Tinnitus is when you think that there is noise when there really is no sound. It is very common and is not very serious either. It affects about 1/5th of the population. It is worth note that tinnitus is not a condition. Instead, it is a symptom of having a condition. These conditions range from hearing loss, an ear injury or even a circulatory system disorder. Even though tinnitus does worsen with age however it can also improve with treatment. If you know the cause of tinnitus, it does help treat it. Here is everything you need to know about tinnitus.

Symptoms of Tinnitus
As mentioned earlier, tinnitus is a ringing, hissing, clicking or buzzing sound which only you can hear and no one else.

Causes of Tinnitus
There are many common causes of tinnitus including:
1. Age-related hearing loss: Tinnitus is commonly caused due to hearing loss.
2. Meniere's disease: Meniere's disease is a type of inner ear disorder. It is when there are abnormalities in the fluid pressure of your inner ear.
3. Medications: Many medications have a side effect of tinnitus as well including certain antibiotics, antidepressants, cancer medications and even aspirin.
4. Loud noise exposure: Exposure to loud noise once in a while will not cause tinnitus. However, constant exposure to loud noise might cause tinnitus.
5. Changes in the shape of your ear bone: Otosclerosis is an abnormal bone growth which results in the bones in your middle ear stiffening.
6. Acoustic neuroma: There is a nerve, which goes from the brain straight to the inner ear. When this nerve develops a tumor, it is known as acoustic neuroma which is a common cause of tinnitus.

Treatment of Tinnitus
Tinnitus can be only be stopped if the underlying condition is treated. However, there are certain electronic devices, which help suppress the noise including:
1. Hearing aids: Hearing aids are already helpful for people who have hearing loss; however they can also help reduce tinnitus.
2. Masking device: Wearing a masking device which continuously emits a low-level noise helps stop the buzzing, clicking, hissing or ringing sound which comes with tinnitus.

Causes and Treatment of Tinnitus

Swallowing food comes naturally to human beings. But when there is a problem, it is usually called Dysphagia. Esophagus, a muscular tube-like organ located at the back of our throat, usually helps in swallowing food and transferring them to our stomach. When esophagus does not function properly, dysphagia happens. Patients suffering from brain or nerve disorder, seniors and babies might have this problem. 

People with dysphagia might witness the following issues:

Difficulty in swallowing solids and liquids.
Gaging, choking or coughing usually occurs when trying to swallow.
Experience pain when trying to swallow and also heartburn.
Swallowed food might come back up either through mouth or nose.
A chronic problem might result in weight loss.
Causes:
There are 2 main reasons, why the Esophagus might become dysfunctional.

Due to some medical condition the muscles and nerves that help the esophagus work have stopped working.
The esophagus is blocked by something.
There can be a number of reasons for both the condition. Here are the reasons why the muscles and nerves might not work.
Certain diseases can create problems with your nervous system, which in turn can affect the esophagus. These diseases are polio, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson s disease.

A brain stroke, spinal cord injury or brain injury can also affect swallowing.
Polymyositis or Dermatomyositis are immune system problems that can cause swelling or weakness.
The muscles of esophagus suddenly squeeze, which is called esophagus spasm.
Scleroderma causes the esophagus to become thin and weak.
The esophagus might be blocked because of these reasons:

Esophagus might have malignant or non-malignant tumours.
Esophagitis is a medical condition when the esophagus is infected, got some allergy or even if a pill got stuck on it.
People suffering from reflux diseases often experience the acid that backs up into the esophagus. This can cause an ulcer on it resulting in scars. Scars make Esophagus narrower, making it difficult to swallow.
There are small sacs called Diverticula on the esophagus or the throat, often making it difficult to swallow.
Lymph nodes, tumours, bone spurs can also obstruct esophagus and create difficulty in swallowing.

Difficulty in Swallowing - Are You at Risk of Dysphagia?

Hearing is an essential process in everyone's life. Be it your social life or professional activities, hearing influences every aspect of your life. You can thus, never ignore the health of your ears to enjoy a healthy life. But there are several hindrances to obstruct effective hearing. One of the problems is the accumulation of a natural substance called cerumen produced by the glands present in the ear canal. The accumulated cerumen is medically referred to as Earwax. Over production of cerumen is mainly triggered by the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and magnesium.

