What Causes Tinnitus In One Ear

Intrusiveness of Tinnitus

Many people complain about the extent to which their tinnitus is ever-present and intrudes on their daily lives. It is not uncommon for individuals to report that they never experience any relief from the noise, making it difficult to carry out their usual daily routines. Some people comment that their tinnitus interferes with their ability to concentrate on their work; others report that work serves as a distraction. People also differ in their reactions to quiet or noisy environments.

 

Many people avoid noisy places, not only because of the difficulty in hearing but also because it may momentarily make the tinnitus louder. This effect may be more noticeable when moving from a noisy place to a quieter place. Other people avoid quiet places because it makes the tinnitus seem to be more intrusive and reminds them that they have lost the pleasure of "silence." Thus, participation in pleasant activities such as walks in the forest or on a deserted beach may be less enjoyable because of the tinnitus.

Tinnitus-Related Fears

It is common for a person with tinnitus to fear that the tinnitus is indicative of a serious, possibly life-threatening disease; to fear that the tinnitus is the beginning of deafness; or to fear that the tinnitus may become much worse over time. If you have these fears, you will find our suggestions about dealing with "problematic thoughts" to be very helpful. We can certainly say at this point that a visit to the appropriate medical specialist is most likely to reassure you of your current physical health.

 

Although tinnitus and hearing problems generally occur together, tinnitus often occurs with only relatively minor loss of hearing – a common part of the aging process. It is unlikely that tinnitus and hearing impairment will proceed to deafness. Although it is true that tinnitus sometimes worsens, the reverse is equally common. For most people, the tinnitus fluctuates over time, so that an apparent worsening is not necessarily a sign that the problem will continue to deteriorate.

 

Anger

Some people who experience tinnitus display a great deal of anger. At times, this anger is directed at a person, company, or institution that might be responsible for causing the tinnitus. This is not uncommon when the tinnitus may have been caused by a noisy work environment. The anger may be directed at other people who do not display an adequate understanding of the tinnitus and who therefore do not provide the support that is expected.

 

Many people with tinnitus complain that other people cannot appreciate what it is like to experience tinnitus. This may lead to tension in interpersonal relationships with partners, children, other family members, and friends. Sometimes the anger is directed at people who make loud noises or are responsible for noisy machinery, such as the truck driver who allows the air-brakes to be let off as you past by, or the neighbor who mows the lawn at inconvenient times.

 

We have seen many people who express anger at the medical profession for failing to cure them, or against the government for not spending more money on tinnitus research. All of these reactions are understandable, but they lead the person to spend his or her energy fighting the tinnitus rather than learning ways to deal with it. A number of the approaches described in this blog may be applied to manage anger.

 

Depression

By far the most common emotional reaction to tinnitus is a feeling of depression. By the word depression, we are not necessarily referring to a psychiatric disorder, but to a negative emotional mood state at the extreme end of the normal experience. People sometimes describe their feelings as sad, unhappy, miserable, or down-hearted. They may have lost their normal sense of pleasure, be less motivated, and be more pessimistic – all indications of depression.

 

Depression often has two aspects: a sense of loss of control and a feeling of hopelessness. For most people, tinnitus does not seem to be controllable like other aspects of their lives – it is just there, relentlessly. A sense of lack of control over important aspects of life is known to be a contributor to depression. Likewise, a feeling of hopelessness is a characteristic of depression. When people feel a sense of hopelessness, they are thinking (saying to themselves) that "nothing will change," "it will get worse," "I cannot go on with this noise."

 

Sleep Disturbance

Some people may find that their tinnitus is not particularly bothersome during their waking hours, but complain that their tinnitus disturbs their sleep. Some individuals may experience difficulty getting to sleep, whereas others may find that they wake up frequently throughout the night and find it difficult to get back to sleep. When lying awake in bed during the night, attention is often directed toward the tinnitus because it is quiet and dark.

 

All one can perceive is the tinnitus and how very loud it seems to be. It is easy for a person to start worrying about the tinnitus, fighting it, being annoyed by it, becoming more and more frustrated, making it all the more difficult to get to sleep. Then the person may start worrying about the consequences of a sleepless night for the following day's activities. Indeed, the inevitable fatigue and tiredness during the next day may make it more difficult to deal with the tinnitus, creating a vicious circle.

 

Poor sleep can also be associated with a range of negative emotional states (e.g., feeling irritable, tense, uptight, depressed). On the other hand, there are people who say that sleep is their only escape from the tinnitus! If you have sleep problems, you might use a number of the approaches explained in this blog. If you want to know more , you can check out What Causes Tinnitus In One Ear.

 

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