You don't have to live with ringing in the ears

A tea kettle whistling in the morning. Crickets chirping at dusk. Wind rushing through the trees late at night. All sounds that you might hear, in passing, throughout the day.
To people with tinnitus, those sounds are something they hear every day. All day. At top volume. The sounds interfere with their everyday lives, making it difficult to function and even sleep. And there is no cure.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present, according to the American Tinnitus Association. Some people describe it as a “ringing in the ears.”
More 50 million people in the United States are impacted by tinnitus, with 2 million so debilitated that they cannot function normally on a day-to-day basis. It is the No. 1 disability for military veterans, according to ATA statistics.
Despite tinnitus affecting so many people, it is not a disease. Tinnitus is merely a symptom and has no set cure or treatment. It can sound like a buzzing, ringing, whistling, roaring or screeching. It is amplified at night when there are no other sounds to drown it out, sometimes making sleep impossible.
When these noises become too disruptive to normal, everyday life, a doctor should be consulted.
“Look for the cause of the ringing and you can try to treat the tinnitus,” said Dr. Joseph Hutchison of Blue Ridge Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery in Lynchburg.
A multitude of physiological causes are known to trigger or worsen tinnitus. Some of these things can be avoided or treated to try to lessen the effects of tinnitus. These triggers include: noise exposure, head and neck trauma, wax build-up and jaw misalignment.
Certain disorders, such as hypo- or hyperthyroidism, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and thoracic outlet syndrome, can have tinnitus as a symptom. Some medications are toxic to the ear and can cause tinnitus.
If, after ruling out the physiological causes, the tinnitus remains, making the noise not so distracting is a good approach, especially while trying sleep.
“Try a masking agent, such as a television on a timer or a fan. Something to mask the noise that is keeping them awake and help them get to sleep,” Hutchison said.
Other things to consider when dealing with tinnitus are foods that might trigger it or stress, which can be another trigger. Keeping a food journal may be helpful, along with reducing stress, of course. Finding a support group or seeking alternative treatments have brought relief to some suffering with tinnitus.
The worst thing to do is just to believe that the noise will always be there.
“Don’t just accept ringing in your ears,” Hutchison said. “Get it checked out.”
Snyder is a freelance writer who lives in Lynchburg.