Why Is Ringing in Ears a Serious Side Effect?

Ringing or noise in the ears is known as tinnitus. Tinnitus is not a condition, it is a symptom of an underlying condition. These conditions range from benign to serious.

Types

• There are two types of tinnitus. The most common is subjective tinnitus which can only be heard by you. Less common is objective tinnitus, which your doctor can hear during an examination.

Symptoms

• Tinnitus may present itself all the time or may come and go. It takes many forms including ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring and clicking. It may be high or low pitched in nature.

Causes

• Many causes contribute to tinnitus. These can be earwax buildup, damage from loud noises or age related hearing loss to name a few. Also, certain medicines like antibiotics and aspirin cause or increase the effects of tinnitus. More serious causes include blood vessel blockage, benign tumors in the brain and high blood pressure.

Prevention/Solution

• For the more common causes of tinnitus, prevention includes avoiding exposure to loud noises. Also, avoid excessive caffeine and do not use cotton swabs in the ear canal. This increases wax buildup and impacts it. A trip to the doctor is called for if tinnitus persists for more than a week.

treatments

• Treatments vary according to cause. More serious causes of tinnitus must be dealt with by a doctor. A trip to the doctor will determine if you have a serious condition that warrants further treatment.