Anyone regardless of age, lifestyle, gender, and racial background are prone to tinnitus. However, risks are higher with age. Moreover, individuals that have more tendencies for hardening arteries are more likely to get tinnitus than the rest of the population.
Other factors affecting the chances of developing tinnitus are the exposure to music or noisy environments.
Preventing Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a type of disorder that is reversible and can be prevented. Since it is associated with hearing loss, the best way for you to prevent this type of disorder is to take care of your ears. Here are a few suggestions as to how you can prevent yourself from acquiring tinnitus:
- Refrain from inserting objects into your ear and when using cotton swabs to clean your ear, be careful as this can lead to wax impaction on your eardrum.
- Be extra careful with the type of medications you use. Make sure that they are the ones recommended and approved by your doctor.
- If you work in a noisy environment such as construction sites or factory, make sure to use protective devices for your ears. This is encouraged by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Among the devices you can use include earmuffs or ear plugs.
Treatment for Tinnitus
One of the most effective ways to treat tinnitus is by recognizing its cause and what specific part of your auditory system is damaged. Only then can your specialist recommend a treatment that you can undergo. Tinnitus can simply go away after a certain period of time though without using any treatment. However, if you find it difficult to deal with the sound produced in your ear, then you can try using the following treatments or medications:
- Maskers produce white noises that, when used, masks the ringing sounds produced by tinnitus. This is one solution you can use to deal with the noises.
- Niacin is often recommended by otolaryngologists to treat tinnitus. However, it lacks enough scientific evidence that niacin contains elements that specifically target the treatment of tinnitus.
- Reduce salt intake.
- Get an ample amount of sleep.
- Prevention is the best cure. Therefore, you can have to work at taking care of your hearing system first and this can be your best way at preventing tinnitus.