Why Can Tinnitus Be Louder in One Ear than the Other?
Many tinnitus sufferers are aware that the noise is louder in one ear than the other, and/or is of a different frequency. (more…)
Intermittent Tinnitus, Comes and Goes: Causes and Solutions
Intermittent tinnitus is the typical tinnitus that affects millions, but instead of being continuous, it comes and goes, present on some days and absent on others.
This isn’t about that sudden, “brief piercing high frequency ringing (random neural firings) that goes away quickly and is not pathological,” says Rachel Raphael, M.A., CCC-A, an audiologist with ENT Baltimore.
Sooner or later everyone gets that: a sudden loud ringing in one ear that momentarily drowns out external noise.
The episode lasts well under half a minute and is also believed to be caused by a benign muscle spasm inside the ear.
So file that away, because this article deals with what seems to be the typical tinnitus that millions suffer from on a chronic basis, usually every minute of every day.
But what if you were to have this—only on some days? You have days of blessed silence, then days of tinnitus, with no pattern. And sometimes it’s intermittent WITHIN a given day.
“Will tomorrow be a tinnitus day or a silence day?” you ask at bedtime.
The tinnitus fluctuates in terms of presence and absence, and may fluctuate in terms of how loud or soft it is.
From a logic standpoint, we can rule out impacted ear wax as a cause, as this is either there or it’s not.
Aging in the inner ear doesn’t come and go, either; once something in there begins aging, it doesn’t reverse and become youthful.
Stress has been implicated as a cause for some cases of tinnitus. Stress can be intermittent, or at least, its severity can fluctuate.
But let’s make the question even more vexing: What if someone experiences intermittent tinnitus, as I’ve described, but its first onset was NOT precipitated by any unusual degree or amount of mental stress?
And what if the new-onset tinnitus that comes and goes was not preceded by exposure to booming loud noise, medications or an illness?
And what if there’s no perceived new-onset hearing loss?
Well, let’s first look at stress-caused tinnitus and its solutions.
“I have found in my experience that those who suddenly develop tinnitus have undergone a stressful life change, such as an illness, hospitalization or loss of a loved one,” says Raphael.
“We know that stress plays a role in worsening tinnitus, and it is widely believed that relaxation/ yoga/meditation/deep breathing exercises can help to reduce tinnitus.
“We also recommend a healthy lifestyle which includes a full night’s sleep and reducing (not necessarily eliminating) stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, etc., to help reduce tinnitus. The key is moderation!”
Counseling/ reassurance, and avoiding silence (mild and neutral external sound sources such as white noise from a sound machine) as well as properly fitted hearing aids when appropriate also play a key role in reducing/helping brain to habituate tinnitus.”
HOW does stress cause tinnitus?
A report in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience (Mazurek, et al, 2012) explains the possible mechanisms.
The explanations are very lengthy and highly technical, with too much information for me to efficiently summarize here.
So we’re left with the enigma of what precisely causes tinnitus (especially in both ears) that comes and goes.
And again, this does NOT refer to that loud piercing ringing that drowns out external sounds and lasts maybe 15 seconds – but rather, the typical high frequency tonal tinnitus that affects millions on a 24/7 basis.
Another Audiologist’s Take on Intermittent Tinnitus that Comes and Goes
“There are many causes to intermittent tinnitus,” begins Rivka Strom, AuD, CCC-A, chief audiologist at Central Hearing LLC in NY.
“Tinnitus is highly correlated to hearing loss, but not all individuals with hearing loss experience tinnitus.
“A change in hearing, middle ear infections or Eustachian tube dysfunction can often be a trigger for constant or chronic tinnitus.
“Allergies can be a trigger as well. Remember that tinnitus is typically not objective.
“Since it is a subjective phenomenon, it can be ‘heard’ when an individual is fearful and looking for it, when stressed, when in a quiet environment where there are no distractions.
“Awareness of tinnitus can be associated with conditions beyond hearing loss such as changes in biochemistry, new medications, anatomical abnormalities — and the perception of tinnitus can change based on how our bodies change and how we react to those changes.
