Causes of strong ringing in the left and right ear. Ringing in the ears and head: causes and treatment

Many have experienced the phenomenon of ringing in the ears. It can manifest itself as noise from an untuned high-frequency receiver, buzzing or creaking. In medicine, this condition is called tinnitus.

There is among the people omen : if you guess from which side it rings, then you can make a wish, and it will certainly come true. However, periodic noises and ringing should alert a person.

Why is it ringing in the ears?

Tinnitus is a ringing or noise that occurs on its own, without the participation of external stimuli. This usually happens in the evening after a noisy day in a quiet environment. Such a feeling is the reason for a visit to a specialist - an otolaryngologist (ENT).

In itself, this condition is not considered a disease, but may indicate serious disorders. If the underlying cause is not corrected, hearing problems can occur, such as hearing loss or even hearing loss. That is why you should not hesitate to visit a doctor, especially when the ringing is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, heart pain and problems with coordination.

Common causes of discomfort are discussed below.

Hypertension is an increase in blood pressure. When discomfort appears, it is worth measuring the pressure. If it is increased, consultation of the therapist is necessary. Why is it ringing in the ears and this continues all the time?

Prolonged ringing or noise is very often a sign of pressure surges and in most cases it is hypertension that is to blame. If this symptom is accompanied by a headache, flies before the eyes”, Pain in the heart, it is necessary to call an ambulance, since these conditions indicate a hypertensive crisis.

Migraine. As you know, this pathology causes regular, severe headaches of a throbbing nature, most often covering only one half of the head. This can also cause tinnitus. Migraines are often suffered by females.

Otitis. Inflammation is accompanied by other symptoms - redness of the ear canal, pain on palpation, itching. Often there is a decrease in hearing, as well as the release of pus. Otitis in most cases occurs after fluid enters the ear canal as a result of trauma, and also as a complication after infection.

Otosclerosis. It is worth noting that doctors still cannot accurately name the cause of this pathology, which is characterized by the growth of bone tissue between the inner and middle ear. Just like migraine, the disease is most often observed in women. In this case, you can not do anything on your own, since the treatment involves only surgical intervention.

Atherosclerosis. The disease is accompanied by the formation of cholesterol plaques in the blood vessels. As a result, the arteries of the brain stop pulsing in time with the movement of blood, which, in turn, causes noise. It is worth noting that plaque blockage can also occur in the blood vessels of the inner ear.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the sheaths of nerve fibers are damaged. In this case, ringing, dizziness, urinary incontinence, and impaired coordination in space are observed. This pathology can turn a person into a disabled person.

Acoustic neuroma. For a long time the disease is asymptomatic. Painful sensations occur only after the tumor reaches a sufficiently large size. One of the main symptoms of the disease, in addition to pain, is noise in the ear, dizziness, hearing loss and tingling in the face. Treatment of neuroma is possible only by surgery.

Noisy environment (concert, night club, disco, etc.). Loud sounds lead to damage to the cells of the inner ear. They are known to respond to sound and send impulses to the brain, as a result of which a person can hear.

However, damaged cells send impulses without the presence of stimuli, that is, sound waves. Therefore, you can hear ringing in the ears, which especially often occurs after sleep.

Harsh sound. Noise can occur after a sudden explosion or bang close to a person.

Taking a number of medications: gentamicin, streptomycin, aspirin, furosemide, quinine, caffeine.

Changes in atmospheric pressure, e.g. during flight, deep diving, etc.

In addition, the cause of tinnitus can be colds, flu, poisoning, stress, head trauma, especially concussion.

Ringing in the left ear

When it rings in the left ear, then there are signs that this phenomenon is referred to and interpreted by them. For example, you can often hear that discomfort arises when the weather changes or unfortunately, when a person is scolded or bad news is expected, when friends remember, etc.

It is worth noting that signs can be very diverse, but if the ringing occurs regularly, then you need to consult a doctor.

