Tinnitus: what it is, causes, how to treat it

Tinnitus is a pathological process characterized by the appearance of ringing or noise in the ears, like a bell ringing. Most often, this pathology is a concomitant condition and extremely rarely an independent disease. Tinnitus is a common pathology that almost everyone has encountered at least once in their life after noisy parties, with a sharp change in altitude, after a protracted illness or simply from fatigue.

Epidemiology

According to statistics, tinnitus is a pathological process most often found in men over 45 years of age.

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Causes tinnitus

The exact cause of tinnitus development is often difficult to establish, except in cases where the ringing appears against the background of acute sensorineural hearing loss or other acute diseases affecting the auditory apparatus.

Risk factors

Tinnitus can occur in absolutely anyone, but some factors still increase the likelihood:

• constant exposure to loud sounds (people at risk include those working in factories, musicians, and soldiers);
• age (the entire body as a whole is subject to the aging process, including the hearing apparatus);
• pathology of the cardiovascular system;
• smoking;
• Gender also plays an important role in the development of tinnitus; men are more likely to develop the disease;
• genetic predisposition;
• poor hygiene of the auricle cavity;
• skull injuries;
• tumors of the brain or cervical spine;
• toxic effects;
• metabolic disorder;
• side effects of medications.

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Pathogenesis

Tinnitus develops against the background of damage to any part of the auditory canal, against the background of a sharp decrease in hearing, injury or exposure to noise, various toxic substances. This can provoke pathological neuronal activity of the central parts of the auditory pathways.

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Symptoms tinnitus

Patients with a disease such as tinnitus note that the appearance of a pronounced noise or ringing occurs at night, often before sleep, when there is complete silence around. Due to the fact that patients begin to focus on the appearance of various sounds, insomnia develops, which subsequently threatens emotional instability. As the disease progresses, noise appears during the daytime, even in a noisy environment, accompanied by constant headaches and nausea.

The first sign of tinnitus development is the appearance of short-term noise, ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears after exposure to unfavorable factors.

Pulsating tinnitus

Pulsating tinnitus is absolutely no different in pathogenesis from the usual form of the disease. The only significant difference between these two forms of pathology is the nature of the manifestations. Pulsating noise in the ears is accompanied not only by the development of extraneous sounds, but also by a feeling of pulsation in the auricle, this is due to pathology of the cardiovascular system.

Complications and consequences

Any complications of frolicking tinnitus largely depend on the initial cause. Most often, the prognosis is favorable, however, it is always worth paying attention to the general condition of the body. With timely treatment, most complications can be avoided.

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Diagnostics tinnitus

The search for possible causes of the development of extraneous noise in the ears should begin as early as possible, and not only by an otolaryngologist, but also by doctors of other specialties.

During the initial consultation, the doctor examines the outer and inner ear, collects the patient's medical history and illness. Based on the information received, further diagnostic tactics are developed.

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Tests

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a number of laboratory tests:

• biochemical blood test;
• coagulogram;
• OAC;
• OAM;
• tests for various infections.

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Instrumental diagnostics

Of the instrumental methods, the following are most often prescribed:

• audiometry;
• computed tomography of the brain (in cases where there is a suspicion of the development of any tumor process, magnetic resonance imaging is recommended);
• Dopplerography of the vessels of the head and neck;
• angiography;
• X-ray of the temporomandibular joint;
• pneumotoscopy.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis must first be made between objective and subjective tinnitus.

Objective tinnitus is a condition caused by pronounced vascular pulsation. The cause of this condition may be turbulent blood flow, a well-supplied tumor of the middle ear.

Subjective tinnitus occurs when the sound-conducting pathways are damaged, as a result of acoustic trauma, infectious lesions, physiological aging, or the effects of medications.

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Treatment tinnitus

A good effect is noted when using novocaine blockades, the action of which is aimed at blocking the vegetative nodes. This method of treatment is used for tinnitus of inflammatory genesis, with otitis.

Drug therapy

1. Prednisolone

Dosage: The average daily dosage for adults is no more than 200 mg.

Directions for use: take the drug no more than once a day for 7 days.

Precautions: During the use of this drug, constant monitoring of blood pressure, water-electrolyte balance and examination by an ophthalmologist are required.

Side effects: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, joint pain, arrhythmia, bradycardia, slow regeneration process, decreased glucose tolerance.

2. Velaxin

Dosage: the daily dosage of the drug is no more than 70 mg.

Directions for use: 35 mg twice daily.

Precautions: If you suddenly stop taking the drug, withdrawal symptoms may occur; a gradual reduction in the daily dosage is recommended.

Side effects: tachycardia, bradycardia, in case of overdose - seizures.

3. Clonazepam

Dosage: up to 6 mg per day.

Directions for use: The drug is taken three times a day.

Precautions: Contraindicated in chronic respiratory failure, alcoholism, drug dependence and glaucoma.

Side effects: impaired coordination of movements, severe irritability, depression.

4. Neuromedin

Dosage: up to 20 mg per day, depending on the severity of the disease.

Method of administration: the drug can be taken 2-3 times a day, depending on the prescribed daily dosage.

Precautions: When taking this drug, you should avoid drinking alcohol.

Side effects: increased heart rate, diarrhea, jaundice, increased sweating.