“It can fluctuate based on one’s well-being and mental status. Stress and mood changes are key triggers for many of those who suffer from tinnitus.”
It may very well be (though certainly not proven) that mental stress takes the No. 1 spot for the cause of intermittent tinnitus that comes and goes.
Dr. Strom is a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and has received several awards including Brooklyn College’s Excellence In Audiology Award.
Rachel A. Raphael specializes in clinical audiology and hearing aid dispensing. She helps in the diagnosis of hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and vestibular pathology in adults and children.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/fizkes
Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3371598/
Can Tinnitus Be Higher Tone than What You Can Hear for Real?
Can a person hear a tinnitus (sine wave tone) at a higher frequency than what he can hear in real life?
So let’s look at it this way: Suppose a hearing test determines that you can only hear at 11,000 Hz, but the tinnitus that rings in your ears against your will matches a tone of 13,000. (more…)
A Slightly Numb Big Toe Can Be Caused by Diabetic Neuropathy
You may have diabetes and the numb feeling in your big toe can be caused by diabetes, but it may also have other causes unrelated to blood sugar levels.
Neuropathy has causes other than diabetes, even though you may have seen ads for diabetic neuropathy. (more…)
Ears Get Cold Outside Jogging even in Warm Weather?
Do your ears always get cold outside even in 75 degree weather, especially if you’re hiking, jogging or even walking?
For some people, wearing a cap of some sort to keep the ears warm is necessary, even in what would be considered warm weather. (more…)
Conquer that Mad Racing Heart Every Time You Use a Staircase
So your heart pounds like a demon every time you walk up a flight of stairs?
First of all, make sure that a cardiologist finds nothing wrong with your heart.
The doctor must clear you for a form of exercise called interval training, because this will likely cure you of that frightening racing heart that occurs every time you go up a flight of stairs. (more…)
Can More Frequent Urination Be a Symptom of Perimenopause ?
You aren’t imagining it: There may very well be a link between perimenopause and more frequent urinating than usual, including those overnight trips to the bathroom.
How many voids per 24 hours define urinary frequency?
“Although there is no absolute number of daytime voids that is ‘abnormal,’ urinary frequency is typically defined as more than eight voids/24 hours,” says R. Mark Ellerkmann, MD, Director, The Urogynecology Center at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore.
“However, many things can influence the degree of urinary frequency — how much one drinks, what one drinks, whether someone is on a diuretic, etc.”
So right off the bat, you may want to ask yourself if perimenopause has been making you consume more fluids, though thirst is not a symptom of perimenopause.
Overactive Bladder
Dr. Ellerkmann says that usually, complaints of urinary frequency come with additional symptoms:
• Urinary urgency (“sudden, compelling desire to pass urine which is difficult to defer”)
• Nocturia – getting up in the middle of the night to relieve oneself more than once
• Urge related
“The constellation of these symptoms provide for a clinical diagnosis we refer to as overactive bladder or OAB (defined as urgency, often with frequency and nocturia, with or without urge related urinary incontinence),” explains Dr. Ellerkmann.
Severity does increase with age, but perimenopause typically occurs in a woman’s 40s. Urge related incontinence is more common in women.
“Urge incontinence increases with age, from 17 percent of women older than 45 years to 27 percent of women older than 75 years of age.”
The Perimenopause and Urinary Frequency Connection
“Perimenopause is defined at that period of time leading up to menopause,” says Dr. Ellerkmann.
“Many physiological changes occur during the perimenopausal time period as levels of circulating hormones — estrogen, progesterone and testosterone — fluctuate and levels slowly decrease.
“The effects of estrogen on the urogenital tract are well-known, as these tissues (the vaginal and peri-urethral tissues/bladder) are very rich in estrogen receptors.
“As circulating estrogen levels decrease and become less consistent, vaginal and peri-urethral tissues become less well-lubricated; they become thinner and less elastic and less well-vascularized [stocked with blood vessels].
