When you get the sensation of a buzzing or other sound in your ears, it can be very annoying. You need to make it cease right away as it can make it near impossible to focus and concentrate on another task. Thankfully, there are some tinnitus treatments that have been proven to work for temporary cases of the problem.

The removal of earwax from the ears can often relieve the tinnitus. The accumulation of earwax can irritate the sound sensors deep within the ears, which can cause the ringing and other noises you hear. Care must be taken to safely remove wax to prevent causing irreparable damage, use mineral oil or specially designed earwax softener drops to soften the wax. Flush out the ear with just warm water to be sure the wax has gone away. Sticking cotton swabs or other tools into the ear must not be done, as it can push the wax deeper into the ear or cause damage to the eardrum.

Some people find masking is another effective method for dealing with tinnitus. This refers to making use of white noise in order to drown out or "mask" the ringing in the ears. Many people use these devices at night, when they are trying to get some sleep but find it impossible to sleep because of the ringing noise. Sometimes a fan or a radio playing at a low volume can be enough to mask the tinnitus sounds so a sufferer can get some rest.

Wearing earplugs can help stop tinnitus from occurring in noise filled environments. Music at high volume and machinery noise, for example, can be reduced by ear plugs that could otherwise be causing damage to the eardrum and other parts of the ear. Something should always be used to protect the ear, especially if prolonged exposure to a high volume of noise will be encountered. Limit wearing headphones, or keep the music flowing through them to a low level. Some people have also found the wearing of ear plugs to be helpful in current cases of ringing in the ears.

Because Tinnitus is often a symptom of an underlying cause, identifying and treating the larger problem is often the ideal cure for the ringing heard in the ears. This is especially true if other symptoms are evident that started around the same time as the ringing in the ears. A doctor can perform a hearing exam as well as a full physical examination to determine the cause of tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a common aggravation experienced by the majority of people at some point. It usually is a sign of an underlying condition. The above treatments for ringing ears are things you can try while waiting for the primary disorder to be diagnosed and cured, or possibly to treat the ringing altogether.

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According to a recent report by DVIDS hearing loss is a number one problem in Afghanistan

… and it is down to high noise levels and no adequate ear protection

Hearing loss: Afghanistan’s No. 1 diagnosis

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – When gearing up for a mission in Afghanistan, a service member wouldn’t forget their helmet, gloves, weapon, eye protection or body armor, but what about hearing protection?

According to Air Force Staff Sgt. Lee Adams, an Ear, Nose and Throat technician at Bagram Air Field, more than 50 percent of the patients seen in the ENT walk-in clinics are there for hearing related issues.

"The first question I ask a patient who comes in with a hearing complaint is ‘Were you wearing hearing protection?’" said Air Force Col. Joseph A. Brennan, the ENT doctor here on Bagram. "Since I arrived here in May, I have not had one service member answer yes to that question."

Deployed service members are exposed to many dangers while in combat zones. According to Brennan, many troops do not use hearing protection while out on missions, because they feel that the hearing protection affects their ability to do their job and complete their missions.

"I was in Iraq in ’04 and ’05 in Fallujah with the Marines and the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, and we just couldn’t get folks to wear their hearing protection," said Brennan. "We understand. It is like the old Army helmets, Soldiers were complaining they couldn’t shoot with them. So even though they offered better protection, which as a doctor is what I care about, the fight is most important," he added.

While in Iraq, Brennan saw more than 600 outpatients in an ENT clinic, and hearing loss was the number one diagnosis there, just as it is today in Afghanistan.

When service members are exposed to loud noises such as an improvised explosive devices — the number one reason for hearing loss in Iraq and Afghanistan– they are susceptible to receiving conductive hearing loss, sensory neuro hearing loss or tinnitus.

Conductive hearing loss can usually be fixed surgically and range from damaged ear bones to wax in the external canal of the ear.

Sensory Neuro means the nerve in the inner ear has been damaged. There is no way to surgically fix this; the only treatment is hearing aids.

Tinnitus is another form of hearing damage. It is a ringing or whining inside of a person’s ear that can result from damage to the nerve. There are two forms of tinnitus: objective and subjective. If a person has objective tinnitus, the sound inside the ear can be measured with a device used by ENTs, while a person with subjective tinnitus is the only person who can hear the sound in their ear. It is immeasurable by outside people.

There is no cure for tinnitus. Tinnitus can be "masked" by a device called a Masker. The tiny device is a type of hearing aid that replaces the noise caused by tinnitus with a less annoying, more natural sound inside the ear, according to Brennan.

The most common problem is blown out ear drums, which can heal on its own. A hole in an ear drum is considered a conductive form of hearing loss. This means that sound is not reaching the nerve in the ear that allows people to hear.

"In Iraq in 2004, there was a Soldier who was in two IED blasts. The second explosion really blew out his ear drums, and he could not hear a thing," said Brennan. "The Soldier’s sergeant and his fellow Soldiers were on a roof top in a fire fight. The bullets were buzzing by his head. His sergeant had to tackle him to get him out of the line of fire, because the Soldier could not hear his comrades yelling for him to take cover."

According to Brennan, this story is why hearing protection is so important to Soldiers. The hearing impaired Soldier not only puts himself into danger, but also his fellow soldiers.

