Are Ringing Ears A Sign Of High Blood Pressure
Its estimated that 68 million adults in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . That equates to 1 in 3 U.S. adults experiencing high blood pressure. Further estimates show that up to 20% are unaware of the condition.
Healthline defines high blood pressure as occurring when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels. Your heart pumps blood around your body continuously. Your blood pressure is a reflection of how much resistance your blood meets as it travels through your blood vessels and arteries. Narrowing of the vessels and arteries increases pressure. This can have a wider reaching impact on your body.
What Does Hypertension Have To Do With Hearing Plenty
Weve got a tip for your wellness checklist: Keeping your blood pressure down may help keep your hearing up!
Both hearing loss and hypertension, or high blood pressure, impact millions of people around the world, but few realize that these two chronic conditions might go hand in hand. For your best health, here are three important things to know:;
Hypertension and Hearing Loss Are Connected
Like hearing loss, which affects an estimated 466 million people worldwide, hypertension is a serious public-health challenge that can take a toll on your health and overall quality of life. It could also put you at greater risk of hearing impairment.
In one study of 274 men and women ages 45 to 64, researchers found a strong relationship between high blood pressure and age-related hearing loss, with hypertensive patients having a higher threshold below which they couldnt hear indicating hearing loss.
The study didnt pinpoint the causal link between the two conditions, but suggested that hypertension may damage inner-ear blood vessels, accelerating age-related hearing loss.;
High Blood Pressure Can Be Reined In
The bad news? Hypertension, often labeled a silent killer, can develop gradually, persist without any signs or symptoms, and lead to dangerous complications such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and more. Its a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is also linked to hearing loss.
The Relationship Between Blood
Keith Roach, M.D.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently spent time with a seasoned hearing-impaired citizen. She told me that tinnitus is sometimes caused by prescription meds, especially those for high blood pressure. I have been taking 25 milligrams of losartan, one per day in the morning for about 15 years. About five years ago, my tinnitus began. Lately, it seems to have become worse. Do you think there is a connection? Is there another blood pressure med I could take that does not have this side effect? F.A.C.
ANSWER: Tinnitus is a sensation of noise in or near the head in absence of an external cause. Tinnitus and hearing loss always go together, but there is a long list of medicines that can cause tinnitus, which is thought to be caused by damage to the organ of hearing or to the nerve.
I have done some research suggesting that angiotensin receptor blockers like losartan have a lower risk of tinnitus compared with other blood pressure drugs. I dont think changing medicines from losartan is likely to help your tinnitus, and you should never stop a medicine without discussing with your doctor.
I should note that pulsatile tinnitus when the sound one hears is not a constant tone, but rather a sound that pulses in time with the heartbeat is sometimes associated with an aneurysm. This should have an evaluation.
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The Causes Of Sudden Hearing Loss
Our knowledge concerning the reasons for hearing loss is limited. Notwithstanding this limitation, one possible reason has to do with circulatory disorders in the smallest vessels of the inner ear . Other contributing factors include:
- Stress
- Viral infections or reactivations
- Arteriosclerosis and subsequent circulatory disorders
- Metabolic disorders such as diabetes or high cholesterol levels
- A ruptured oval or round window
- Cervical spine injury
- Elevated platelet aggregation
- Occlusion of the inner ears vessels
- Autoimmune diseases
- Previous acute otitis media
We can assume that there are additional causes for the occurrence of sudden hearing loss, which are frequently discussed by specialists and experts.
Sudden idiopathic hearing lossIdiopathic means without recognizable cause. This is the most common and sudden type of hearing loss. Extensive examination cannot determine an organic cause.
Stress-related sudden hearing lossStress is a frequent trigger for sudden hearing loss. It is assumed that the stress hormone adrenaline causes the small vessels to become narrower. The exact pathogenesis i.e. the creation process of sudden hearing loss is unknown. If you have suffered sudden hearing loss, it is imperative that you learn to reduce your level of stress in your daily activities so that you can better cope with demanding situations. Regular exercise can also be helpful in eliminating stress.
How Do I Know If I Have Hearing Loss Caused By Loud Noise
10 Signs of Hearing Loss
If you have any of these signs or symptoms, you may have hearing loss caused by noise:
Loud noise can cause ringing, hissing, or roaring in the ears . This usually occurs immediately after you are exposed to the loud noise, but then it usually, though not always, goes away. However, it can be an indication of early hearing damage.
Hypersensitivity
After you are exposed to loud noise, sounds that seem normal to most people may start to sound unbearably loud to you . People with this increased sensitivity to sound may experience discomfort or physical pain. And it may be a sign of hearing damage.
If you have any signs of hearing loss, get tested by a qualified healthcare provider.
