Download A Diagnosis of Pulsatile Tinnitus

The medical condition known as tinnitus refers to the sensation of sound in the absence of an
external source. The sound can be a rushing sound, whistling or ringing, or it can be a more
complex sound such as the twittering of birds or machinery. While the sound might not be
present all of the time, when it’s noticeable it tends to be a steady noise that has no regular or
frequent changes in its loudness. Pulsatile tinnitus is a rhythmical noise that typically has the
same rate as the heart. Often, treatment by a healthcare professional is necessary in order to
manage this condition.
A Diagnosis of Pulsatile Tinnitus
You can easily examine yourself for pulsatile tinnitus by feeling your pulse at the same time as
listening to the tinnitus. There are a few different types of tinnitus in which a rhythmical sound
can be experienced that isn’t in time with your pulse. When a physician investigates a case of
tinnitus, it’s rare for them to find an identifiable cause for the condition. With pulsatile tinnitus,
the odds of finding the specific cause will be more than likely difficult to identify.
How Tinnitus is Diagnosed: Physical Exam and Diagnostic Imaging Tests
In order to accurately diagnose this condition, the physician will begin your exam by taking a
detailed medical history of the tinnitus and inquiring about any other type of medical conditions
that you may have. The physician will then begin to examine your body and will pay particular
attention to the blood vessels of the neck and your eardrums. They will then use a stethoscope to
listen to the skull and neck. If they can hear a pulsatile noise through the stethoscope this is
referred to as objective tinnitus. Patients with any form of tinnitus will have a number of hearing
tests in order for the physician to pinpoint the correct type of tinnitus. People who are suffering
from pulsatile tinnitus will undergo some form of diagnostic imaging, such as ultrasounds,
MRAs, MRIs, and computerized tomography. Blood tests may also be needed, in order to rule
out an overactive thyroid or anemia.
If the doctor finds a specific cause, this can point to a specific solution. As an example, anemia
can be treated with blood transfusions or medication. Some causes will be less amenable to
treatment.
The Common and Uncommon Causes of Tinnitus
There are several health conditions that can worsen or cause tinnitus. In many cases the exact
cause will not be found. The most common cause is due to inner ear cell damage. Delicate, small
hairs located in the inner ear move in relation to the pressure of sound waves. This will trigger
ear cells to release an electrical signal through a nerve from the ear to the brain. The brain will
then interpret the signal as sound. If these hairs inside the ear become broken or bent, they will
then lead electrical impulses to the brain and cause tinnitus. Other causes can include chronic
health conditions, other ear problems, injuries and conditions that can affect the nerves in the ear.
In many patients, tinnitus can be caused by age, chronic exposure to loud noise, earwax blockage
and ear bone changes.
For many people, their hearing can worsen with age, typically starting around age sixty. Loud
noise caused by heavy equipment or firearms are common sources for hearing loss that’s noise
related. Tinnitus can also be caused by exposure short term, such as a live music performance.
When caused by short term exposure, tinnitus will usually go away, while long term exposure to
loud noise can cause permanent damage.
Earwax works to protect the ear canal by slowing the growth of bacteria and trapping dirt. When
too much ear wax has accumulated, it then becomes too hard to naturally wash away and will
cause irritation of the eardrum or hearing loss, which leads to tinnitus.
When the bones stiffen in the middle ear it can affect a person’s hearing and result in tinnitus.
Ear bone changes are caused by abnormal bone growth which tends to be hereditary.
Some of the less common causes include meniere’s disease, TMJ disorder, head or neck injuries
and acoustic neuroma. An inner ear disorder known as meniere’s disease involves the abnormal
pressure in the inner ear. Tinnitus can be an early indication of meniere’s disease. Chronic
problems with the joints in the jaw can also lead to tinnitus. Neck or head trauma can affect the
inner ear, brain function or hearing nerves. These injuries will usually cause tinnitus in one ear.
Acoustic neuroa is a begin tumor that develops on the cranial nerve that runs from the brain to
the inner ear, controlling hearing and balance. This condition will usually cause tinnitus in only
one ear.
Find out What Causes Ringing in the Ears
Posted on 24 July 2014.
There are several reasons behind what causes ringing in the ears. Tinnitus, also known as ringing
in the ears, is a condition in which a person will hear periodic or constant sound that isn’t caused
by an outside source. The noise can also be described as clicking, buzzing or ringing that occurs
inside the head. This type of sound can be heard in one or both ears and the pitch can be high or
low.
