Ringing in the Ears

 

Many people experience an occasional ringing (or roaring, hissing, buzzing or tinkling) within their ears. The sound usually lasts only a couple of minutes. Ringing in the ears that does not get better or go away is called tinnitus. The sound may be in rhythm with your heartbeat or pace with your breathing; constant or it may come and go. It is most common in people older than age 40 with men more troubled than women.

 

Causes

 

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), tinnitus is probably caused by poor flow of “qi” or energy, rendering a weak constitution and chronic illness. The ringing sound gets louder at night or under emotional upsets, accompanied by soreness and aching of the lower back or knees, insomnia and dizziness. It may also come with pain and swelling of the ears, headaches and a dry throat.

 

According to the western belief, inflammation of the outer ear, middle ear or the hearing nerve in the inner ear can result in tinnitus. The prime suspect of such infection is either bacteria or virus. In exception case, one-sided tinnitus is a serious affair as it can be a symptom of a brain tumor in the hearing nerve in the inner ear. This can be confirmed with a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain. Assuming that a specialist checked the outer and middle ears with no defect, a hearing test is then conducted to observe if the hearing nerve in the inner ear is functioning normally.The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss that occurs with aging, but it can also be caused by living or working around loud noises. It can occur with all types of hearing loss and may be a symptom of almost any ear disorder. Not to dismiss are possibilities like:

• A buildup of earwax.
• Medicines, especially antibiotics or large amounts of aspirin. (risk of damage to the hair cells in the ear)
• Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
• Ear infections or eardrum rupture.
• Dental or other problems affecting the mouth.
• Injuries, such as a direct blow to the ear or head.
• Injury to the inner ear following surgery or radiation therapy to the head or neck.
• A rapid change in environmental pressure.
• Severe weight loss from malnutrition or excessive dieting.
• Repeated exercise with the neck in a hyperextended position, such as when bicycle riding.
• Blood circulation problems, such as high blood pressure/cholesterol.
• Nerve problems (neurologic disorders), such as multiple sclerosis or migraine headache.
• Stress/anxiety
• Anemia
• Thyroid disease
• Diabetes

Basically, poor blood circulation raises the blood pressure within the ear, manifested by a popping or pounding sound in the ears. This is due to a lack of oxygen available, leading to inner nerve degeneration, leading to hearing loss or tinnitus.

Recommended actions

+ Avoid alcohol and cold, raw, spicy and deep-fried food. Go for easily digested food such as porridge and green leafy vegetables. Take fresh pineapple daily to reduce inflammation.
+ Chemical stimulants in foods, beverages, tobacco and drugs excite the hair cells in your ear, making them work too hard for no reason. Limit caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks.
+ Engage in regular exercise eg. brisk walking, swimming and yoga.
+ Slow down the pace of your lifestyle.
+ Becoming overly fatigued can lower your resistance to colds and flu, which can bring on swelling in the inner ear that can aggravate or even trigger tinnitus.
+ Keep the environment quiet or wear earplugs to reduce the noise exposure.
+ Light music is therapeutic to be turned on when tinnitus is at its worst.

VIVA corner

To soothe inflammation and fight infection, VIVA Biogarlic provides the active agents to treat micro-organisms.

VIVA Liquick Gingko or Gingko Biloda helps to reduce dizziness and improve hearing loss related to reduced blood flow.