Tinnitus is a condition in which a person has ringing in their ears. Sometimes it sounds more like buzzing, roaring or hissing rather than ringing. Many different things can cause tinnitus, including high blood pressure, injury to the head or ears, disorders of the blood vessels or even tumors. Often, though, doctors never figure out the cause of the condition.
Tinnitus is difficult to treat, partly because doctors often don’t know what causes it. If it’s caused by a tumor, the tumor can be surgically removed. That’s rare, though. Some people use white noise machines to create a background noise that kind of drowns out the roaring in their ears.
A type of antidepressant medication called tricyclic antidepressants helps stop or reduce the noise in the ears for some people with tinnitus, but these medications don’t work for everyone and they can have unpleasant side effects like drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, weight gain, blurred vision and constipation. Because of the potential side effects, doctors don’t prescribe tricyclics for depression too often anymore. There are other drugs that work just as well or better for most people with depression with fewer side effects, but the other drugs don’t help with tinnitus.
Anxiety and Depression
Many people with tinnitus develop anxiety or depression. Some people with the condition only experience ringing in their ears occasionally but some experience it almost constantly and it can go from being a minor annoyance to something that they feel will literally drive them crazy. Many people with the condition also have difficulty sleeping due to the ringing in their ears at night, and lack of sleep can contribute to anxiety and depression.
People with tinnitus may begin to feel hopeless if doctors cannot identify the cause of their condition and if treatment doesn’t help. If they use tricyclic antidepressants and the drugs do help but have troubling side effects, people may feel anxious and depressed about having to choose between having ringing in their ears or having the side effects from the drugs.
Treatment
Treatment for someone with tinnitus must include treatment for anxiety or depression if he also suffers from those conditions. Psychotherapy may be effective by itself or medication for anxiety or depression may be necessary. If tricyclic antidepressants relieve the symptoms of tinnitus, the same drugs may also help with symptoms of depression. Otherwise, another type of drug may work better for depression. Some people may benefit from medication to help them sleep, as well.
Some people with tinnitus also benefit from attending a support group with other people living with the condition. They feel less alone and can get tips from others on how to live with the disorder. Support can go a long way toward relieving anxiety and depression but may not be enough by itself. A comprehensive plan works best for most people with anxiety and depression due to tinnitus.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365. Tinnitus.
E Medicine Health. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/tinnitus/article_em.htm. Tinnitus.