However, the most common ringing or noise on the left side is a symptom of otitis media, otosclerosis, occlusion of the Eustachian tube, or the presence of a sulfuric plug. It can occur due to hypertension or due to a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood. Often, the appearance of noise and ringing is preceded by anemia, overwork, physical inactivity, etc. The reflex effects of osteochondrosis of the spine are not excluded.

Noise in right ear

When it rings in the right ear, then there is a sign that a person is being praised at this time, he will hear good news. Also, ringing in winter indicates a thaw, according to popular interpretations.

The causes of noises on the right side are identical to those that provoke ringing on the left: loud sounds, complications after a cold, damage to the inner ear, hypertension, atherosclerosis, tumors of the vertebral nerves, sulfur plugs, foreign bodies, etc.

Ringing in the ear: what to do?

In the presence of discomfort, first of all, it is necessary to visit an otolaryngologist. The doctor must find out the reason that provoked this phenomenon. If an infection is diagnosed, antibiotics are usually prescribed.

There are several ways to reduce noise:

Do not take large doses of medications that can provoke ringing;
Limit alcohol and coffee intake;
Reduce the amount of salt in the diet so that the swelling in the ear sleeps a little;
Avoid noisy places and stop using headphones;
Regularly from sulfur plugs;
Tinnitus can be drowned out by the sound of running water;
Use a special device that produces "white" noise;
As prescribed by the doctor, sedatives are used;
Perform techniques aimed at relaxing the frontal muscles, which tend to contract in stressful situations;

Tinnitus in the language of professionals is called tinnitus. Tinnitus is not an independent disease, but only one of the symptoms of a disease. Often, ringing in the ears is combined with buzzing, buzzing, crackling. There are two types of ringing: subjective - heard only by the person himself and objective - such sounds are heard by others, but the second type is extremely rare.

short ringing or transient It happens to almost all adults. It is also called physiological noise and is heard only in complete silence. Most often we do not hear it because of the mass of different sounds around.

If the ringing never goes away, it may indicate a hearing disorder ( cochlea, ossicles, tympanic membrane, or auditory nerve). Ringing can also indicate a violation of cochlear function ( transmission of nerve impulses in the organ of hearing).

Non-tone ringing- the origin of these sounds: nearby facial or jaw joints, Eustachian tubes, neck vessels.

Mechanism

In order to understand the mechanism of tinnitus, you should first study the structure of the hearing organs. Each ear is lined with a thin membrane called the tympanic membrane. It completely blocks the entrance to the inner ear. Air movements act on the membrane and shake it. From the inside, a small “box” of bone adjoins the membrane, in which there are 3 tiny auditory bones, called anvil, stirrup and hammer. Vibrations from the eardrum are transmitted to these bones, and they begin to move.

Further, the vibrations are transmitted to a special folded tube with a liquid, which is called a snail for its resemblance to an invertebrate. The fluid is agitated, and the waves cause the microscopic hair cells that cover the inner surface of the cochlea to move. It is these hair cells that concentrate nerve impulses in themselves, transmitting them to the brain. These are very delicate cells, the function of which can be disturbed by too loud sounds or even by a bruise on the head. With some disorders, the cells are constantly moving and “strain” the brain even in complete silence. If the hair cells are damaged, any hearing troubles are possible, including ringing, tinnitus, buzzing, and even hearing loss.

The reasons

1. The most common cause of tinnitus is a sharp and loud sound, after which the hearing aid cannot adjust to the normal rhythm. It can be either a bang or an explosion near the ear, or attending a noisy event ( nightclub, rock concert, or listening to music with headphones at high volume). To get rid of this ringing, it is usually enough to sleep and the noise goes away. However, if you abuse the above entertainments, you can earn deafness. It affects employees in noisy industries, such as textiles.

6. The use of certain drugs, in particular antibiotics ( gentamicin), as well as large amounts of acetylsalicylic acid ( aspirin).

Diagnosis and treatment

To determine the factors that cause ringing, a conversation is held with the patient. The important thing is how long the noise has been observed, when it was detected and whether there are factors that increase the ringing. A general health examination is mandatory, because the causes of the ringing may not necessarily be an ear disease. Be sure to tell your doctor which medications you take regularly.

