur as roaring, sizzling, ringing and blowing sounds.

They can be produced by the following problems:

1. Acoustic trauma caused by loud music, gunshots etc can produce buzzing sounds in the ears.
2. Ear infections can produce liquids or inflammation in the ears which can cause buzzing sounds.
3. Tinnitus is the medical name assigned to the disorder of buzzing sounds in the ears and the head. Tinnitus can be either mild which lasts for some time or else quite severe and persistent.

Fortunately, this problem of buzzing can be prevented by natural methods. And for this one need to take the following steps:

• Ear buds should not be used to clean the ears as they can lead to wax impaction against our eardrums.
• Take blood pressure medicines and other prescribed drugs as instructed by the doctor.
• If you are exposed to dangerous noise levels at the workplace due to machinery then it is better to use ear plugs.
• One should keep ear plugs or earmuffs handy for daily activities that produce offensive noise. Noise produced by lawnmowers, blow driers, traffic etc can be harmful for us. Blaring music is produced at rock concerts. MP3 players, personal music stereos can also damage one’s hearing system if the volumes are high.
• Stress can trigger buzzing sounds in ears. Hence, adequate rest is essential.
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol should be avoided.
• Sinus medicines should be taken as they help in getting rid of congestion.
• One should engage in some hobby or recreational activity for relaxation.

Loud noises can be surely avoided if we take some precautions. This can protect us from buzzing in our head and ears.

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