Ear Surgery for Tinnitus: Know the Symptoms First

Tinnitus is the medical term when a person hears abnormal sounds like ringing or swishing when there is exactly no sounds outside. The sounds can be loud or soft and may seem to come from the head or the ear. These sounds are more of a nuisance than a disorder. It more often gets solved by itself but at times it may represent some really serious health problem. Around 36 million Americans in the US suffer from this problem where the patients only hear the sounds.

Tinnitus occurs in the outer ear, middle ear or the inner ear. Infection, fluids, problem in the middle ear bones or eardrum can result in tinnitus. Damage to the hearing nerve ends of the inner ear also results in tinnitus. With age, the hearing nerve ends deteriorate which also causes tinnitus.

The other causes for tinnitus are wax or foreign objects in the ear, ear Infections, Meniere’s disease, intake of excessive alcohol, caffeine, Aspirin or other medicines or some antibiotics.

Tinnitus can cause hearing loss in the end. Sometimes tumors or aneurysms show signs like tinnitus but that is a very uncommon.Tinnitus and Otosclerosis go hand in hand.

The tinnitus problem is reduced or sometimes totally got rid of after the surgery for Otosclerosis. Generally, the young and healthy people opt for surgery. The old and sick prefer hearing aid as a solution to the hearing problem.

Surgery is the option to tinnitus when the patient has tumor. When the patient has venous tinnitus, the surgeries done are closure of the sigmoid sinus, jugular vein ligation or occlusion of the dural fistula.

Surgery is opted when the patient has Otosclerosis. When patient suffers from Meniere’s disease, surgery is done to reduce tinnitus from transtymphanic gentamicin. Microvascular compression syndrome causes tinnitus and an ear surgery can relieve a person from this problem

The eighth nerve section is done when a person suffers from very loud tinnitus but the chances of hearing is only 50% while there are more chances of to lose hearing completely. So, surgery is recommended only in severe conditions. When treated with intratymphanic lidocaine injection there is improvement in tinnitus and then the surgery cab be called effective.

An alteration in the diet can reduce tinnitus. One should avoid caffeinated drinks and other stimulating drinks like tea and coffee. Salt restriction is also beneficial. A balanced diet of fresh fruits and green vegetables is ideal for the tinnitus patients.

The other types of treatments are medications, self-help, and psychological help. Anxiety and depression that go along with the tinnitus problem are averted with the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist. One can join the American Tinnitus Association for self-help.

Surgery should be considered only when there is a proper reason and can improve the hearing level of the patient. Most of the time a hearing aid or medications give better results than surgery.

| Ear Surgery for Tinnitus: Know the Symptoms First | Eustachian Tube Surgery | Hear it Out with Otosclerosis Surgery | Otitis Media Surgery in Children | Tympanostomy Tube Surgery, a Common Surgery for Children |

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