First of all, the condition of the patient's hearing organs is examined. It is necessary to detect the presence of sulfur plugs, which can provoke ringing. Violation of the state of blood vessels can be detected by listening with a phonendoscope.

Therapy for tinnitus depends primarily on what factors caused it. In cases where ringing is caused by age-related processes in the hearing organs or trauma, modern medicine is powerless to help. You can only ease the ringing a little or learn to distract yourself from it. The doctor will definitely give advice on how to do this.

If the causes of the ringing are different, there is a possibility of eliminating them, then the ringing will also pass. It is necessary to clean the ear passages from accumulations of sulfur. It is also necessary to carry out therapy for vascular diseases, if they are detected.

If the ringing is caused by the use of any medications, they should be replaced by others.
In some cases, tinnitus therapy is carried out with medications. Particularly with tricyclic antidepressants ( amitriptyline). But treatment with these drugs provokes some side effects ( impaired bowel movements, blurred vision, drying of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity).

Recent scientific studies suggest that drugs for the treatment of migraine and alcoholism can be quite effective in some cases. acamprosate and gabapentin.

Dizziness and ringing

The combination of dizziness and tinnitus can be caused by the following factors:
1. Change in the movement or accumulation of nerve impulses in the auditory nerves. Cause: trauma, deterioration of blood flow, inflammatory processes.
2. Reducing the lumen of the blood vessel and changing the nature of blood flow ( appearance of turbulence). The cause of these phenomena may be atherosclerosis.
3. Special sensitivity to various sounds. The cause of this condition may be neuropsychic overstrain.

When dizzy, the patient has a feeling that he is spinning or moving ( falling, flying). Usually a person panics, loses his foothold and tries to grab onto something stable. He may feel nauseous and sweat profusely. Often this condition is caused by a malfunction in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, which occurs when the blood supply to the inner ear, brain, poisoning, inflammation of the inner ear is disturbed.

In half of the cases, such phenomena are observed against the background of chronic stress, depression or neurosis, while in other cases they may be the result of kidney disease, allergies or intoxication.

Most often, the combination of these unpleasant symptoms can be eliminated.
If tinnitus and dizziness are combined with symptoms such as:

irritability,
dizziness worsens with head movement
pain in the neck, temples, neck,
blurred vision at dusk, "stars" in the eyes,

then the cause of these phenomena is most likely osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

The combination of ringing with dizziness and the following symptoms indicates vegetative-vascular dystonia:

dizziness can be both permanent and coming,
"jumping" pressure, often there is a state of pre-fainting,
against the background of dizziness, there is tachycardia, fever or fever, hands and feet become cold,
the work of the sweat glands of the body or only the limbs is activated,
weather sensitivity.

With neurosis and depression, dizziness and ringing in the ears are combined with the following symptoms:

lethargy, decreased performance,
decreased emotional background, irritability,
change in libido
change in appetite, change in body weight.

Ringing and pressure

In hypertension, increased pressure impairs the function of capillaries and small vessels. The most sensitive to an increase in pressure are the vessels of the brain - their walls become rigid, and the lumen is narrower. As a result, the amount of arterial, rich in nutrients and oxygen, blood in the vessels decreases, the brain suffers from hypoxia. It is likely the development of dizziness, ringing in the ears, buzz. Very often, patients complain of pulsating tinnitus.

More often, dizziness and ringing in the ears are observed with a sharp jump in pressure, moreover, usually a person during this period becomes nervous, hysterical. “Flies” may fly before his eyes or simply darken, there may be vomiting.

Signs of a sharp drop in pressure are similar to those with a sharp rise. This is nausea, a veil before the eyes, a sharp deterioration in the general condition, lethargy, the body or forehead is covered with cold sweat. Such phenomena are not uncommon in a cramped room or public transport. The condition will normalize on its own. It is advisable to just lie down and wait for improvement. It is very important that a person can breathe freely.

With otitis media

An infection of the middle ear - otitis media - is often accompanied by jerky pain, ringing in the ears, and even hearing loss. An ichor can be secreted from the affected organ.