Vitamins

In some individual cases, tinnitus can be reduced with the help of vitamin therapy; Magne B6 has a positive effect – it is a vitamin complex that includes magnesium and vitamin B6 itself.

Vitamins A and E have also proven themselves to be effective in combating tinnitus, however, they should be taken under the careful supervision of a doctor to avoid overdose and the development of side effects.

Physiotherapy treatment

In addition to drug treatment, physiotherapy is considered no less effective, the action of which is aimed at restoring both the entire body as a whole and the hearing apparatus in particular. Most often, otolaryngologists prescribe the following procedures for tinnitus:

• galvanization;
• electrophoresis with the use of drugs;
• magnetic therapy;
• shortwave diathermy;
• dynamic electrical neurostimulation (a physical therapy treatment that can be used at home).

All of the above methods are best combined with other treatment methods to achieve the best effect in a short time.

Treatment of tinnitus with coordinated reset method

For many years, scientists from various fields, including medicine, physics, and mathematics, have discussed the possibility of treating patients using the coordinated discharge method. The principle of this method is to eliminate tinnitus using various methods, the action of which is aimed at desynchronizing nerve cells by splitting highly synchronized communities of nerve cells. As a result of these studies, they came to the conclusion that during pauses in cell stimulation, healthy chaos is organized.

Folk remedies

Fir oil for tinnitus. One of the effective methods of traditional medicine, with the help of which you can get rid of noise in the ears. For this, you need natural fir oil (the composition must necessarily contain 100% fir oil), lubricate the entire auricle, including behind the ear in the morning and evening, at night the oil can be applied more generously, wrapping your head in a terry towel. Repeat the procedure for two to three weeks.

A mixture of propolis and olive oil. To prepare the mixture, take one tablespoon of pharmacy alcohol propolis and 4 tablespoons of olive oil, soak a pre-prepared cotton swab in the mixture and insert it into the ear for 36 hours, then take a one-day break and repeat the procedure. The course of treatment is no more than 12 procedures.

Almond oil. Almond oil is no less effective, it is recommended to put it warmed up and instill 2-3 drops into each ear 2 times a day.

Viburnum berries and honey. For tinnitus, crush two tablespoons of viburnum berries and mix them in a 1:1 ratio with honey, apply the resulting mixture to clean gauze and tie it into a knot. Before going to bed, place the knots in the ear canals, repeat until the noise disappears completely.

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Music for Tinnitus Treatment

A German engineer came to the conclusion quite by accident that music can help ease the suffering of some patients. Unfortunately, not all existing tracks can benefit the patient, so before starting music therapy, it is necessary to undergo a full examination, finding out the degree of tinnitus and only then select specially developed musical compositions.

Herbal treatment

Dill tincture. To prepare the tincture, take 3-4 tablespoons of dill, pour boiling water over it and let it brew in a warm place for an hour, take the resulting mixture 3 times a day, 100 ml for two weeks.

Dandelion syrup. To prepare dandelion syrup, you will need two kilograms of sugar and a kilogram of dried flowers. Dandelions and sugar are tamped into a jar one by one until juice appears, after which the jar with the mixture is left in a warm place for 3-4 days. It is recommended to use the resulting syrup diluted in 50-70 ml of boiled water 2 times a day.

Melissa tincture. Melissa helps not only eliminate tinnitus, but also partially restores dryness. To prepare the tincture, you will need 20 mg of crushed grass and 200 ml of vodka. All ingredients must be mixed and placed in a dark place for 1.5-2 weeks. The prepared tincture is used for instillation into the ears at night, a few drops in each ear.

Yarrow juice. The above-ground part of the herb must be crushed until the juice appears. The resulting concentrate is recommended to be instilled 2 drops 2 times a day.

Homeopathy

1. Carbo Vegitabiz

Dosage: most often, high dilutions are used – 12 and 13.

Directions for use: 1 time per day for 30 days.

Precautions: The drug is prescribed only after consultation with a homeopath.

Side effects: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

2. Cimicifuga

Directions for use: 1 capsule 2 times a day after meals for 30 days.

Precautions: Contraindicated for people with individual hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Side effects: development of hypersensitivity.

3. Lycopodium

Dosage: determined only by a homeopathic physician.

Directions for use: dilute the homeopathic tincture in a small amount of water and take between meals.

Precautions: Not recommended for people with hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Side effects: allergic reaction, anxiety.

4. Graphites

Dosage: used in dilutions from 6 to 30.

Directions for use: It is recommended to take the drug no more than once a day.

Precautions: Contraindicated in patients with severe hypersensitivity to herbal ingredients.

Side effects: severe dizziness, possible nausea and vomiting.

Surgical treatment

Most of the treatment is drug therapy; only in rare cases, especially in advanced forms of the disease, is it necessary to resort to surgical intervention.

Prevention

To avoid the development of a condition such as tinnitus, experts recommend following a few simple rules:

• minimize the possibility of exposure to loud sounds;
• avoid using cotton swabs to clean the ear canals;
• minimize stressful situations;
• maintain a healthy lifestyle;
• do physical exercise regularly.

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Forecast

The prognosis for getting rid of tinnitus primarily depends on the duration of the pathological process. The early stage of tinnitus is completely amenable to drug correction, a more ancient process may require long-term and combined treatment.

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