The basic function of the wax is to protect the ear canal from invasion by foreign particles like bacteria and dust particles. This is necessary for the smooth functioning of the ear and its protection from invaders. However, it becomes an irritating problem when the earwax is produced in excess. The problem aggravates when the ear canal is blocked due to accumulation of earwax. In such cases, we use certain objects such as bobby pins, Q-tips or cotton swabs to clean the accumulated earwax from the ear canal. What we do not realise is that pricking the wax using these objects can sometime cause significant damage to the ear. These objects push the wax deep inside the canal, leading to blockage.

The most common symptoms of excessive earwax are as follows:

Earache
Developing a fullness feeling in the ears
Loss of hearing on temporary basis
Noises inside the ear
Itching
Here are the preventive measures to remove ear wax blockage:

In order to prevent blockage of ear wax, try keeping it moist by frequently running water into your ear while taking a bath. This will prevent the ear wax from getting dried up so that it doesn t get blocked in the ear canal. Make sure, you drain the water from the ear after running it for some time.
Don t use any pointed objects inside the ears as it can cause ear infection while pushing the wax deeper.
Avoid inserting cotton swabs or ear buds into the ear canal. You can use them to remove exposed ear wax at the ear opening, but don t push them deep inside the ear canal. It can push the excess ear wax inside the ear canal, thereby resulting in to an impact.
Don t use candle ear wax remover. Ear candles are another method to remove ear wax, but it can be really dangerous as you need to hold the lighted candle very close to your ear. It can even burn your ear.
Don t use cold water or a strong jet to drain out the excess ear wax. Strong jet can lead to the damage of the ear drum while cold water may result into dizziness.
Avoid using any other method to remove ear wax at home, such as suction.
Don t use any type of acidic liquid in order to soften the ear wax.
Omega 3 fatty acids are good for mitigating the problem of ear wax. So, include walnuts, avocados, salmon, albacore and ground flax seed in your diet.
Consult a doctor if the problem persists even after using home remedies.

 Ear Wax - How To Get Rid It?

Although nose bleeding is quite common during the cold months, they can occur in the summer months too. This is because, during the summer heat, your nose may tend to get excessively dry. The protective layer of mucus in the nasal cavity tends to dry up during the summer months, thus resulting in nose bleeding. The hot summers can also lead to allergies, which in result can cause it.

Although nose bleeding may be quite messy, it is nothing very serious and can be easily prevented or stopped. Here are a few home remedies that you can try if you are prone to nose bleeding during the summer season:

Vinegar: Vinegar is easily available in any household and effectively stops nose bleeding. Just pour in some vinegar in a cotton ball or a piece of cloth and put it into your nose for some time.
Ice: Ice also effectively helps with controlling nose bleeding. Just rub ice against your nose to reduce swelling in the blood vessels. The ice will also effectively numb the pain offering instant relief.
Foods containing vitamin C: Ensure that during the summer months you take the right amount of Vitamin C into your diet. This is because Vitamin C helps in blood clotting, and will stop nose bleeding faster. Foods that are rich in vitamin C are guavas, kale, mustard, parsley, oranges, strawberries and lemons.
Baking soda: Baking soda works wonders for nose bleeding. Just mix some amount of baking soda into water, and transfer the solution into a spray bottle. Spray your nose with the solution.
Steam: Inhaling steam is a great way to prevent nose bleeding. When you take steam, it moistens the nasal cavity and prevents it from becoming dry, thus avoiding any bleeding.
Right posture: Another way to quickly stop a nose bleeding is to elevate your head. Keep your head in that position until the bleeding stops and try not to bend, as it can just aggravate bleeding.
Whole-wheat bread: Make whole-wheat bread as part of your daily diet during summer. It is said to contain Zinc, which protects the blood vessels in the body.
Drink water: ?Also ensure that you keep yourself hydrated at all times during the hot summer months. Drink plenty of liquids like fruit juice and milkshake, to prevent your nose from drying out.

Home Remedies For Nose Bleeding In Summer Season

For someone suffering from Tinnitus, a perpetual sense of ringing in the ears is the main complaint. It s annoying, to say the least. But more importantly, it is a sign of hearing loss. This is why people need to see an audiologist if he/she has a sense of tinnitus for some time. An audiologist can treat this problem in different ways.