Prevention and Early Detection of Hearing Loss are Important
Your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist or other healthcare provider who is qualified to test hearing if you
Children Should Have Their Hearing Tested
Tips for People at Risk for Noise-Related Hearing Loss
Learn More about Hearing Tests
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What Is An Ototoxic Drug
According to Neil Bauman, Ph.D., Ototoxic drugs are those medications that can cause ototoxic side effects to your ears. Such drugs can cause hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, and other phantom sounds and a whole host of balance problems. Although physician-prescribed medications may effectively treat a specific health condition, they can also damage the fragile hair cells in the inner ear, impacting a persons ability to hear and balance .;
Tinnitus, of course, does not afflict everyone who takes drugs. Even if a drugs description lists tinnitus as a side effect, it does not mean that you will develop tinnitus if you take it. Some people do. Many dont. However, it is still important to learn the side effects of any drug you take. That way, you can react accordingly if you do develop a side effect. To evaluate your level of tinnitus or hyperacusis, take our tinnitus and hyperacusis impact surveys.
Living With Hearing Loss
For starters, set up your home so your rooms are well lit and places to sit face each other. When people talk, watch their mouths move as well as their facial expressions.
Remove sources of background noise you donât need. For instance, turn off the TV when no one’s watching it.
Let people know what they can do to help you understand them better:
- Get your attention before they start talking.
- Make sure you can see their lips moving.
- Speak clearly, but don’t shout.
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If You Hear Heartbeat Thumping In Your Ear It May Be Pulsatile Tinnitus
Q.;One morning last week I woke up hearing my heartbeat in my left ear. I hear it most clearly when I am in bed or sitting quietly. My health is good, and I was told after a recent cardiac workup that my heart was perfect. Should I be worried that I can hear the rhythmic pattern of my heart from inside my left ear?
A.;What you describe sounds like;pulsatile tinnitus;. It is a type of rhythmic thumping, pulsing, throbbing, or whooshing only you can hear that is often in time with the heartbeat. Most people with pulsatile tinnitus hear the sound in one ear, though some hear it in both. The sound is the result of turbulent flow in blood vessels in the neck or head. The most common causes of pulsatile tinnitus include the following:
Conductive hearing loss.;This is usually caused by an infection or;inflammation;of the middle ear or the accumulation of fluid there. Sometimes it is caused by problems with the ossicles . This type of;hearing loss;intensifies internal head noises sounds like breathing, chewing, and blood flowing through the ear. A conductive hearing loss also makes it easier to hear blood flowing through two large vessels that travel through each ear, the carotid artery and the jugular vein, which circulate blood to and from the brain.
Carotid artery disease.;The accumulation of fatty plaque inside the carotid arteries can create the kind of turbulent blood flow that resounds as pulsatile tinnitus.
Reversing Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Once damaged, your auditory nerve and cilia cannot be repaired. But, depending on the severity of the damage, sensorineural hearing loss has been successfully treated with hearing aids or cochlear implants. There is, however, the possibility that your hearing loss isnt reversible.
Cochlear implants
A cochlear implant bypasses the injured or damaged portion of the auditory system and directly stimulates your auditory nerve. With a cochlear implant, many people even those with severe sensorineural hearing loss have been able to reverse hearing loss partially.
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Ear Infections And Diseases
Ear infections like autoimmune inner ear diseases and middle ear infections can cause hearing loss.
Autoimmune inner ear diseases occur when the antibodies in the inner ear begin to destroy hair cells in the inner ear. If the condition is not treated immediately, all the hair cells in the inner ear can be lost. This will result in permanent hearing loss.
Other infections like swimmer’s ear, otitis externa, and otitis media with effusion can cause hearing loss.
Medications That Cause Hair Loss In Females
Hormone therapies can trigger hormone imbalances in women, causing hair loss and potentially causing permanent female pattern baldness.
Birth control pills used for contraception and hormone replacement therapies , like progesterone and estrogen, are examples. Women who have undergone a full hysterectomy, for example, require ongoing HRT after surgery.
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I Can Hear A Heartbeat In My Ear Is It Pulsatile Tinnitus
Thump-whump. Thats weird. Thump-whump. Is that is that normal? You just laid down to bed, turned out the lights, and now you can hear the rhythmic thumping of your heart in your ears. Its a sound you never noticed before now, so it understandably makes you a little nervous. Theres a name for this sound: pulsatile tinnitus.
Unlike some other forms of tinnitus, in which you hear a sound and the source of the sound is unclear, pulsatile tinnitus has a physiological source. And, in most cases, its nothing to panic about. But its also not a great idea to totally ignore your pulsatile tinnitus, especially if it doesnt go away on its own within a few weeks or so.
Surprising Causes Of Hearing Loss
by Peter JaretHealth Writer
Hearing experts have trumpeted the warning loud and clear: Too much noise, over time, can permanently damage your hearing. But rock n roll and jackhammers arent the only threats to your ears.
New research has identified other unexpected hazards to hearing, from contaminants to common medical conditions.
Knowing the risks, and what you can do to avoid them, is critical, especially as you get older, says Lee Akst, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Voice Center and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
One in four adults shows signs of noise-induced hearing loss, according to a report published in February 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And hearing loss typically gets worse with age.
Nearly one in four people ages 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss, defined as a hearing loss of 35 decibels or more in their better ear, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Thats the level at which adults could generally benefit from a hearing aid. The number climbs to 50 percent in people 75 and up.
