Ringing in the ears or tinnitus( as the official medicine calls this state) is not a disease, it is just a symptom of any violation. Violation can be a minor damage to the hearing aid and serious pathologies that concern not only the hearing organs, but also the brain of the head, the vascular system, the endocrine system, and others.
Tinnitus mechanism
The mechanism of extraneous sounds in the ear is due primarily to the structure of the hearing aid. Inside the ear is a tympanic membrane - it is a thin membrane, the purpose of which is to close the entrance to the inner ear.
The membrane does not allow air to get inside, while it shakes the membrane. From the inside to the thin membrane adjoins the bone "box" with three small bones. When the membrane moves, vibrations are transmitted to these bones. Then the oscillations pass into the cochlea, inside which the liquid is located, the liquid begins to splash, and the waves transmit the movement to the hair cells.
Taking such impulses, the hair cells transmit them to the brain of the head. If the body is experiencing disorders related to hearing organs or diseases of other systems, these cells have to move constantly, resulting in ringing even in a calm state.
Human ear structure
Causes of
We will analyze the otolaryngic causes of ringing in the ears:
- otitis - inflammation of the external, middle and inner( labyrinthitis) of the ear, especially with purulent otitis;
- damage to the eardrum;
- otosclerosis is a disease in which the growth of bone tissue in different parts of the ear is observed;
- tumors of the auditory nerve;
- cochlear neuritis - affection of the auditory nerve;
- formed sulfuric cork;
- ingress of foreign bodies into the ear;
- effects after loud sounds( screams, shots), since the eardrum needs time to finish shaking.
Other reasons why a symptom such as ringing in the ears can develop:
- endocrine and metabolic pathological conditions - thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus, low blood glucose concentration;
- diseases of the vascular system and heart - carotid artery aneurysms, arterial hypertension, cerebral atherosclerosis of the brain of the head, high cardiac output, venous noise, aortic valve insufficiency;
- Tumor diseases - tumor of the brainstem or temporal lobe, meningioma, neoplasm of the cerebellopontine angle;
- degenerative conditions - atherosclerosis, the effects of industrial poisoning, Meniere's disease, cervical osteochondrosis;
- traumatic causes - head injuries, hearing organs, fistulas perilymphs.
Causes of ringing in the ears
Additional symptoms
Depending on the underlying cause of unpleasant noise, ringing in the ears may be accompanied by other symptoms. Quite often with tinnitus the following manifestations of diseases appear:
- high blood pressure( characteristic of diseases of the vascular system);
- pain syndrome in the ear( for diseases of the hearing aid and foreign body entry into it);
- headache and dizziness;
- attacks of nausea and vomiting( often speak of the presence of Ménière's disease).
Monotonous constant noise appears in inflammatory processes of the ears, as well as diseases of the circulatory system. Pulsating strong ringing is characteristic for vascular pathologies.
A popular video about ringing in the ears and the dangers of this symptom:
Diagnosis and treatment
The doctor begins the diagnosis of tinnitus by collecting and analyzing an anamnesis. Important information is the characteristics of the noise itself, the factors under which it is amplified, the duration of the state. The doctor is interested in what medicines the patient takes.
After the history is collected, the hearing aid is firstly examined for damage, inflammation, sulfur plugs, which can provoke ringing in the ears. If there are suspicions of vascular disease, the diagnosis is performed by listening to the vascular system with a phonendoscope.
Age-related changes in the body are generally not amenable to treatment, the doctor can prescribe only maintenance therapy and recommend a healthy lifestyle. In the case of any disease, the therapy is targeted.
Is it possible to cure tinnitus with folk remedies
Folk remedies can be used only if processes are not started, and when ringing in the ears is caused by diseases of the hearing aid, for example, ringing in the right or left ear. In no case can you use home recipes in cases of serious inflammation, the formation of purulent foci, tumors. Before using folk therapy, be sure to consult a doctor.
Effective recipes for folk medicine:
- Dill broth - to prepare a recipe, take three teaspoons of chopped dill and fill with 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist for two hours in a thermos, ready to take 100 ml before meals.
- Yarrow juice - in order to prepare a medicine, it is necessary to pass the plant through a meat grinder, and then squeeze out the juice. The resulting juice is instilled into the ear canal in three drops.
- Onion juice - a small onion is passed through a meat grinder, and then squeezed out the juice. Juice of onion is instilled into the ear canal several times a day.
About the causes of ringing in the ears in our video:
Prevention plays an important role - simple rules that include the timely treatment of all diseases, including common colds, and the management of a healthy lifestyle can avoid unpleasant symptoms and serious pathological processes.