You may have heard the expression “ringing in the ears” before. It’s not a pleasant sensation, and lots of people experience it. When someone uses this expression, what they probably mean is that they have tinnitus.
Tinnitus affects about 10-15% of the population. Some people talk about pulsing in their ears. What’s critical to understand, though, is that only the person talking about it can hear it, while no one else can.
It’s not easy living like that. We’ll take a moment today to talk about some of the negative ways that tinnitus can impact a person’s life.
Depression
When someone experiences tinnitus, they might have to deal with it constantly, or it may come and go. Either way, these individuals often report depression after a certain point.
If you think about what tinnitus is, it’s easy to see how someone could experience depression if they have to deal with it day in and day out. You hear a sound that no one else can hear, and it’s interfering with the way you interface with the world.
If someone is experiencing tinnitus to the point where they’re dealing with depression, it’s long past time that they speak to a doctor about it to try and figure out some solutions. Otherwise, that depression is probably only going to get deeper and more debilitating.
Irritability or Anxiety
Someone who keeps experiencing ringing in the ears is also probably going to get anxious after a while. They may not be able to hear what people around them are saying. They might worry that these people are talking about them, or they’re trying to get their attention, but they’re not sure either way.
This individual also might feel irritable. They struggle with daily interactions that would be easy for another person. They might snap at their family members or coworkers.
Memory Problems
Tinnitus affects concentration. When you hear a constant ringing sound, it’s hard to focus on just about anything else.
Because of this, some individuals experience memory problems. They can probably remember things that happened in the distant past, but their recent memories are a confused muddle.
This individual will probably not be able to handle even the simplest work tasks. They may not be able to remember things their family told them to pick up at the grocery store. If you ask them to do something, it’s far from certain they’ll remember to do it because the constant, unpleasant ringing noise will drive these responsibilities right out of their head.
Sleep Problems
It’s also not surprising to think that such a person would have sleep problems. Insomnia is common enough as it is if you can’t quiet your mind. Consider how much worse it would be if there was a constant ringing in your ears that only you can hear.
The person experiencing it might wake up several times during the night. If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, night after night, that will lead to chronic fatigue, affecting other aspects of your life in turn.
Trouble Concentrating
This leads right into the next problem, concentration issues. If you’re fatigued, you can’t concentrate on anything as well as you would like.
This is going to make work tasks almost impossible. It’s going to make you an unsafe driver since it’s hard to concentrate on the road ahead of you when the imagined constant ringing drowns out the real traffic noises around you.
When you experience tinnitus, you can be a danger to others and yourself. Some people can’t drive anymore if they have it bad enough, and they may even have to quit their job they have enjoyed for years. This condition has ended careers before.
What Can You Do About All This?
There are virtually no life aspects that tinnitus does not impact. If you don’t figure out a solution, it will
be tough for you to live a happy and fulfilled life.
If you experience either constant or intermittent tinnitus, seeing an audiologist is the first thing you’ll need to do. They can run some tests on you to determine precisely what is happening.
There are different conditions that could cause tinnitus. Once the audiologist determines what’s going on, they can talk with you about some different treatment courses.
Until you deal with this in a satisfactory manner, you cannot reclaim your life. You’ll be a shadow of yourself until you take decisive action, so you must not delay any longer.