February 06, 2009

Pulsatile Tinnitus

There are different kinds of tinnitus. Some differ in the way they sound and also in the way they are caused and treated. One of the not so common types is Pulsatile tinnitus.

From the name itself, pulsatile tinnitus differs in a way that the sound you can hear in your ear is that of a beating or a pulsing sound. Instead of the usual ringing sound, you have that sensation of being able to hear your heart beating.

Fortunately, a rather wide range of this kind of tinnitus can be cured or treated. Once the main cause is figured out, the corresponding treatment for tinnitus can then in turn cure the tinnitus.
There are many possible causes of this kind of ear ringing. Among them is hypertension, heart murmur, glomus tumor, Eustachian tube disorder or abnormality of a vein or artery. As you may have noticed, all of which have something to do with the heart or the amount of blood flow in your body.

Most of the time, this kind of tinnitus occurs when there is ear infection. Once your ear gets irritated and is suffering from infection, then the inner ear inflames. The inner ear is usually filled with air. But once inflamed, the Eustachian tube malfunctions. Certain veins that are located near your ear or on your neck are then situated closer to your auditory nerve. Together with the inflammation and increased blood flow, you will then get to experience hearing your pulse or the rush of the flow of your blood.

Medications that treat the ear infection help eliminate the inflammation which then in turn lessens the pulsating ear ringing.

Be conscious that our auditory nerves are probably the most sensitive and delicate parts of our body. Thus it is important that delicate care should be considered in treating pulsatile tinnitus and any other ear disorder. Consult your physician or ENT for further information.

February 02, 2009

Ringing in Ears

Do you experience hearing a ringing in ears? If you do, then you probably have this medical condition known as tinnitus. This condition makes you hear a ringing noise but you cannot pinpoint where the source of the noise is coming from. It can bother you occasionally or constantly. In fact, it can affect you any time of the day, even as you try to get some rest or sleep.

No amount of pressure applied to the ears or opening and closing your mouth (which is the normal reaction of people) can lessen the noise or eliminate it. People often wonder how a person can hear a ringing in ears but the noise does not have a source.

The explanation to this is because that noise is being created by the nerve impulses of our brain every time it fails to receive active sound signals from the ears which the brain itself needs to interpret. This makes it difficult to manage the volume of the noise since it comes from within our system.

There is no need to panic however as this does not necessarily mean you will be doomed forever. There are ways to eliminate the ear ringing and ways to minimize the noise, as well as there are also factors which can trigger the noise and aggravate the noise.

Tinnitus is one of those conditions which will only get worse the more you give attention to it. As you continue to listen to every noisy ear ringing that you hear, the louder it will get. On the other hand, if you learn to ignore the noise and just continue doing whatever you need to do, you will be amazed that in time you will be able to ignore the noise. This is what they usually do with one type of treatment known as tinnitus retraining therapy.

Even if ringing in ears cannot harm you seriously, it is still best to consult with your physician and have your condition diagnosed. It is a lot better to know what caused the symptom for proper treatment to be carried out.

February 01, 2009

Causes for Ringing Ears

Tinnitus can be classified as a medical condition which can occur to anybody at any hour of the day. It may be normal if we hear a ringing in the ears once in a while, but you should begin to worry if you should notice that you have a ringing in the ears that is constant and which lasts for hours or even days. Should this happen, I urge you to get the causes for ringing ears diagnosed.

Although we are aware that there have been several studies conducted which enumerates the possible causes for ringing ears, it is discouraged that we neglect a visit to a specialist. It is still best to have your condition diagnosed by an ENT after you undergo a series of medical examination. This can help avoid complications and rule out the possibility of serious health problems. Serious health problems that may involve a ringing in the ears are ear and brain tumor, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Most of those that cause serious health problems are is the pulsatile tinnitus.

Other not so serious problems that have been identified to cause tinnitus are constant exposure to loud noise, impacted ear wax, ear infections, stress, Meniere’s disease and ototoxic drugs. Musicians and those who work as construction workers are highly at risk to acquire a tinnitus. But what is quite alarming is that we now have an increase in the statistics of teenagers complaining of a ringing in ears. The Ipod and mp3 players that most teenagers love to use when listening to their favorite music, seems to be harmful to them.

Not so many people are aware that noise can be damaging to the ears. Any type of noise, whether it is music or a blast from a gunshot, can bring potential harm to your ears and may cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. If in any event it becomes unavoidable that you should be exposed to loud noise, try covering your ears with ear plugs.

If in any case, after your visit to a physician, the cause for ringing ears cannot be identified, that is the time that you try switching to alternative treatments like homeopathic tinnitus remedies, tinnitus masking therapy. Never attempt to use home remedies if you have not seen your doctor yet.