Periodic tinnitus is a normal occurrence that does not carry any danger. But if you constantly feel an unpleasant symptom, we can talk about a phenomenon such as tinnitus. Treatment should be long and complex. In addition, the intake of any drugs and the passage of procedures are permissible only under the supervision of a specialist.
Tinnitus: what is it?
Tinnitus is a pathological condition that is accompanied by tinnitus. The patient can hear sounds, ringing and crackling, even if there is no external irritant. Most doctors agree that tinnitus is not an independent disease. Rather, it is a symptom of more severe conditions.
There is an opinion that tinnitus is incurable. This is due to the fact that drugs designed specifically to combat this symptom do not exist. Doctors rightly consider it a social ailment that occurs due to the negative effects of irritating factors. Given the modern rhythm of life, not only mature and elderly people, but also young people and even children suffer from tinnitus.
Main reasons
Tinnitus is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. To deal with the problem, you need to figure out why it appeared. So, the causes of tinnitus are as follows:
- blood pressure differences;
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- inflammatory processes in the ears;
- hearing loss;
- Meniere's syndrome;
- arteriosclerosis of blood vessels;
- stressful conditions;
- thyroid disease, diabetes and other endocrine problems;
- auditory nerve neuroma;
- multiple sclerosis;
- taking certain medications (antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics);
- loud sounds (including playing music through headphones);
- injuries.
Symptoms of the disease
A fairly common disease is tinnitus. Treatment should only begin if the final diagnosis has been made. The fact is that ringing and tinnitus is a common phenomenon that may not carry a danger. You can talk about the disease in the presence of such symptoms:
- before going to bed, when complete silence forms in the room, the condition worsens;
- focusing on noise and tinnitus leads to sleep disturbance;
- in the most severe cases, unpleasant sensations are present during the day in a noisy room or on the street;
- intrusive noise leads to emotional disturbances;
- gradual hearing impairment.
Classification
In international practice, it is customary to classify tinnitus according to 4 signs:
- In accordance with the mechanism of education:
- objective - there is a physical source of sound that is heard not only by the patient, but also by his doctor;
- subjective - the formation of an acoustic symbol without exposure to an external stimulus.
- According to the place of education:
- tinnitus with damage to the inner ear;
- outer ear;
- middle ear;
- auditory nerve;
- central auditory system.
- By time:
- acute (lasts 1-3 months);
- moderate (3 months - 1 year);
- chronic (more than 1 year).
- In accordance with secondary symptoms:
- compensated tinnitus (the patient has the ability to eliminate tinnitus, and therefore this problem does not significantly affect the quality of life);
- uncompensated tinnitus (tinnitus is accompanied by a mass of concomitant symptoms and complications, due to which the quality of life deteriorates significantly).
Objective Tinnitus
Doctors often diagnose objective tinnitus. What it is? This is a situation where a sound that interferes with the patient can be heard by his attending physician. A similar phenomenon is caused by muscle spasm or pathological expansion of the Eustachian tube. Also, a pulsation in the blood vessels can serve as the cause. All this can lead to ringing, noise, or tinnitus. Most often, enough medication is enough. Nevertheless, sometimes doctors have to resort to neurosurgical intervention.
Subjective Tinnitus
Why is it tinnitus with subjective tinnitus? To begin with, it is worth noting that only the patient can hear this. We can say that this is a kind of phantom perception caused by reduced neural plasticity of the auditory nerve. Thus, the sound perception department is affected. For effective treatment, it is not enough to diagnose the disease itself. It is important to identify its root cause. After all, this is not an independent disease, but one of the symptoms of other ailments, among which it is especially worth noting:
- the presence of sulfur plugs or any foreign bodies in the ear canal;
- inflammatory process;
- middle and external otitis media;
- otosclerosis, which is associated with bone growth in the middle ear, which is a pathology;
- inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis);
- disruption of the Eustrachian tube caused by infectious diseases of the respiratory tract;
- mechanical or noise injury.