There was a time when being hard of hearing was considered an inevitable part of aging. But we now know that while many people experience significant hearing loss as they age, others dont, Akst says. There are probably many reasons, including genetics and lifestyle.
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Medications Linked To Hearing Loss
The severity of the hearing loss and tinnitus can vary widely, depending on the drug, the dosage, and how long you take it. In general, the risk for ototoxicity increases as the drug accumulates in your body. The hearing loss may be temporary or permanent.
Below are some of the more well-known classes of;drugs that are linked to;ototoxicity.;If you are taking any of these drugs and are experiencing hearing or balance problems, promptly contact your doctor. Do not stop taking your medication without guidance from your physician.
Difficulty Hearing Childrens Voices
Another common sign of hearing loss in adults is the inability to hear female and children’s voices. If you can hear these voices, they may sound muffled or unclear.
This happens because female voices and children’s voices are regarded as high-pitched sounds, and the first set of cells to fail when you have hearing loss are the cells responsible for detecting high-pitched sounds.
Asides from female and childrens voices, you may also find it difficult to hear sounds like the beeping of phones and appliances, birds and animal sounds, doorbells, and certain consonant sounds. Examples of consonant sounds you may struggle to hear are “s, “h,” or “f.
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Medications That Can Cause Ringing In The Ears
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a perception of sound in one or both ears in the absence of an external source. Its often described by patients as buzzing, ringing, or whooshing. While there is often no known cause for tinnitus, there are a handful of medications that may contribute to it. Though rare, tinnitus is a debilitating complication with limited treatments.
Medications known to cause tinnitus or hearing loss are considered ototoxic medications. Discontinuing these medications can prevent tinnitus and hearing loss progression, though the ringing may not always go away. Check with your doctor before stopping the use of any medication.;
Here are some commonly prescribed medications known to cause tinnitus and some options and alternative medications to consider.
Recognizing Sudden Hearing Loss
According to current medical standards, a diagnosis for sudden hearing loss is determined through the process of elimination. Your ENT specialist can use ear microscopy and a hearing test to ascertain whether you have a sudden hearing loss or another illness. Various examination procedures are performed to obtain clarification. Your ENT specialist, for example, can use otoscopy to discover whether other external characteristics, such as obstructions and injuries in the ear canal, should be excluded. Using hearing tests , the doctor determines the extent and localization of the hearing impairment. A doctor can best determine the classification of sudden hearing loss into high-, mid- and low-frequency or pancochlear sensorineural hearing loss by performing a pure-tone audiogram during the diagnostic process.
What is pancochlear sensorineural hearing loss?The word pancochlear is divided into the two terms: pan and cochlea . Therefore, this kind of hearing impairment is one that affects the entire structure of the inner ear
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High Blood Pressure And Tinnitus
In the United States, one in three adults has some level of high blood pressure, the condition that forces blood to push against the artery walls.; This pressure can present itself as pulsatile tinnitus especially those with very high blood pressure. Managing your high blood pressure to a healthy level will generally alleviate pulsatile tinnitus.; Conditions that can exacerbate the condition are stress and the consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
Types Of Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden idiopathic hearing lossIdiopathic means without recognizable cause. This is the most common type of hearing loss. Extensive examination cannot determine an organic cause.
Stress-related sudden hearing lossStress is a frequent trigger for sudden hearing loss. Therefore, it is imperative that you reduce your stress levels so that you can better cope with demanding situations. Regular exercise can be helpful in eliminating stress.
A persons medical history can play an important role in diagnosing sudden hearing loss, and may contain vital clues that could indicate possible causes of their current hearing difficulty. In addition to medical history, other diagnostic methods, such as Fowlers pure-tone audiometry, brainstem electrical response audiometry , or the measurement of otoacoustic emissions , serve to exclude a diseased acoustic nerve as the cause of impaired hearing.
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How Is It Defined
Hypertension can be diagnosed when blood pressure of the individual is higher than 140 over 90 mmHg .
High blood pressure can be the result, and an early indication of other medical problems such as kidney disease, and can also be associated with medication.
Fatty or processed foods that have an excess of salt can lead to high blood pressure. If this is coupled with a lack of exercise or physical activity, then you may have the perfect storm leading to hypertension.
Similar to the effects of stress when applied to tinnitus, hypertension which is caused or at least heightened by smoking, alcohol, diet, medication etc; can be an indication of a medical problem or a warning that a healthier lifestyle must be adopted or both!
Along with the possible causes listed above, you must also be aware that age itself can play a part in high blood pressure. As we get older arteries may harden or even partially block . Either way If you suspect that you have high blood pressure, possibly indicated by dizzy spells or a rushing sound in your ears, then it is imperative you visit your doctor for a full diagnosis.
Bear in mind however that hypertension can be asymptomatic, which means that you may not even be aware of it. For this reason, it is known as the silent killer, as it can cause a lot of damage to the cardiovascular system without the patient even knowing there is a problem.