Monday, December 20, 2010

Best Tips About Hyperacusis Symptoms

There are different kinds of hyperacusis symptoms including hearing unexplainable sounds and noises, sounds that cause unbearable headache, and sounds of mouse and keyboards being pressed. Do you experience these symptoms? If yes, then you must have hyperacusis. What is hyperacusis? This health condition is defined as being oversensitive to certain sounds. Severe hyperacusis can be debilitating and devastating as it is very difficult for a sufferer to tolerate sounds heard on a daily basis. Having an idea on what the different hyperacusis symptoms are is necessary as this leads to finding out treatment for the said condition. Continue reading this article if you want to know about the symptoms that indicate hyperacusis.

Hyperacusis is classified into two: cochlear and vestibular hyperacusis. Some of the cochlear hyperacusis symptoms are discomfort, annoyance, ear pain, and emotional reactions to certain very soft and high-pitched sounds. Some of the vestibular hyperacusis symptoms are loss of postural control, falling, and loss of balance. These are also known as the Tullio’s syndrome and audiogenic seizure disorder. In vestibular hyperacusis, some symptoms of cochlear hyperacusis may also be experienced along with severe vertigo and nausea. In some cases, vestibular hyperacusis can also affect the brain’s autonomic system and this leads to loss of consciousness, mental confusion, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Both vestibular hyperacusis and cochlear hyperacusis can also be characterized by headache.

What are the Other Hyperacusis Symptoms?

Patients with hyperacusis may also experience one or more of the following hyperacusis symptoms:

1. Symptoms of Tinnitus - around 80 percent of patients diagnosed with hyperacusis also experience symptoms of tinnitus
2. Extremely Painful Headaches
3. Mood Swings and Irritability
4. Phonophobia or fear of social events - people suffering from hyperacusis develop the fear to engage in social events as they fear it would only cause them to be in uncomfortable and embarrassing situation, thereby affecting their life, socially, professionally, and personally.
5. Panic Attacks and Being Too Much Anxious
6. Extreme Fatigue
7. Nausea, Dizziness, and Loss of Balance
8. Musicogenic Epilepsy - this is a type of epilepsy experienced by people who often have direct exposure to frequency of sound they are sensitive to.
9. Tranquilizer Dependence and Addiction - to acquire relief against the pain and discomfort caused by hyperacusis, patients tend to use tranquilizers; however, they tend to be dependent and addicted to these drugs.

One thing you have to be aware of is that the hyperacusis symptoms are different from those of tinnitus. In fact, as mentioned above, tinnitus symptoms are just one of the symptoms of hyperacusis. If you start hearing some ringing sounds like the tinnitus sounds, make sure to consult with your doctor right away so that he/she can determine whether what you have is tinnitus or hyperacusis. Again, if you want to be treated right away, make sure to know the different hyperacusis symptoms as this is the very first step to becoming diagnosed and getting the treatment you need to get rid of the bad effects of hyperacusis. This condition can be devastating and debilitating, but when you recognize the symptoms early, something can be done to prevent it from worsening.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Useful Information About Objective Tinnitus

Tinnitus is classified into two types: subjective tinnitus and objective tinnitus. The former is a common type of tinnitus which is characterized by hearing ringing and hissing sounds unheard by other people. Objective tinnitus, on the other hand, is a rare type of tinnitus wherein the sounds produced can also be heard by others. For instance, the sounds can be heard by a doctor just by using a stethoscope. This is also more disturbing than the other type as it is accompanied by serious medical conditions like cardiovascular problems. This type of tinnitus occurs in 3% of all cases of tinnitus.

People with objective tinnitus frequently hear rhythmic clicking, low humming, or thumping sounds which are heard along with the breathing or heartbeat; hence its other name pulsatile tinnitus. This type of tinnitus may therefore be treated not only by treating the sounds or noise produced by tinnitus but also by treating the medical condition it indicates.