Learn More about What Causes Ringing in the Ears
Almost every person has had a form of ringing in the ears at some point in their life, such as after
a sporting event, or after a fireworks display. While this type of ringing will usually go away
after only a few minutes, it can come back as persistent ringing years later. Tinnitus is typically a
symptom of a psychological or physical problem. It can be a symptom of an ear infection, a
foreign object, hard wax buildup or chronic stress, heart disease or even allergies. Additionally, it
can also represent a side effect from certain types of medications, or it can manifest as a result of
excessive alcohol, caffeine or nicotine use.
There is currently no cure for tinnitus, however there are some therapies available that will teach
a person how to ignore chronic internal sounds. Treatment will usually involve addressing the
underlying cause. Because this condition cannot be cured, treatments are available to help a
patient learn how to tolerate this type of constant noise using relaxation techniques or by
masking the noise.
What Types of Noise can cause Tinnitus?
Frequent exposure to loud noise can predispose a person to tinnitus. Prolonged exposure to loud
noise can cause a person to hear sounds that don’t exist. Loud sounds that can contribute to this
condition include gunfire, explosions, music, or even the work environment. Existing condition
such as allergies or ear infections, holes in the eardrum or heart problems, tumors, and injuries to
the neck or head can cause ringing in the ears, although experts still don’t understand why.
Because ringing in the ears can be the initial sign of a more serious condition such as an
aneurysm or a tumor, it’s important to have an exam in order to determine what type of
underlying condition is causing it. Ringing in the ears can also be a side effect of alcohol use or
certain medications. Medications that can cause tinnitus include sedatives, aspirin, stimulants,
antidepressants, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. When ringing in the ears occurs as the result
of a drug side effect, it can stop once a person ceases to use that particular medication, however
it can have long term effects on a person’s hearing.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/what-causes-ringing-in-the-ears/
How Tinnitus Retraining Therapy can help
Posted on 24 July 2014.
Tinnitus and other related hearing disorders that affect millions of people can become so severe
that they can lead not only to anxiety and depression, but to an overall decreased quality of life
and social isolation. Tinnitus is a common hearing disorder that’s generated internally. It can
affect a person at any age and can vary from mild symptoms to severe symptoms that cause
extreme discomfort and pain. The longer symptoms of tinnitus go untreated, the more intrusive
they can become. There is currently no cure for tinnitus, but many people who suffer from it may
be interested to know that there’s a treatment approach known as tinnitus retraining therapy,
which can help you to cope with and manage your condition.
The Basics of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Tinnitus retraining therapy will use a combination of directive counseling and sound therapy to
assist in overcoming the distressing effects of tinnitus, thus making a patient no longer aware of
their condition, except when they focus all of their attention on it.
The goal of tinnitus retraining therapy is to retrain a person’s brain so that they can learn how to
cope with tinnitus. This type of therapy can help people to recover from tinnitus by using the
basic theory of brain plasticity. The brain is able to decrease or increase the amount of attention
that’s paid to various internal and external stimulation. This decrease or increase will happen on
a subconscious level in the brain, in the place in the central nervous system that also deals with
other body functions such as sleep cycles, distress, heart rate and hormone production. When
symptoms associated with tinnitus occur, the subconscious brain response will be called into
action. If a person feels concern or anxiety related to tinnitus, then in the deep seated area of the
brain it will begin a sequence of events that will potentially evolve into a serious problem for the
individual. Negative conscious reactions and negative emotions can become attached to
symptoms of tinnitus.
What to Expect from Therapy Sessions for Tinnitus
Tinnitus retraining therapy will always consist of two components: sound therapy and
counseling. Sound therapy will usually involve the use of sound generators. Due to the
complexities that are involved, it will be very important that this type of treatment be conducted
by a specialist.
A patient who has been diagnosed will begin their treatment with a counseling session. The
patient will learn about the mechanisms of hearing and how TRT works. The specifics of sound
therapy, including the use of various instruments such as wearable sound generators, tabletop
sound generators, hearing aids or other types of devices that consist of sound generation
combined with hearing aids, will also be discussed. Once a patient understands the mechanisms
of hearing, the reasons why tinnitus is creating problems and the principles of tinnitus receptions,
then they will be instructed to follow a specific regimen. Improvement will usually occur after
two to three months of therapy, with significant improvement noted in six to twelve months.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/tinnitus-retraining-therapy/
Why do my Ears Ring: Causes and Treatment
Posted on 24 July 2014.
Have you ever wondered “why do my ears ring?” well at one time or another it happens to
everyone. All of a sudden, without warning or an obvious cause, one or both of your ears can
start ringing. The ringing can last for just a few minutes or for several hours, however, chronic
ear ringing can mean permanent hearing loss or inner ear damage. Positive feedback or
saturation feedback refers to the process of the outer hair cells putting energy back into the
vibration. This process is meant to amplify quiet sounds. The majority of the time, the process
works well, however, occasionally; the amplification level of the outer hair cells will
malfunction and result in the whole system erupting into what is known as spontaneous
oscillation.