“It may be that the loss of estrogen can adversely affect the bladder, but whether the hormonal changes of perimenopause are directly related to symptoms of urinary frequency is difficult to say.”
Solutions to Increased Urinary Frequency from Perimenopause
Dr. Ellerkmann says that some studies support the use of supplemental vaginal estrogen cream in both periomenopausal and menopausal women to partially alleviate symptoms of overactive bladder.
Dr. Ellerkmann also explains, “Excluding organic causes that might cause overactive bladder symptoms (bladder cancers, stones, bladder prolapse, infections, foreign suture or mesh from urological surgery) or medications (diuretics) or behavior (excessive consumption of liquids), the most common inciting causes of urinary frequency and urgency are consumption of known dietary irritants — the most common of which are caffeinated beverages, tea, artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages, citrus juices, tomatoes, chocolate, sodas.”
Dr. Ellerkmann
is board certified in both OB/GYN and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He specializes in the treatment of urinary incontinence in women of all ages.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Feel Like You Must Pee Really Bad after a Pap Smear ?
Did your Pap smear make your bladder feel full enough to burst, like you had to pee a whole gallon?
So after the doctor is finished with the Pap smear, having removed the speculum and completed the digital exam, you’re left lying immobile because it feels that your bladder is suddenly filled to the hilt with urine.
But you know there can’t be any urine in there because:
• You relieved yourself right before the exam.
• You didn’t even have a drop of water prior to the exam.
• The preceding day you went light on the water.
You induced dehydration to lessen any bladder discomfort from a Pap smear, but this time, the urge to pee was overwhelming. What could cause this?
“The only comment I would have on this question is that (depending on the examiner and the patient) a pelvic examination (speculum placement, bimanual examination) can possibly irritate the vaginal tissues and may cause a patient to have transient overactive bladder symptoms,” says R. Mark Ellerkmann, MD, Director, The Urogynecology Center at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore.
The severe urge to pee after a Pap smear has nothing to do with the actual buildup of urine in the bladder.
#1 Urine comes from the kidneys.
#2 A Pap smear cannot magically make urine fill up the bladder.
#3 It’s only an illusion.
The vagina is also very close to the urethra, so any handling of the vagina could irritate the urethra, simulating an urge to void.
And all of this is what you must remind yourself for your next Pap smear, especially when it’s completed and you’re lying there very still, feeling as though at any moment you’re going to leak.
Give this sensation five or so minutes to pass. Just lie there and breathe deeply, eyes closed. Tell your doctor why you want to just lie there, then do it.
Dr. Ellerkmann adds, “It is highly unlikely that a pelvic examination increases the risk of a urinary tract infection — often responsible for transient OAB symptoms — or any trauma to the pelvic floor.
“It is just that pressing and palpating (feeling) the bladder and uterus can cause a sensation of ‘needing’ to go.”
Dr. Ellerkmann is board certified in both OB/GYN and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He specializes in the treatment of urinary incontinence in women of all ages.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Here’s Why It’s Hard for Type 1 Diabetics to Get Pregnant
The high blood sugar of type 1 diabetes doesn’t interfere with GETTING pregnant, but instead causes another problem once a woman IS pregnant. (more…)
Why Does Diabetes Cause Shiny Skin on the Lower Legs?
“This condition is known as diabetic dermopathy, characterized by thinning, shiny, friable skin due to microvascular changes in the small blood vessels in the skin,” says Jenepher Piper, a family practice nurse practitioner for Maryland Family Care for 25+ years and a former nurse with Home Care Nurse for Johns Hopkins Home Care.
“This is similar to the changes that occur to the retina of the eye (diabetic retinopathy).”
It is unknown what the underlying mechanism is of diabetes dermopathy, according to a report by the British Journal of Diabetes.
Despite the appearance, with can be mottled and include shiny sections, this condition does not cause symptoms.
The skin lesions do not require treatment.
If you notice what seems to be this condition on your legs, even if it doesn’t appear to be shiny, and your last checkup did not show diabetes or you were not tested for it, you should get retested!