Ways to solve the problem
Noise and ringing in the ears is an abnormal condition that cannot be ignored. Mandatory medical intervention requires tinnitus. Treatment can be carried out in the following ways:
- taking a complex of medicines and homeopathic medicines (the measure is aimed at accelerating cerebral circulation);
- the installation of implants that block tinnitus (neutral noise or relaxing sounds may be given);
- cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (training in meditative techniques that help distract attention from tinnitus).
Modern treatment methods
Not knowing how to get rid of tinnitus, patients seek help from qualified specialists. Unfortunately, most traditional treatments for tinnitus are ineffective or give short-term results. In most foreign and a number of domestic clinics, such modern methods of treatment are practiced:
- Psychological counseling in order to develop certain skills to suppress discomfort. The patient learns not to respond to this phenomenon or to turn his attention to other irritants.
- Hyperbolic oxygenation involves the supply of oxygen under high pressure. The procedure is performed in a special pressure chamber, which creates a feeling of deep immersion under water. Next, the patient is put on a mask through which pure oxygen is supplied. As a result, regeneration of damaged cells of the hearing aid occurs. This technique is effective only in the early stages of the development of the disease.
- Biofeedback involves the use of a special device that transmits nerve connections and muscle contractions to the monitor screen. Thus, the doctor manages to understand why tinnitus and develop appropriate recommendations.
- Neurotic feedback consists in controlling the nerve impulses of the brain in a calm state or during the performance of special exercises. Thus, it is possible to create an individual set of physical activities that will help reduce tinnitus.
- Retraining therapy is based on a system of associations that can affect auditory perception.
- Audio stimulation consists in reproducing specific sounds that are designed to distract the patient from the main problem. After several procedures, the problem should recede into the background. That is, tinnitus does not disappear completely, but ceases to have an irritating effect.
- The CR-method is an innovation, effective in cases where no other procedure can overcome acute and chronic tinnitus. Neurostimulation is applied to those patients in whom the auditory nerves cease to perceive brain signals. Thus, they begin to produce their own impulses. This phenomenon is also called pulsating tinnitus. The goal of therapy is to disrupt the established rhythm, which will lead to normal transmission of auditory signals.
Acupressure
In search of an effective method to get rid of tinnitus, patients often turn to alternative medicine. So, one of the most effective methods is acupressure, which involves finger massage. The most effective are the following techniques:
- With your index finger, feel the hole above the upper lip, which is located in close proximity to the nose. Hold for 7 seconds. Next, you need to hold the point on the top of the nose, which is near the eyebrows, with your finger.
- With your index and thumb, pinch the upper cartilage of the auricle. For 1 minute in a circular motion, massage the indicated area. The procedure can be performed simultaneously on both ears.
- With your index finger, feel for the point at which the earlobe touches your face, and hold it for 7 seconds. The next 7 seconds, you need to perform similar actions with a point located at the base of the upper cartilage.
Within a few minutes after the massage you will feel a strong surge of heat in the ears. To reduce the sensation of tinnitus, the given complex should be repeated at least four times a day.
Yoga
To cure tinnitus disease, it is important to find an effective and, at the same time, safe method. In this case, yoga is great. The fact is that tension is constantly present in the body, which most people consider normal and natural. But it is precisely it that often causes tinnitus.
Yoga teacher Pyengara Gale, who suffered from this disease, developed a simple set of exercises. Inverted postures help eliminate blocks in the neck and head. Using special cables, you need to perform a stand on the shoulders and head. At the same time, the ropes perform a supporting function, allowing you to relieve tension.
It is worth noting that such yoga can carry in itself not only benefit, but also danger. So, if you perform the exercises incorrectly, there is a risk of aggravating the condition. Thus, it is better to conduct classes under the supervision of a professional instructor. At least at the initial stage.
Tinnitus: treatment with folk remedies
Unfortunately, the modern rhythm of life does not always allow people to allocate time for a visit to the doctor. In addition, many patients do not pay due attention to tinnitus. Thus, the urgent question is how to treat tinnitus at home. The following popular methods have proven themselves in the best way:
- Grate one large or a couple of small onions, then squeeze the juice from the resulting puree. Twice a day, you need to instill 2-3 drops in each ear. In this case, you can not use concentrated juice. You must first dilute it with water in equal proportions.
