Tinnitus, a condition characterized by internal ringing, buzzing, clicking or roaring sounds in the ears, affects approximately 10% of adults in the United States. While there is no known cure for tinnitus, understanding the triggers that cause flare-ups can help manage its occurrence.
Identifying the Common Causes of Tinnitus Flare-Ups
Because tinnitus triggers can vary from person to person, it is essential to pay attention to when your symptoms occur. While research on specific triggers is limited, the following factors have been commonly associated with tinnitus flare-ups:
- Lack of sleep
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Certain medications
- Air pressure changes
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Dehydration
- Allergies
- Exposure to loud noises
- Jaw pain
How Can You Track Tinnitus Flare-Ups?
Tinnitus can have a massive impact on your life. Many people with tinnitus experience stress, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and decreased productivity during flare-ups. Tracking and identifying your triggers is crucial in effectively managing tinnitus and improving your quality of life. Here are a couple of tips to help you monitor your flare-ups:
- Take notes. Maintain a record of each tinnitus episode, noting its severity, duration and the activities you were engaged in when it occurred. For example, if your tinnitus flares up during a crowded dinner at Razzoo’s Cajun Café, write it down as it is possible that loud noise may be a trigger.
- Define a trigger avoidance plan. Because tinnitus may occur for no reason at all, gradually eliminating possible triggers one at a time will help determine which ones may be contributing to your tinnitus flare-ups and which are only coincidences.
While there is no known cure for tinnitus, avoiding triggers can help minimize its impact on your life. When triggers cannot be avoided, wearing hearing aids can help make up the difference. Hearing aids amplify external sounds or play white noise to help distract your brain from the internal ringing.
Sound masking machines are an excellent option for managing tinnitus at night or whenever you cannot wear your hearing aids. Like hearing aids, sound machines play white noise or nature sounds to help distract your brain from the internal ringing.
To learn more about your options for managing tinnitus, contact SoundLogic today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.