Even if a person suffers hearing loss in only one ear, they can still be a danger, continues Brennan. Their directionality is impaired, and they will not be able to tell which direction a sound is coming from. This is especially bad for military personnel when if they cannot decipher which direction bullets are coming from.

Since hearing damage affects the safety of military personnel and others around them, troops can be discharged from the military or forced to re-class into different job specialty, away from loud noises that cannot further damage the service member’s hearing.

Active duty personnel who have combat related hearing loss will receive hearing aids while on active duty. After they leave the military, the Veteran’s Association will provide the service member hearing aids for the rest of their life, Brennan said.

With IEDs being the number one problem for coalition forces in Afghanistan, it is no surprise that IEDs are the number one reason for hearing loss among the military community. Service members need to protect themselves from this very real problem, and new technology is always being developed to help in the fight against hearing loss.

"The best kind of ear plug, the military is actually working on at the Air Force research lab on Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Ohio, is called active hearing protection," Brennan said. "A person would wear this device on the inside or outside of their ear. For instance, if you were walking through the woods this ear plug would amplify the sounds around you, but the moment the noise level reached a harmful level the ear plug would protect your ear and eliminate the sound, essentially plugging your ears."

This new form of ear plug is ideal because it increases a person’s awareness, but also protects the service member’s ears. Normal ear plugs are called passive hearing protection. They have the same effect as plugging your ears with your fingers, according to Brennan.

Hearing protection is just as important to a United States Military service member’s safety as is his body armor and helmet. The repercussions for a troop who suffers severe hearing loss could end their career as quickly as other combat related injuries. Military personnel should listen to their leadership about wearing proper hearing protection… while they can still hear their warnings.

Source: http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=general/general_contact.php

Hearing Loss: Afghanistan’s No. 1 Diagnosis
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment RSS
Story by Spc. Opal Hood   Posted: 08.19.2009 03:04

Losing the Plot – Britain’s losses in Afghanistan 

Some will be for loss of hearing, most affecting those serving in Afghanistan. In October 2008 the Times reported that ‘nearly one in ten soldiers serving with one regiment have hearing defects that could bar them from further frontline duty

British Tinnitus Association Warns Soldiers of Dangers 

The organization cites a news report that hearing loss and tinnitus are common problems among those working in the Armed Forces.

From Soldiers to Students

Noise-induced hearing loss is a permanent affliction, from which an estimated 30 million people worldwide—10 million in the U.S.—suffer through intense and prolonged noise exposure 

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Twelve million of the affected people need professional help due to the severity of these problems and two million of the affected people find these problems so distressing that they lose all interest in life.

Although tinnitus and dizziness are serious problem that can cause a lot of distress, there are ways to prevent these problems. This article will elaborate on the relation between tinnitus and dizziness and how you can stay clear of these problems.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a term used by medical professionals to explain how you perceive sound. You can have it in both of your ears or just in one.

Ringing in the ears is another common way to explain it. Some people have reported a variety of noises, including clicking, hissing, roaring, or buzzing.

Tinnitus and dizziness can also be either ongoing, or periodic. The volume can additionally range from very soft sounds to extremely loud noises.

Tinnitus and Dizziness Causes

Although the exact cause of tinnitus and dizziness is still being researched, the most common cause according to many experts is loud noises.

Loud noises can cause the onset of tinnitus and dizziness by damaging the inner ear and loud noises can also cause the condition to worsen and cause more serious problems. The inner ear has hair cells known as cilia that help convert sound waves into sound and damage to these hair cells can cause tinnitus.

Excessive wax in the ears can also trigger hearing problems such as tinnitus and dizziness. Ear infections and sinusitis can definitely trigger tinnitus and dizziness since ear infections can temporarily hurt the inner ear and ear infections can also cause a person to temporarily feel unsteady. Stress is another common cause of tinnitus and dizziness and prolonged or acute stress can cause a person to feel unsteady while affecting his hearing abilities.

Effective ways to prevent Tinnitus and Dizziness

Protecting your hearing is perhaps one of the most important things you can do to prevent tinnitus and dizziness. Once your hearing is gone, it will never come back. You can get hearing aids, of course, but they won t work nearly as well as your natural organs. If you live or work in a loud place, wear ear protection. Tinnitus and dizziness aren t just caused by loud noises at work, though. Even one-time events like concerts are equally bad for you.

You have to wear ear protection for your own safety whenever you’re in a loud environment. Loud noises are the main causes of tinnitus and also result in dizziness. Additionally, if you are on medication, be sure to check with your doctor to see if they can harm your hearing. Or, make sure that the side effects for this medicine don’t result in tinnitus and dizziness. You can solicit this info from your local pharmacy.

Some meds really worsen tinnitus, so make sure you have a talk with your physician and tell them that you suffer from tinnitus and dizziness so that they can prescribe to you medication that won’t negatively impair your condition.

Perhaps the most reliable and successful way of treating tinnitus is through using a natural tinnitus treatment guide. A range of these exist with the most popular (and most effective) being a guide titled End Your Tinnitus. End Your Tinnitus is a relatively new product that was released in 2008, it has already cured thousands of sufferers worldwide.

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