The disease develops when pathogenic microorganisms enter the middle ear. Babies are more likely to suffer from otitis media, since the path of infection is the Eustachian tubes, they have not yet been fully formed and are not effectively cleared of the infection.
Sometimes with otitis media, fluid flows out of the ears. This should not be scary, most often the process is not painful. If the liquid contains blood, this indicates damage to the eardrum. Such a patient needs the help of a doctor and sometimes even surgery.

Otitis should certainly be treated with the help of a doctor. And if otitis externa ( ear canal inflammation) usually goes away on its own, then otitis media can give serious complications, up to deafness.

With osteochondrosis

Ringing in the ears is caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The human vestibular apparatus is very sensitive to the lack of oxygen and nutrients carried in the bloodstream. The vestibular apparatus, as well as the inner ear, is supplied with blood through the vertebral arteries, for which nature has provided special rather narrow channels in the cervical vertebrae. Any violation of the structure of the cervical spine: instability of the vertebrae, osteochondrosis or trauma causes a decrease in the lumen of the vessel and a deterioration in blood flow. That is, the brain receives less oxygen and dizziness.

In addition to ringing in the ears and dizziness, the patient may feel pain in the temples and the back of the head, nervousness, he may have jumps in blood pressure, sometimes dazzle in the eyes, the patient's ability to remember information worsens, he is hard to concentrate on something, the mobility of the cervical vertebrae worsens .

Most prone to cervical osteochondrosis are owners of a short or long neck stretched forward. This setting of the neck indicates an overstrain of the trapezius muscles. Moreover, their condition can be normalized only with the help of massage or manual therapy. Incorrect positioning of the neck leads to overloads of the cervical vertebrae, the depreciation qualities of the spine deteriorate.

However, despite the fact that in case of tinnitus it may be necessary to contact different specialist doctors, it is recommended first of all, in all cases, regardless of the accompanying symptoms, to contact an otolaryngologist in the event of tinnitus. This recommendation is based on the fact that even in the presence of diseases of non-ENT organs that can provoke tinnitus, there is no guarantee that there will be no ear pathology. That is why we recommend that when ringing in the ears, first of all, always contact an otolaryngologist. And if the otolaryngologist excludes ear pathology, then contact doctors of other specialties, the choice of which depends on the totality of clinical symptoms. Below we will indicate which specialty doctors should be contacted for tinnitus when it is caused by diseases other than the ear.

If ringing in the ears is heard against the background of existing diabetes, it is recommended to contact endocrinologist (make an appointment) and a cardiologist, since in such a situation the symptom is most likely due to a violation of blood microcirculation in the structures of the brain or ear.

If ringing in the ears is combined with symptoms of kidney disease (edema on the face, pain in the lumbar region, urination disorders, etc.), then you should contact nephrologist (make an appointment) or urologist (make an appointment), and in their absence, to therapist (sign up).

If a person has experienced ringing in the ears during or after taking antibiotics or other medicines, after drinking energy drinks, and also after being in hazardous production conditions, then you should contact toxicologist (make an appointment) or a therapist, since the cause of unpleasant sensations is severe intoxication (poisoning), depletion of reserves and imbalance in the coordinated work of various body structures.

If ringing in the ears is combined with dizziness, irritability, pain in the neck, temples and nape, blurred vision in the dark and twilight, flashing "stars" before the eyes, then osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is suspected. In this case, it is necessary to contact a neurologist or vertebrologist, and in their absence - to an orthopedist, chiropractor or osteopath (make an appointment).

If ringing in the ears is combined with dizziness (periodic or constant), pre-syncope, palpitations, a feeling of heat in the body, sweating, weather sensitivity, then this indicates vegetative-vascular dystonia. In this case, you need to contact a neurologist or cardiologist.

If tinnitus is combined with lethargy, impaired memory, attention, thinking, sleep, irritability, headaches, dizziness, fuzzy speech, noise in the head, then cerebral atherosclerosis is suspected. In this case, you should contact a neurologist or cardiologist.