Why do my Ears Ring: Root Causes of Chronic Tinnitus
When spontaneous oscillation occurs it becomes audible to the hearer. The hearer will perceive it
as a ringing in the ear. This type of temporary ringing in the ears will disappear over time, on its
own, however if the damage to the ear is permanent then you may experience tinnitus, the
technical term for chronic ringing in the ears.
Chronic tinnitus can be caused by a number of things, from medications to ear wax buildup,
middle ear infections and advanced aging. Damage to the tiny hair cells in the ear are suspected
as a common pathway for these causes. Ringing in the ears can also be caused by a disorder of
the balance mechanism in the ears, known as Meniere’s disease.
How you can Manage Your Tinnitus
When tinnitus is caused by a definable problem, such as grinding your teeth at night or earwax
buildup, you should address this problem by turning down the volume on your iPod and avoiding
loud noise when possible. There are also several strategies that can help to make tinnitus less
troublesome. One of the best approaches is to mask the noise. This can be done by listening to
music or any type of white noise such nature sounds, turning on a fan or even listening to the
static on a radio station. Most experts will recommend a masking treatment before a patient turns
to more expensive treatments. These expensive approaches can include tinnitus retraining
therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management and biofeedback therapy.
If you have been struggling with “why do my ears ring?” for more than a week, it may be time to
make an appointment with a specialist, in order to pinpoint the cause and to have your physician
assess the condition of your hearing in order to determine if there is permanent damage involved.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/why-do-my-ears-ring/
Easy Methods for How to Stop Ears from Ringing
Posted on 24 July 2014.
When vibrations caused by loud noises pass through the small bones located behind the eardrum,
they reach the fluid filled chamber that’s located in the inner ear. Within this chamber there are
thousands of small hair cells that pick up these vibrations, sending electrical impulses through
the auditory nerves to the brain. Damage to the inner ear can cause the condition known as
tinnitus. This condition can cause chronic ringing in the ears which will result in anxiety or
depression and the individual may have difficulty learning how to cope with the constant ringing
in their ears. People who want to know how to stop ears from ringing should make an
appointment with an ear nose and throat doctor in order to have their condition assessed.
How to Stop Ears from Ringing: Getting Relief
These hair cells can become damaged and they’ll continuously send bursts of electricity to the
auditory nerve, even when there isn’t outside noise causing a vibration. This means that these
hair cells will become turned on permanently and trick the brain into thinking that the vibrations
are entering the ear nonstop.
There are a number of ways that these hair cells can become damaged, with the main cause being
chronic exposure to loud noise. Other causes of ringing in ears include earwax buildup, a
perforated eardrum, inner or middle ear infection, stiffening of the middle ear bones and fluid
retention. Low or high blood pressure, allergies, diabetes, a tumor, injuries to the neck and head
and diabetes can all cause hair cell damage. Aging can also cause the degeneration of hair cells
that can result in tinnitus.
Tinnitus affects nearly fifty million people in America. While not a life threatening condition, it
can be severe enough that it can prevent a person from leading a normal life.
Making Lifestyle Changes to Minimize Tinnitus Symptoms
Anyone who has attended a loud music concert knows that the noise can linger long after the
music stops. But you can raise your risk for tinnitus every day if you turn up the volume on your
iPod or other music devices and find that your ears are ringing long after you’ve taken off your
headphones. This can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Every time you expose your
ears to loud noise it damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear even more, which will reduce the
chances that these damaged cells will heal.
Loud music isn’t the only risk for tinnitus. Many people who work at construction sites or in
factories are exposed to the harmful effects of loud noise while on the job. Protecting yourself
by wearing earplugs can significantly reduce your risk for tinnitus.
How to stop ears from ringing can also be as simple as making some dietary changes. Sodium
may not always be problematic for people with tinnitus, however, if you have an inner ear
disorder or have high blood pressure then you’ll need to cut out as much sodium as possible.
Research has shown that a low sodium diet can improve symptoms associated with tinnitus and
other inner ear conditions.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/how-to-stop-ears-from-ringing/
How to Stop Ringing in Ears: When to see a Specialist
Posted on 24 July 2014.
How to stop ringing in ears will depend on the underlying medical cause. When ringing in the
ears is a temporary symptom of a physical problem, then treating the condition may end the
tinnitus. Currently, there is no known cure for the majority of cases of tinnitus; however, there
are some options that can help to stop ringing in ears.