Objective tinnitus may be caused by two things. First, the sudden alteration in the blood circulation in the arteries or veins surrounding the ears can cause the production of ear thumping tinnitus sounds. Second, the heightened or increased sensitivity to the noise caused by the blood circulation in the ears can make a person hear tinnitus sounds. There are few cases however when this condition is accompanied by aneurysm or other fatal or life-threatening conditions making it imperative for the patient to receive proper diagnosis as there are root causes that must be pinned down.

The clinical investigation of this condition involves analyzing the patient’s medical history to check for prior cardiovascular conditions. The doctor may suggest that the patient undergoes CT scan, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance scanning (MRI), angiography, and ultrasound. These tests and examinations show the images of blood flow and blood vessels thereby helping the doctor identify the main problem. The doctor may also do some blood tests to check if the patient has anemia.

Relief against objective tinnitus depends mainly on the primary condition, which upon identification must receive immediate treatment. For example, if the cause of the condition is hypertension, it must be treated by taking medication that can lower the blood pressure, diet change, and lifestyle modification.

Patients with this type of tinnitus should avoid indulging in the following:

• High sodium diet
• Diet rich in fat
• Alcohol
• Beverages with caffeine
• Stress
• smoking

Atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of tinnitus and this is unfortunately caused by diet rich in cholesterol and fats. Therefore, it is important for tinnitus patients to get rid of them. High blood pressure, one of the common causes of tinnitus, is caused by an increased intake of salt since it can alter the fluid retention in the body. Caffeine can cause increased heart rate and blood pressure. The fluid balance in the body and in the ears can be caused by too much alcohol consumption. Stress can trigger the symptoms of tinnitus to strike. Fatigue and anxiety management is important to keeping the tinnitus symptoms at bay. You should not forget that cognitive-behavioral therapy, alternative remedies, and relaxation can also help a person acquire relief against objective tinnitus.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Helpful Info About Hyperacusis Treatment

Hyperacusis treatment is generally acquired through taking medications, undergoing therapy, using ear devices, and surgery. Read on as this article discusses about these methods.

Hyperacusis Treatment through Medications:

Drugs and medications are often helpful in reducing the annoying symptoms of hyperacusis; however, many people prefer not to take this route because its results are often unimpressive not to mention that their side effects are often adverse. Nevertheless, some patients attest that antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines greatly help in dealing with effects of this condition, particularly the psychological ones. Below are some of the medications used to treat hyperacusis:

• Klonazepam or lorazepam in low doses
• SSRI family of antidepressants
• Anti-migraine drugs, including topiramate, verapamil, beta-blockers and tricyclics
• Anti-seizure drugs like oxcarbazapine
• Baclofen

Hyperacusis often causes obsessive thinking, depression, and anxiety, and all these can be dealt with an intake of anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants. Another effect of hyperacusis is migraine which can be dealt with anti-migraine medications. Irritable neural pathways and brainstem hyperacusis responses can be treated with anti-seizure medications and Baclofen respectively.

Ear Devices as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Another way to acquire hyperacusis treatment is through the use of ear devices like ear plugs and sound generators or maskers. Ear plugs are useful in such a way that the noise the patient is exposed to is decreased. However, there are theories saying that long-term use of these ear devices is not good since they can only make hyperacusis aggravated. Being exposed to noise has a habituating effect and this effect may be lessened by reducing the sounds or noise. On the other hand, some people still believe that it helps to use ear devices just like how the use of sunglasses helps in protecting the eyes from the glare of the sun. Electronic noise suppression devices are also said to be helpful although their effect is not as great as those other passive methods. Sound generators or maskers are used for brain and nervous system conditioning to make these systems tolerant to the sounds and noise. They function like hearing aids but require monthly readjustment for gradual desensitization.

Therapy as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is another form of hyperacusis treatment. This treatment is the combination of using sound generators and the psychotherapy approach. Because of its efficacy, it is one of the most popular approaches for treating hyperacusis these days. One important thing to keep in mind to make this work is to give this method commitment and time.

Hyperacusis treatment is also possible through psychological therapy given by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or any expert in this field. This approach teaches a patient how to ignore and tolerate the symptoms of hyperacusis rather than make a fuss of it. You may also take medications formulated to treat obsessive compulsive disorder.

