+Tinnitus information

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Tinnitus results from damage to the inner ear, and is characterized by a constant ringing in the ears.

To prevent tinnitus:

• Wear ear plugs or other hearing protection, any time you are in an area where you have to raise your voice to have a conversation. This includes rock concerts, industrial machinery areas, and pistol ranges.
• Ditto when you are doing an activity that requires you to raise your voice to have a conversation. This includes lawnmowing, shooting, and running industrial machinery.
• Don't get into shouting matches with other people. If someone screams at you, walk away--if it's your boss, you have a hostile workplace offense. If it's your significant other, you don't need the abuse.
• Eat a balanced and varied diet, watching your portion size so you don't get fat. Obesity, which is more normal than it is unusual, can cause excess pressure on the ears and reduced blood flow to them as well.
• Don't smoke. This reduces the blood flow and nutrition to the tiny parts of the ear.
• Don't blow your nose really hard.
• Don't stick objects into your ear.

If you do have tinnitus:

• Follow all the advice given above.
• Consider white noise therapy or hypnosis to mask the noise.

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Some thoughts on hearing loss

Tinnitus is a symptom of damage to the inner ear. It's accompanied by hearing loss. Tinnitus isn't the only sign of hearing loss, so don't assume your hearing's fine just because there's no ringing.

Most people in the industrialized world do have hearing loss. And often, it's significant. Yet they are unaware of this loss. Once hearing is lost, there is almost never a way to restore it, because the loss is typically due to irreversible damage to the sensitive structures of the inner ear.

Here are some causes you can guard against:

• Loud music. If the music's good, it does not need to be turned up.
• Loud conversation. Some people shout when they talk. Ask them to tone it down, and move away from people who won't.
• Earbud abuse. Listening to audio books at reasonable volume through earbuds poses no risk to the ear. Listening to music is a different story, because listeners have a tendency to raise the volume beyond what's reasonable.
• Machinery noise. If you must raise your voice to have a conversation, the noise of the machinery is at a level where hearing damage will occur without hearing protection. This includes all machinery, which means it includes blenders, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, and anything else producing so much sound you must raise your voice to be heard over it.
• Hearing isn't forever. Hearing damage is. Hearing protection prevents hearing damage.