Diagnosis

The first step in treating tinnitus like any other disease involves determining the cause. The doctor may perform different tests such as-Hearing:

Hearing exam

During this test, one needs to sit in a soundproof room and wear earphones. Specific sounds will be played into the ears, one at a time, through these earphones. People have to indicate when they hear different intensities of sound. The results are compared with empirical results for comparable age. This helps the audiologist identify possible or rule out specific causes.

Movement

One may need to clench the jaw, move the eyes or neck, or even move the arms and legs as part of the test. If tinnitus symptoms get better or worse at any of these postures, the audiologist can identify the underlying disorder.

Imaging Tests

The doctor may suggest an MRI or CT depending on his suspicions.

TreatmentRetraining

 Treatment involves identifying an underlying problem, if any. If the tinnitus symptoms are due to some health conditions, the audiologist may take the following steps:

Clearing the Earwax

Impacted earwax can cause a variety of problems, including tinnitus symptoms. An audiologist can remove the ear wax.

Treating Vascular Conditions

Underlying vascular problems that require surgery or any other treatment may treat the condition.

Changing Medication

Tinnitus can also be a side effect of medication. If the doctor suspects that he may recommend reducing or stopping the drug completely. He may also recommend a different medication.

Noise Suppression

If there is no underlying health condition or medication responsible for tinnitus, the doctor may take recourse to noise suppression.  The patient may need to wear an electronic noise suppression device. These devices include:

White Noise Devices

These machines produce simulated sounds such as those of ocean waves, falling rain etc. This is often found to be effective in treating tinnitus. He may also recommend using pillow speakers, fans, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and humidifiers to suppress internal noise at night.

Hearing Aids

If a hearing problem is associated with tinnitus, the audiologist may prescribe hearing aid.

Masking Devices

Such devices mask the internal sounds of tinnitus and are worn in the ear in a similar fashion as hearing aids.

Retraining

This device delivers programmed music to mask the sound of tinnitus. This technique usually helps the patient get accustomed to the sound of tinnitus.

 Depending on diagnosis and findings, audiologists may also recommend medicines. Audiologists use medicines usually for severe tinnitus only, since these may have side effects. It may also help reduce symptoms.



 Tinnitus - How Can Audiologist Treat It?

What are the causes and symptoms of ear discharge?

Ear discharge is the phenomenon of fluids being expelled from the ear. This condition is also known as otorrhea. 

The kinds of fluids that can be discharged from the ear range from blood to pus and other forms of bodily secretions. It is caused by a number of factors, which determine the exact nature of the condition and the diagnosis for treatment. 

What are the causes of ear discharge?
Some forms of ear discharge are natural, such as ear wax which is produced by the body as a form of defense against external particles that may enter the ears. Other forms are unnatural and result from anomalies in the health system. 
The causes of these include the following.

Infections: This is the most common cause of ear discharge and occurs when bacteria and viruses infect the inside of the ear and lead to the secretion of fluids, which builds up in the middle ear or at the eardrum.

Swimmer's ear: This condition is also known as otitis externa and is caused by staying in the water for prolonged periods. It results from excessive exposure to moisture that makes the walls of the ear canal to breakdown allowing bacteria and fungi to enter and infect the ear.

- Trauma: Excess pressure on the eardrum can cause it to rupture and discharge fluids. This happens due to a number of reasons such as exposure to loud explosive sounds or pressure from flying in aircraft and scuba diving.

- Skull injury: Damage to the bones behind the ear as a result of an injury can also lead to ear discharge due to infection.

-Tonsillitis: Inflammation of tonsils may cause pain or a repeated infection in the ear leading to fluid discharge.

What are the symptoms associated with ear discharge?
Some of the symptoms of otorrhea are as follows:
- Abnormal and unusual secretion of fluids from the ear
- Swelling of the ear
- Partial or complete loss of hearing
- Pain and throbbing in the ear
- Accompanying signs such as fever and migraine

Diagnosis and treatment of the problem depend on the exact cause and nature of the condition, which also determines treatment and recovery time.



Why Do You Get an EAR Discharge?

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