Surgery as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Surgery is not a common form of hyperacusis treatment. Nevertheless, it is often advised to people with really useless hearing.

As of now, only the methods mentioned above are used for hyperacusis treatment. They may not be a lot but they are enough to keep people with hyperacusis hopeful that it’s possible to get their life back to normal.

Your Guidelines On How To Cure Tinnitus

Are you wondering how to cure tinnitus? For sure you are! With the pain and discomfort caused by this condition, one would never want to last a day without any cure or treatment. Now, your search for ways on how to cure tinnitus is over because this article will show you how to get rid of tinnitus.

1) Be Stress-Free!

One of the best and surest ways on how to cure tinnitus is through de-stressing yourself. There are a lot of ways to do it. One is to get a regular exercise. 15-30 minutes of exercise each day is enough to free your body from stress. You can also reduce your workload, get enough rest, and do something interesting for you. By doing so, you are not only freeing your body from the free radicals that cause stress, you are also reducing and improving the symptoms of tinnitus.

2) Avoid Drinking Beverages with Caffeine!

Drinking too much caffeine can aggravate your tinnitus condition. Thus, it is easy to understand that in order to get rid of tinnitus; you first have to rid your diet of beverages with high caffeine content.

3) Avoid Exposure to Loud Noise!

Frequent and prolonged exposure to loud noise is one of the main causes of tinnitus. Obviously, if you want to get rid of tinnitus, you have to avoid exposing yourself to loud noise. If you really have to expose yourself to these, it is important to protect your ears by wearing ear plugs or other ear protections. This is such an important way on how to cure tinnitus.

4) Be Careful with Your Medications!

Taking meds and drugs improperly can cause a person to experience tinnitus signs and symptoms. Therefore, you should practice caution when taking medications. You should only take the meds in dosage recommended by your doctor or physician. If your meds cause some side effects, talk to your doctor about it right at the onset of the side effects.

5) Certain Conditions Can Trigger the Symptoms of Tinnitus

Conditions like head/neck injury or trauma, earwax buildup, ear infection, and others may also cause the symptoms and signs of tinnitus to manifest. In such case, it is very important to visit your doctor and have him/her diagnose your condition accurately. Once your doctor finds out that an underlying condition is behind your sufferings, he/she will surely prescribe you with some medications or drugs that will help address your condition and thus your tinnitus as well. This is a very important way on how to cure tinnitus.

6) General Approach Works Well in Treating Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be caused by many different factors and this is the reason why it is necessary to address the problem using general approach. By doing so, it is easy to eradicate the tinnitus-related factors, allowing you to concentrate on addressing the factor that is causing your condition. This can be achieved successfully by learning how to cure tinnitus naturally. There are a lot of methods that can help you deal with the cause, giving you immediate relief with long-lasting results.

7) Have Some Healthy Changes in Your Lifestyle

In a nutshell, the most important step to learn how to cure tinnitus is to check your lifestyle and be ready to make some necessary changes to make yourself stress-free, get enough rest and sleep, get regular exercise, and have a healthy and balanced diet. Only with a healthy lifestyle will you be able be tinnitus-free!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Important Details You Should Know About Tinnitus Causes

Have you ever experienced a buzzing, whining, pulsing, or ringing sound that seems to come from deep inside your ear? This is a condition known as tinnitus. There are many different types of tinnitus, and there are also many different causes for it. Some of the tinnitus causes can be prevented, while other causes for the condition sometimes happen spontaneously. If you have tinnitus, you should have your ears checked by your doctor so that you could find out the right cure for your condition.

There are many causes of tinnitus that are currently known. Some of the leading causes of the ear-ringing are common colds and sinus infections. Although the most apparent symptoms of sinus infections and common colds are in the respiratory tract, it could also affect the ears. People may get temporary tinnitus whenever they have the flu. However, all that are needed to eliminate this type of tinnitus is healing and recovery.

