Hearing noises at night is a warning that you need to pay attention to your body. These noises are ringing in the ear that could happen due to numerous reasons. It is termed tinnitus. This condition is often produced by damage to or the loss of sensory hair cells in the cochlea or the inner ear.
Tinnitus can manifest in many different ways, such as sounds of the ocean, hissing, whooshing, ringing, buzzing, or clicking. These noises can be in one or both ears, constant or occasional, loud or soft. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss. Usually, it is more noticeable at night because the environmental distractions of work or family are less. Thus, you should not ignore its symptoms. Moreover, it is more common than you may expect it.
Let’s see the causes of tinnitus first.
Causes of Tinnitus
Hearing noises at night comes from the ringing that further comes from the part of your inner ear that looks like a snail shell called the cochlea. Changes in this cochlea’s nerve activity could traverse tinnitus.
Any of the following can cause these changes:
# Exposure to loud sounds — such as jackhammers, chainsaws, and loud music
# A sudden head injury or concussion
# Excessive wax build-up in your ears
# Excessive intake of Caffeine
# Many medications, including aspirin, ibuprofen, blood pressure medicines, and some antibiotics, can cause tinnitus if taken in the wrong dosage.
# Meniere’s disease, a condition of the inner ear possibly related to fluids in the inner ear.
Symptoms of Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the ringing in the ears, even though no external sound is present. However, it can also create other types of noises in your ears, including:
# Buzzing
# Roaring
# Clicking
# Hissing
# Humming
Most people who have tinnitus have individual tinnitus that only they can hear. The tinnitus noises may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal and can occur in both ears. In some extreme cases, the sound can be so intense it hinders your ability to concentrate or hear external sound. Moreover, it may be present all the time, or it may come and go.
In some rare cases, it has been seen that tinnitus can occur as a rhythmic pulsing or whooshing sound synchronized with your heartbeat. This is called pulsatile tinnitus. If you have pulsatile tinnitus, your doctor may be able to hear your tinnitus when they do your checkup.
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Coping Up with Tinnitus
Tinnitus can go on its own sometimes, but it stays for the long haul most of the time. There is no cure for this condition; thus, you must learn some coping mechanism to deal with it.
1- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
In CBT sessions, patients are made to learn to control their reactions to this condition. It can also ease the depression and anxiety of tinnitus and teach you breathing and muscle relaxation methods.
2- Hearing Aids
Hearing aids help to boost the volume of external noises to conceal tinnitus. You may also benefit from hearing aids more if an audiogram reports that you have significant hearing loss.
3- Getting Ear Wax Cleaned Professionally
Doctors use microscopic tools to clean your ear canal. Trying to use a cotton swab at home will only push the wax further than can make your condition worse. Therefore, you should always go to the professionals to get them cleaned.
4- Playing Background Music
Creating a background hum, especially at night, can fade out the sound you hear because of tinnitus. For instance, use a cool-mist humidifier in the winter and use a fan or air conditioner in the summer. The sound of the fan will shift your focus from tinnitus.
5- Avoid Caffeine
You should avoid taking caffeine if you have tinnitus. It is because coffee or tea can increase your blood pressure that can highlight the effects of your tinnitus.
6- Use Ear Plugs
You should use earplugs when you know that you will be exposed to some heavy and intense sound, like a jackhammer or chainsaw. This will prevent the harsh noise from affecting your eardrum.
7- Reconsider your Medications
You should not be taking any medication without a prescription. Moreover, ibuprofen can trigger tinnitus if taken in larger doses. Therefore, taking ibuprofen sometimes is fine, but regular use should be avoided.
If you want more information regarding hearing noises at night or if you want to seek professional help to treat your condition, you can book your appointment with the best ENT specialist through Marham.