If ringing in the ears is combined with dizziness, lethargy, low performance, bad mood, gloomy assessment of one's prospects, irritability, loss of sexual desire, loss of appetite, then this indicates depression or neurosis. In such a case, you must contact psychiatrist (make an appointment) or psychologist (sign up).

If ringing in the ears is combined with dizziness, vomiting, darkening of the eyes, impaired coordination of movements, hearing loss and, possibly, fainting, then we are talking about a jump or drop in blood pressure. In this case, it is necessary to contact a cardiologist, and in his absence - to a therapist.

If tinnitus is combined with constant hearing loss, dizziness and an unstable position when turning the body or head, facial pain, double vision, strabismus, hoarse and raspy voice, difficulty swallowing, headaches, then acoustic neuroma is suspected. In this case, you should contact neurosurgeon (make an appointment), as well as get advice from an otolaryngologist and a neurologist.

If ringing in the ears appeared after a head or ear injury, and is combined with any symptoms, then you should contact a neurologist or an otolaryngologist, respectively.

What tests and studies can a doctor prescribe for tinnitus?

For the purpose of a comprehensive examination of the organ of hearing with tinnitus, an otolaryngologist may prescribe the following tests and examinations:

General blood test (sign up);
Bacteriological culture of discharge from the ear to identify the pathogenic causative agent of the inflammatory process;
Biochemical blood test (cholesterol, triglycerides, high and low density lipoproteins, creatinine, amylase, etc.);
Audiometry (sign up);
Eye examination (make an appointment);
Otoscopy (make an appointment);
Determination of the patency of the Eustachian tube;
Acoustic impedancemetry;
Ear manometry;
Measurement of hearing with a tuning fork;
X-ray (sign up);
Computer or magnetic resonance imaging (make an appointment);
Electronystagmography;
Vestibulometry;
Stabilography;
Electrocochleography;
Otoacoustic emission (enroll now);
Promontory test;
Indirect otolithometry;
Dopplerography of the nearest lymphatic vessels (enroll);
X-ray contrast lymphography;
Electroencephalography (enroll);
Echoencephalography (sign up);
Rheoencephalography (sign up).

Naturally, not all of the above studies are prescribed in every case of tinnitus, since they represent a list of tests that, in principle, are carried out during the diagnosis of various diseases of the auditory analyzer. In each case, the doctor prescribes only those tests from the above list that are necessary to establish the nature of the violations suspected on the basis of the clinical symptoms accompanying the ringing. Usually, for any symptomatology, a complete blood count and otoscopy, which is an examination of the ear with a special device, is mandatory. Otoscopy provides a wide range of information about the pathological processes occurring in the structures of the ear, and therefore its diagnostic value cannot be overstated, and that is why an ENT examination always begins with this study.

After otoscopy, the doctor can find out in which structures of the ear the pathological process takes place, and prescribe other, additional studies that will make it possible to make a final diagnosis. So, if damage to the structures of the middle and inner ear is suspected, an x-ray or tomography of the corresponding bones, audiometry, a hearing test with a tuning fork, and electronystagmography are prescribed. If the pathology of the Eustachian tube is suspected, then the determination of its patency, manometry and acoustic impedancemetry are prescribed. If ringing in the ears is combined with dizziness, then vestibulometry is also prescribed. When a violation of blood flow in the structures of the brain and ear is suspected, which can provoke tinnitus, then an examination of the fundus of the eye, rheoencephalography, electroencephalography and echoencephalography are necessarily prescribed and carried out.

However, in addition to the above research methods that are used in the practice of an otolaryngologist, if it is suspected that tinnitus is caused by pathology not of ear structures, but by blood flow disorders or injuries, doctors use other sets of examinations, depending on the person's symptoms. Below we will consider what studies can be prescribed by doctors for tinnitus provoked by vascular diseases or injuries, depending on the clinical symptoms.

