Hearing Services of Nashville

Red wine and too much alcohol is just one of the things you should avoid when you have tinnitus.

There aren’t many conditions that are more complex to understand for those who don’t have tinnitus. The problem with tinnitus is that if you are not afflicted with it, you won’t see, feel, or hear the symptoms in the same way you would other ailments.

But for the nearly 50 million Americans who suffer from some form of tinnitus, the problem is very real and is often very difficult to manage. Tinnitus is best classified as ringing in the ears, but the American Tinnitus Association says, it can present sufferers with whistling, hissing, swooshing, clicking, and buzzing. Maybe the most frustrating part of tinnitus is that these sounds aren’t perceptible by others, which can lead to confusion, disorientation, depression and delayed diagnosis.

The number is truly astonishing when you consider that 15 percent of the overall public suffers from tinnitus. A report released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control says that 2 million of those individuals experience symptoms that are debilitating and severe while another 20 million have what’s considered burdensome and chronic tinnitus.

There’s a common link between loss of hearing and tinnitus, which is why people frequently turn to hearing aids to enhance their hearing and to drown out the ringing. While a hearing aid has shown to be a reliable method of lessening the symptoms connected with tinnitus, there are behavioral changes you can make to reduce the ringing.

Here are 10 things to stay away from if you have tinnitus:

  • Poor sleeping habits; Mom wasn’t joking when she said you needed to get eight hours each night. Getting plenty of sleep can assist you to avoid tinnitus triggers and also offers a wide array of other health benefits.
  • Particular medicines; Particular medications such as aspirin, as an example, are good at decreasing pain but they may also trigger tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be impacted by other medication such as prescription antibiotics or cancer drugs. But before you quit using a medication that was prescribed by your doctor, you should schedule a consultation.
  • Jaw issues; If you’re having jaw pain, you should already be contacting a doctor, but especially if you also have tinnitus. Reducing jaw pain might have some effect on your tinnitus because the jaw and ears share nerves and ligaments.
  • Caffeine; Once again, a rise in tinnitus levels goes along with this influence due to a rise in blood pressure. You might also find that too much caffeine changes your sleeping habits.
  • Alcohol; Your cholesterol and heart health can be positively affected by drinking a small amount of wine each day, or so the old adage goes. But when it comes to alcohol and tinnitus, you can have too much of a good thing. Drinking too much alcohol raises your blood pressure, which makes the ringing louder for some people.
  • Excess earwax; There’s no doubting that earwax is helpful in the grand scheme of how your ears work. But actually dirt is trapped and our ears are protected by this gunk that we hate. That being said, too much buildup can cause tinnitus to get worse. To make certain it doesn’t accumulate to an unsafe amount, your doctor can clean some of it out and help with prevention.
  • Smoking; Your blood pressure can definitely be harmed by smoking. What’s more, it can shrink the blood vessels to the ears, which can cause tinnitus symptoms to get worse.
  • Infections; Since a lingering cold can quickly turn into a sinus infection there has always been commentary about the need to find a cure for it. Make sure you’re reducing your exposure to sinus and ear infections because they have can aggravate tinnitus.
  • Harmful blood pressure levels; If you want to keep your tinnitus under control you should keep track of your blood pressure which can also help protect you from other illnesses. It’s important to note that both high and low blood pressure levels can make your tinnitus worse, so you should be persistent about routinely checking your blood pressure.
  • Loud sounds; This one most likely seems obvious, but it bears reiterating that loud noises can exacerbate the sounds you’re already hearing internally. If a situation happens where you will be subjected to loud sounds, be careful. This can include concerts, loud restaurants, and construction sites. Consider shielding your ears with earplugs if you can’t steer clear of the noise. Earplugs can be very helpful for people whose job involves using loud machinery.

Though there’s no established cure for tinnitus, there are ways to regulate the symptoms and take back your life. Give these 10 recommendations a try, and you may be surprised with the improvements in your symptoms and your general health. If these don’t help, set up an appointment with a hearing care professional.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
Why wait? You don't have to live with hearing loss. Call Us Today