- Dried dill (along with grated stems, seeds and umbrellas) in the amount of 3 tablespoons should be filled with two glasses of boiling water. After an hour in a thermos infusion will be ready. Three times a day you need to drink half a glass of this product. Doing it better before eating.
- Three tablespoons of fresh berries of viburnum should be filled with water so that it completely covers them. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain the liquid and mash the berries thoroughly. To the resulting puree you need to add an equal amount of honey and mix well. Make bags of bandage, fill with the resulting composition and place in the ears overnight.
- Grate fresh beets (100 grams), mix it with a spoon of honey and pour a glass of cold water. Boil the composition for 15 minutes. Drain the water and put the beetroot on a cotton pad. Apply a compress to the sore ear and secure with a bandage.
- Peel the raw potatoes and grate on a fine grater. In equal proportions mix the resulting mashed potatoes with honey. Wrap the composition in gauze and attach to the ears as a compress. Fix with a bandage from a bandage and leave it overnight.
- Beetroot and cranberry juice are mixed in equal proportions. For a day you need to drink a glass of the funds received, dividing it into 3 doses.
- Fresh dandelion flowers need to be chopped, then put a thin layer in a small jar and pour with sugar. This must be done until the entire container is full. In this case, each layer is tamped so that the juice appears. The closed container must be in a warm place for three days. As a result, a syrup is formed, which must be consumed three times a day for a teaspoon.
- Dilute 15 ml of ammonia in a glass of water and boil. Dampen a cotton towel in the resulting solution and apply to the forehead for half an hour. Usually, a week is enough to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms.
Drug treatment
Despite the fact that tinnitus is an incredibly common problem, drugs aimed specifically at its elimination are still missing. Treatment is selected based on which disease caused tinnitus. So, if the root of the problem lies in the violation of the functions of the blood vessels, such drugs can be prescribed:
- "Cinnarizine" - a drug that acts as a calcium channel blocker, optimizing the functioning of blood vessels.
- "Pentoxifylline" is a vasodilator that improves blood circulation.
If the cause of tinnitus is taking certain medications, a dosage reduction may be required. Usually, tinnitus occurs due to antibacterial and diuretics, as well as drugs intended for chemotherapy.
The most common cause of tinnitus is a complication after a hearing illness. In this case, drops are prescribed, the most effective of which are considered to be:
- Otipax - relieves inflammation and eliminates discomfort, thanks to a powerful combination of lidocaine and phenazone.
- Sofradex is an anti-inflammatory drug that is used to treat diseases of the ENT organs.
- Otinum copes well with pain and other unpleasant syndromes with ear diseases, and also acts as an antiseptic.
- "Albucid" is an antimicrobial agent that has antibiotic properties.
Paradoxical as it may sound, the cause of tinnitus may well be a violation of the digestive system. In this case, you need to take drugs that accelerate the metabolism, which will eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Thus, we can say that the treatment of tinnitus occurs in parallel with the elimination of the underlying problem. In any case, ear drops can be additionally prescribed to relieve irritation or inflammation in the hearing aid.
Preventative measures
Tinnitus delivers a lot of unpleasant moments to patients. The treatment of this disease is quite complicated, and therefore it is better to prevent the problem than to deal with it later. The following measures are suitable for prevention:
- When listening to music through headphones, make sure that the sound is not too loud;
- if your professional activity is accompanied by constant noise, use ear plugs;
- do not use headphones in public transport, because its noise will be superimposed on the music, creating an additional burden on the ears;
- limit your intake of alcohol and caffeinated beverages;
- do not use ear sticks, because they do not clean the earwax, but ram it, contributing to the formation of plugs;
- try to avoid stressful situations and practice meditation;
- a balanced diet should be maintained to ensure the normal functioning of blood vessels;
- give sleep at least 8 hours a day, giving the nervous and other systems of the body time for rest and full recovery.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, at the moment there is no single effective approach to the treatment of tinnitus. This is not surprising, because this condition is not an independent disease. Methods of treatment should be selected based on which particular illness served as the root cause of tinnitus.