How to Stop Ringing in Ears: When to Seek Help
First off, the solution to how to stop ringing in ears should begin with a checkup by an ear nose
and throat doctor. This is done in order to rule out any physical problems that have caused
tinnitus. Your physician may advise that you use a masking device. These will emit low level
sound that will work to eliminate or reduce the perception of tinnitus. Listening to radio static
turned low can also help. Radio static or maskers can help to ignore the tinnitus and help you to
fall asleep. You can also use a table top generator, which are relatively inexpensive. These
devices will emit such external sounds as ocean waves and babbling brooks, in order to help you
to ignore your tinnitus. Drug therapy may also be prescribed. Medication is available that can
help to ease tinnitus, however you should speak with your physician regarding possible side
effects. Medication designed to treat depression and anxiety caused by this medical condition
will also be prescribed.
Tinnitus retraining therapy might be just what you need in order to experience some relief. This
type of approach will also rely on maskers, but at a much lower intensity in order to aid in your
brain’s habituation of the sound. Behavioral therapy will also be included in order to help with
your emotional reaction to this condition. Other treatments available include cochlear implants.
Cochlear implants are typically only available to people with profound hearing loss in both ears.
Tips on How to Cope with Tinnitus
Try to think of things that can help you to cope with tinnitus. Many people have found relief
listening to music. If you focus on the music it can help you to forget about the tinnitus for
awhile and it can also mask the sound. Other people prefer to listen to white noise, such as static
or ocean or nature sounds. You should avoid anything that can make your tinnitus worse. This
can include loud noise, alcohol and smoking. If you’re an airport worker or construction worker,
or if you’re regularly exposed to loud noise at work or home, try wearing special earmuffs or
earplugs in order to protect your hearing while also keeping the tinnitus from getting worse. If
it’s difficult for you to hear over the tinnitus, ask family and friends to face you when they are
speaking to you so you can see their face. Seeing their expression can help you to understand
them better. When communicating with someone ask them to speak loudly, but not to shout.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/how-to-stop-ringing-in-ears/
Lipoflavinoids for Tinnitus Treatment
Posted on 24 July 2014.
Lipoflavinoids are supplements that can help to treat tinnitus, a condition in which a person
experiences a persistent ringing of the ears. In the past, lipoflavinoids were known as
bioflavonoids. This dietary supplement consists of a combination of citrus bioflavonoids and B
vitamins that work to make the blood vessels stronger and able to deliver nutrients to the body’s
hearing nerves.
Finding Relief through Lipoflavinoids
Lipoflavinoids will work to increase the blood circulation that goes to the inner ear. They’re a
natural supplement that works to prevent and soothe ringing in the ears. This supplement is
composed of pigments that have been extracted from citrus fruits. This supplement works best
when taken with some type of vitamin C, especially lemons. Lipoflavonoids are composed of
flavones, hesperidin, naringen and eriocitrin.
Because it’s an all natural supplement, you won’t experience any real side effects when taking
them. However, they can negatively react with certain medications so it’s important to speak
with your physician or pharmacist before taking. This over the counter blend of nutrients has
been available since the early 1960’s and was developed by the manufacturer called DSE
Healthcare Solutions.
The goal of this supplement is to improve the circulation of the inner ear. After circulation has
been improved, the tiny microscopic hair cells will remain flexible and the fluids in the ear canal
will flow more smoothly. When these fluids end up mixing together it can result in the
unpleasant ringing noise that’s associated with tinnitus.
Foods that can also help to Relieve Tinnitus Symptoms
Adding more foods that are rich in vitamin B12 can also help to relieve tinnitus symptoms.
Foods that are high in vitamin B12 include poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, beef, lamb,
seafood and oysters.
Eating foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids can minimize the symptoms associated with
tinnitus. Researchers believe tinnitus may be related to a fatty acid deficiency. Foods that are
high in omega 3s include flax seeds, cloves, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, sprouts, Brussels sprouts,
collard greens, tofu, cod, halibut, tuna, scallops and salmon.
You should also include foods that are high in zinc. Researchers have reported that a study
discovered that zinc deficiency was common in people who suffer from tinnitus. You should
increase your intake of eggs, nuts, whole grains, oysters, fish and beans.
You can also protect your ears by eating foods that are rich in magnesium. Studies performed on
lab animals have shown that the animals that lacked magnesium suffered more inner ear damage
when compared to animals that were fed a diet that was high in magnesium. Other studies have
shown that magnesium can protect against noise exposure. You can find magnesium in soy,
pumpkin seeds, potatoes, yogurt, tuna, oysters, lentils, halibut, whole grains, avocados and
bananas.
Read More http://mytinnitusinfo.com/lipoflavinoids/