|  | Conditions Treatments | Ears Hearing

How to Help Ringing Ears or Tinnitus

If you've ever noticed a high-pitched ringing in your ears or a faint, almost inaudible whine, you've experienced tinnitus. For some people, it can also take the form of a steady, rhythmic sound or even music. Tinnitus is not a disease in itself but a symptom that can be caused by many conditions, ranging from allergies to hearing loss resulting from loud noises. Treatments for tinnitus can take many different forms.

  1. Treating Underlying Conditions

    • In many cases, tinnitus results from another condition and will fade as soon as the primary condition is treated. For instance, ear wax buildup can cause a blockage in the ear canal, resulting in tinnitus. Removing the blockage -- usually by softening it with oil and washing it out -- will deal with the tinnitus. Allergies that cause swell can also trigger tinnitus; again, treating the swelling will remove the symptoms of tinnitus.

    Short-Term Tinnitus

    • Short-term tinnitus is a common experience. It can often occur after exposure to loud noises -- for instance, concertgoers may experience tinnitus after listening to loud music. In rare cases, this type of tinnitus can also occur as a side-effect after taking certain medications, including common painkillers like aspirin. Although it can be distracting and irritating, most tinnitus is short-lived and will simply fade with time. Nothing can be done to speed up its eventual departure.

    Chronic Tinnitus

    • Long-term or chronic tinnitus can be the consequence of a disease or may result from extremely loud noises that permanently damage your sense of hearing. There is no way to eliminate chronic tinnitus, but doctors use a variety of strategies to help tinnitus sufferers deal with the condition. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy can often help tinnitus sufferers to deal with the perceived sound, blocking it out mentally so that, even though it continues to be present, the patient can continue about his everyday activities unhindered.

    Sound Therapy

    • Another method of dealing with chronic tinnitus is sound therapy. Because tinnitus tends to manifest most strongly in silent environments where it is easy to notice, tinnitus patients often use quiet background noise, such as music or white noise, to create an environment in which the tinnitus is not noticeable. Like cognitive therapy, sound therapy is not a method of treating tinnitus; instead, it is an attempt to deal with the problems that tinnitus can cause for sufferers.

Ears Hearing - Related Articles