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The other day, I watched a documentary about the history of Texas Roadhouse restaurants. The TV show caught my eye because that’s one of my favorite places to eat.
Sadly, the documentary shared the story of the founder of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor, who died by suicide in March. They related his suicide to a battle with severe tinnitus resulting from COVID-19.
Over the years, I remember working with a couple of residents diagnosed with tinnitus. But I knew little about the condition, and I had no idea how common it is. After doing some research, I believe this will be a helpful topic to share with my readers.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus involves hearing noises in one or both ears that have no external source. Other people can’t hear these sounds. The noises vary and can include ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, whistling, or chirping. For some people, the sounds are present all the time. For others, the noises come and go.
Tinnitus affects about 15-20% of the U.S. population. The condition is more common among men and older adults.
For many people, tinnitus is only a minor annoyance. For others, it causes significant emotional distress. The condition can result in difficulty concentrating, insomnia, social isolation, and depression or anxiety.
How is tinnitus diagnosed?
In many cases, tinnitus does not cause serious problems. However, it could be a sign of a significant underlying medical problem. That’s why it’s important to bring it to the attention of your medical provider.
Several tests can help diagnose the cause of tinnitus. These include:
- Detailed medical history
- Movement tests
- Hearing evaluation (often done by an audiologist)
- Scans such as an MRI or CAT scan
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can result from a wide variety of conditions, including:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Head injuries
- Exposure to loud noises
- Ear or sinus infections
- Impacted cerumen (earwax)
- Medications such as aspirin, NSAIDs, cancer drugs, antibiotics, or diuretics
- Circulatory problems, such as high blood pressure
How is tinnitus treated?
These are the most common treatments. Several other promising treatments are in development. If you would like to take part in tinnitus research, check out ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Address the underlying condition: If the tinnitus results from something reversible, such as impacted earwax or a medication side effect, it may be easily cured.
- Masking devices: Similar to hearing aids, people wear these devices in their ears. The devices emit low levels of sounds that mask the noises brought on by tinnitus.
- Sound generators: These machines emit white noise such as ocean waves or rainfall that can mask the sounds of tinnitus. (There are mixed reviews as to whether or not these are helpful.)
- Referral to an otolaryngologist: Your medical provider might refer you to an ear, nose, & throat specialist.
- Medications: These may include antidepressants or antianxiety meds to treat the emotional distress associated with tinnitus.
- Support groups: Talking with other people often helps those experiencing emotional distress because of tinnitus. Many tinnitus support groups are being held online during the COVID pandemic. To locate a group near you, contact the American Tinnitus Association.
Would you like to learn more about hearing loss in older adults? Check out these articles:
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