When tinnitus is felt by a person with diabetes, the doctor may order the following tests:

General blood analysis;
Blood test for the concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin;
Arteriography of the vessels of the brain and ear;
Angiography (magnetic resonance or multislice tomography) (to make an appointment);
Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain (to sign up) and ear;
Dopplerography of the vessels of the brain and ear;
Rheovasography of the vessels of the brain and ear (allows you to assess the speed of blood flow) (enroll);
Laser Doppler flowmetry.

Usually, a blood test for glycosylated hemoglobin is prescribed, which allows you to assess the likelihood and possible severity of complications of diabetes from the vessels. In addition, the clinician selects one or more of the vascular studies from the list above to evaluate blood flow and its disturbances in the structures of the brain and ear, and to understand how they can try to eliminate these disorders.

When ringing in the ears occurs against the background of existing kidney diseases (edema on the face, pain in the lumbar region, urination disorders, etc.), the doctor must prescribe a general urine test, urinalysis according to Nechiporenko (sign up) and Zimnitsky (sign up), Rehberg's test (sign up), biochemical blood test (urea, creatinine, etc.) and Ultrasound of the kidneys (make an appointment). These studies may be sufficient for diagnosis. But if the studies carried out are not enough to verify the diagnosis, then if the infectious nature of the renal pathology is suspected, a bacteriological culture of urine and urethral discharge is prescribed. If a bladder disease is suspected, cystoscopy (make an appointment), and if there is a suspicion of a pathology of the kidneys themselves - urography (make an appointment) and tomography.

When ringing in the ears appears after, during or shortly after taking antibiotics, Aspirin or other drugs, as well as after drinking energy drinks, being in hazardous production conditions, the doctor prescribes a general urine and blood test, a biochemical blood test, as well as specific tests to identify the likely substance that caused the intoxication of the body.

When ringing in the ears is present simultaneously with dizziness, irritability, pain in the neck, temples and back of the head, blurred vision in the dark and twilight, flashing "stars" before the eyes - the doctor suspects osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and prescribes the following tests and examinations:

X-ray of the spine (make an appointment);
Computer or magnetic resonance imaging of the spine (make an appointment) and brain (sign up);
Rheoencephalography (REG);
Dopplerography of cerebral vessels (enroll), carotid and vertebral arteries.

Be sure to first of all, the doctor prescribes an x-ray of the spine, which allows you to diagnose osteochondrosis. If the medical institution has good technical equipment, then instead of X-rays, tomography can be performed, the diagnostic value and information content of which is higher. Dopplerography and rheoencephalography are additional diagnostic methods that allow you to clarify how pronounced changes and disturbances in blood flow in the brain, vertebral arteries, carotid arteries, as well as in the vessels of the vertebrobasilar basin due to osteochondrosis.

When ringing in the ears is a symptom of vegetative-vascular dystonia, along with such signs as: dizziness (periodic or constant), pre-syncope, palpitations, a feeling of heat in the body, sweating, weather sensitivity, the doctor prescribes the following tests and examinations:
bicycle ergometry (sign up));

neurological tests ( Romberg pose (sign up), Halmagi test, Dix-Hallpike test).

First of all, neurological tests are examined and a general, biochemical blood test, coagulogram, EEG and ECG are prescribed, since these studies make it possible to identify the absence of a serious organic pathology and confirm the diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia. However, if the studies carried out in the first place were not enough to diagnose the disease, an X-ray of the cervical spine and skull, REG, ECG with stress tests, as well as ultrasound or angiography of the brain vessels are additionally prescribed to identify or, on the contrary, exclude a serious organic violation of the structure of the heart. vessels or brain.

When tinnitus is combined with lethargy, impaired memory, attention, thinking, sleep, irritability, headaches, dizziness, fuzzy speech, noise in the head, the doctor suspects atherosclerosis and prescribes the following tests and examinations:

Neurological examination (detection of lethargy or increased reflexes, stability in a certain position, tremor of the fingers, etc.);
Ophthalmoscopy (make an appointment);
Audiometry;
Rheoencephalography (REG);
Ultrasonic dopplerography of cerebral vessels, carotid and vertebral arteries, vessels of the vertebrobasilar basin;
Duplex scanning of brain vessels, carotid and vertebral arteries, vessels of the vertebrobasilar basin;
Magnetic resonance imaging of brain vessels, carotid and vertebral arteries, vessels of the vertebrobasilar basin;
Tomography (computer or magnetic resonance) of the brain;
Electroencephalography (EEG).

