My Ears Ring From Time to Time – HELP!

Have you recently started to hear a ringing like sound from time to time? Does it happen in one or both ears? If not for ringing, the noise might sound like hissing, clicking or even like music sometimes? You might be developing a condition called Tinnitus that is popularly known as ringing in the ears.

So, what should you do when this happens? Should you be worried? Can it be cured? We answer these questions below.

Will the ringing become permanent?

Your first question is probably whether this ringing will become permanent? The answer is yes, unfortunately it can. It is estimated that 50 Million Americans suffer from Tinnitus. The good news however is that Tinnitus is mostly a manageable condition for most people. In other words, after a while, people are able to ignore the sounds and go on with their lives.

But, for about 5% to 10% of people with Tinnitus, the noise can be debilitating or very intrusive in nature, affecting their quality of life. For a very small percentage of people, Tinnitus is excruciatingly debilitating, not letting them even sleep at night.

What can you do?

First things first, you must see an audiologist to have your hearing checked out. Tinnitus can often result as a side-effect of the onset of hearing loss. Such hearing loss can be partial in nature. Only an audiologist can detect that you have partial hearing loss. Please know that you can hear other people talk, listen to the TV and radio and hear most everyday sounds and still have hearing loss at some frequencies. Also remember that hearing loss is almost always progressive in nature. The earlier you have it checked out, the better chances you have of slowing down the progression of hearing loss. Hearing aids are often the prescribed form of treatment for hearing loss. So, if you have a random ringing in your ears, the first thing you must do is see an audiologist for a hearing evaluation.

It is also very important that you start protecting your ears against loud noises. Avoid noisy environments as random ringing means that your ears are sensitive and unable to cope with loud noises. If you can’t avoid noisy environments, use ear plugs or musicians ear buds to normalize decibel levels before they reach your ear canal. This could be crucial in preventing random ear ringing from becoming permanent, chronic or more intense in nature.

Other things you can do is check your vitamin levels to see if your Vitamin D, B12 and your magnesium levels are up to speed. Deficiencies in these vitamins and minerals have been linked to ear ringing, especially when it is random and sporadic in nature. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure and avoiding cigarettes and also limiting intake of alcohol, sugars, fats and salts will also potentially end the random ringing in your ears that you experience from time to time.

Wayne Whitehurst