Another one of the major causes of the ringing is prolonged exposure to loud noise. This can cause inner ear damage, which in turn causes the tinnitus that people would hear. This happens when the tiny hair-like nerve endings inside the inner ear bend or break because of the loud noises. If your work involves loud noises such as aircraft engines, machinery, or rock concerts, you should wear protective gear. Protecting your ears from the loud sounds will prevent you from incurring ear damage as well as getting tinnitus.

The accumulation of earwax inside your ear is also one of the top tinnitus causes. If there is too much wax inside the ear, it could cause a pressure build-up. This sometimes blocks the passage to the inner ear. The blockage can disrupt normal hearing, and it may even cause tinnitus.

Medicines like antibiotics and prescription drugs are also some of the top causes of tinnitus. If you are taking medicines, be sure to know the side effects that are associated with them. If they cause your tinnitus, you could try lowering your dosage and see if the ringing disappears.

Health problems and age are also some of the tinnitus causes. People who are suffering from health problems are more susceptible to getting tinnitus. Aside from that, older people are also more prone to getting tinnitus. A direct health injury could also be one of the causes for tinnitus in a person. If the head or neck of an individual is injured, it could affect the nerve connections of the person. One of the most common symptoms that result from a blow to the head is hearing loss. In some cases, the tinnitus could even occur in just one ear.

If you have atherosclerosis, cholesterol build-up in the blood vessels near the ear may cause the tinnitus. This causes a pulsating tinnitus, which means that the ringing sound is intermittent and pulsing. The rushing sound happens when the blood flow at the vessels in the inner ear changes.

There are many other things that could get to cause tinnitus. To treat the tinnitus that you are experiencing, you should first consult with your physician. If you know the tinnitus causes, you could get to find the right tinnitus cure for you. If you can’t find the exact cure for your tinnitus, you could just try to live with it.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Learning More About Tinnitus Cure

If you are constantly experiencing a ringing or buzzing sound inside of your ear, you might have a condition known as tinnitus. There are many factors that could cause this to happen to people. One of the prime causes for this is too much ear wax inside your ear. It is also sometimes caused by a foreign object getting into the ear. If you are one of the people who are suffering from this disease, you would really need to find an effective tinnitus cure.

One of the things that you need to do before trying to find a cure for your tinnitus is to consult your doctor. Having an experienced medical professional look at your condition can really help pinpoint the true cause of your condition. This way, you could get to find out what the right tinnitus cure for your current condition is. This way, you could eliminate that ringing in your head.

One of the main causes of tinnitus is too much wax inside your ear. It could also be caused by some foreign object that has somehow managed to get inside the ear. Doctors may be able to remove the debris in your ear so that it would be relieved from pressure. The ringing could also be caused by an ear infection. To eliminate the tinnitus, the infection must be cured first.

Another cause of the tinnitus is exposure to loud noises in extended periods of time. The nerve endings in the inner ear may get damaged, which will result in the ringing or buzzing noises. There is no real cure for this type of tinnitus. The best thing to do when somebody gets the ringing in their ears from loud sounds is to rest their ears. Usually, the tinnitus would just go away if the nerves heal and the ear is no longer exposed to loud sounds.

One tinnitus cure that will really help people who are constantly exposed to loud noises is to wear earplugs. This way, the sounds that they would hear would be reduced. It would also be a good idea to listen to music in a moderate volume so that you would not be exposed to extremely loud sounds.

Another thing that could contribute to tinnitus is too much stress. With all the pressures in the workplace, people are now constantly stressed. Relaxing and staying away from stress a great tinnitus cure. You could also take part of meditation classes and yoga so that you would not be stresses out.

Tinnitus could also be caused by sleep disturbances. People who don’t have enough sleep may sometimes hear a constant ringing sound in one or both of their ears. Getting plenty of sleep is probably one of the best solutions to protect yourself from tinnitus.

Tinnitus can really cause a lot of inconvenience to people who have it. There are some cures for tinnitus, but they usually only address specific causes of the condition. In order to find the right tinnitus cure, you should try to consult with your doctor first so that you could know what is causing that ringing sound in your ear.