Neurological examination, audiometry and ophthalmoscopy are mandatory to detect atherosclerosis. If neurological tests are not normal, and according to the results of ophthalmoscopy, atherosclerotic plaques are detected in the vessels of the eye, then the diagnosis of atherosclerosis is considered confirmed and accurate. Other examinations may or may not be ordered. However, if it is necessary to determine various parameters of blood microcirculation in vessels affected by atherosclerosis, as well as to find out the exact condition of the vessels, then the doctor prescribes either Doppler ultrasound, or duplex scanning, or magnetic resonance imaging, or rheoencephalography. Moreover, he chooses from these four methods the one that is available for implementation in a medical institution. If it is necessary to assess the state of the brain tissues in the area of the auditory nerve, as well as the soft tissues of the ear structures, then tomography and EEG are prescribed.

When ringing in the ears accompanies dizziness, lethargy, apathy, bad mood, low performance, a gloomy assessment of one's own prospects, irritability, loss of sexual desire, loss of appetite, then depression or neurosis is suspected. In this case, the doctor does not prescribe examinations and tests, and the diagnosis is made on the basis of a conversation and special psychological tests (sign up). However, to assess the functional state and activity of the brain, electroencephalography can be performed.

When tinnitus is combined with periodic attacks, manifested by dizziness, vomiting, darkening of the eyes, impaired coordination of movement, hearing loss and, possibly, fainting, the doctor suspects jumps in blood pressure (hypertension or hypotension) and prescribes the following tests and examinations:

General blood analysis;
Biochemical blood test (glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins);
Blood test for the level of potassium, calcium, sodium and chlorine in the blood;
General urine analysis;
Zimnitsky's test;
Sample of Nechiporenko;
Measurement of blood pressure;
Electrocardiography (ECG);
Echocardiography (Echo-KG) (to make an appointment);
Ultrasound dopplerography of the vessels of the neck (enroll) and kidneys.

All examinations listed above, if hypertension or hypotension is suspected, are prescribed immediately, since they are necessary not only to clarify the diagnosis, but also to distinguish blood pressure disorders from other pathologies that manifest similar symptoms.

When ringing in the ears is combined with constant hearing loss, dizziness and an unstable position when turning the body or head, facial pain, double vision, strabismus, hoarse and raspy voice, difficulty swallowing, headaches, the doctor suspects acoustic neuroma and prescribes the following tests and examinations:

neurological tests;
Audiometry;
Otoscopy;
Electrocochleography;
Electronystagmography;
Vestibulometry;
Stabilography;
X-ray with a targeted image of the temporal bone;
Computed tomography with contrast;
Magnetic resonance imaging.

For the diagnosis of neurinoma, neurological tests, audiometry, otoscopy, electrocochleography, electronystagmography, vestibulometry and stabilography are immediately prescribed, which allow, by indirect signs, to diagnose neurinoma with high accuracy. In addition, to confirm a neuroma, any one of three studies is also assigned - computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or x-rays. Moreover, the study is selected that can be performed by a medical institution, based on its technical capabilities.

When tinnitus appears after an ear or skull injury, studies are carried out using the methods of an ENT doctor listed at the beginning of the section.

Before use, you should consult with a specialist.

Consider why the right ear is ringing, what it means and what factors cause tinnitus. Basically, this is paid attention only when the functioning of the auditory organ is disturbed, and the person experiences pain or ceases to perceive voice information well. After that, he visits a doctor and, if necessary, begins to be treated.

But sometimes it happens that a person begins to perceive sounds and noises in a different tone, but still does not pay attention to it, because he thinks that this will not affect his health, and his hearing will not deteriorate. But at the same time, the patient is trying to understand why he is ringing in his ears, and wants to get rid of this noise both symptomatically and cardinally. Therefore, he must have a clear understanding of the etiological aspects.

What is tinnitus?

This is an ear disease in which the patient perceives noises without actually generating them with the help of anything. This sound has a different volume and tone. Most often, the human ear hears noise, liquid overflow, ringing, buzzing, while it can increase or decrease. If the head is turned to the other side, the sound may either increase or disappear completely. At night, this condition is uncomfortable, as natural noises decrease, and the ringing in the left or right ear increases. All of these can exacerbate the deafness.

Consider why noise occurs and ears hurt. A disease such as tinnitus is characterized as a disease of a dependent nature, since it can be the result of a symptom from a virus or injury. These pseudosounds arise for two main reasons:

External (objective), when due to the incorrect functioning of some of the patient's organs, sound vibrations are created. They spread through the tissues and are perceived by the hearing aid.
Internal (subjective). In this case, the receptor system is disturbed, which transforms any mechanical vibration and translates it into a nerve signal, but this happens without a sound source.

Causes of tinnitus

The patient may complain of ringing in one or both ears at the same time. Note that this depends on the cause of the symptom that is involved in the true noise. This can manifest itself during or after the transfer of acute respiratory infections, with arteriosclerotic changes and hypertension. If ringing is constantly heard, then this may be a symptom of ear inflammation. Rarely, it is a sign of kidney disease or diabetes. At the same time, tinnitus can be observed:

increased blood pressure;
ear pain;
sound pulsation;
Strong headache;
dizziness.

Consider why it rings in one or both ears. Various noise effects appear as a result of the course of certain diseases that are associated with such professions as an airfield controller, puncher, foundry worker, etc. As a result, hearing loss may occur.

Also, if a person enters the zone of a strong sound wave that appears during an explosion, noise may occur in one ear.

Moreover, its duration directly depends on the strength of the explosion. Thus, if it rings in the right ear or in the left, then the causes of the noise may be:

some diseases of the internal organs;
chosen profession (work on a stamp, airfield, etc.);
concussion, stun.

All diseases that precede and lead to tinnitus are divided into the following categories:

with a nervous character, they disrupt the receptor-conducting activity;
causing noise.

But most often, if, for example, it rings in the left ear, then perhaps a sulfur plug has formed in it, which you can remove yourself or seek help from a doctor. Tinnitus can be triggered by inflammation of the sinuses, that is, sinusitis. But in any case, it is impossible to carry out self-diagnosis and treatment with folk remedies. To do this, you need to consult a doctor who will conduct the necessary examinations, identify the cause, carry out prevention or begin to treat.

Which ear is ringing? This question is often heard from people, and arises from many. After all, ringing in the ears - at least a couple of times in life - happened to everyone. This refers to ringing for no specific reason, when in fact the person is in silence.

There have been attempts to explain this phenomenon since ancient times. There was, for example, a belief that the ear is ringing because a person feels some earthly vibrations or hears a sound that someone close to him hears.

Sign - ringing in the left ear

The people also have explanations for this phenomenon. For example, if it rings in the left ear, folk claims that someone will scold the person or he will hear bad news. On the contrary, if there is ringing in the right ear, the person will be praised or the news will be good.

Doctors have a completely different opinion about why it rings in the left ear (as, indeed, in the right). They believe that ringing in the ears can be a symptom of a serious illness.

If it rings in the left ear, the reasons may be different, but mostly unpleasant. Firstly, it may indicate high blood pressure, as well as ringing in the right ear or in both ears. If it rings constantly in the left ear, and this is accompanied by nausea, pain in the heart, flashing "flies", this may mean a hypertensive crisis. Your best bet is to call an ambulance immediately. The same applies to ringing in the right ear.

Secondly, it may turn out to be some kind of disease of the ENT organs. With such things, too, jokes are bad. You can lose hearing in one or, in severe cases, both ears. And if this ringing turns out to be a symptom of purulent otitis media, then this is even worse. With purulent otitis media, there may be no pain and high temperature for some time. But there is a source of infection. The abscess can break both outside (which can lead to partial or complete deafness), or inside, which can cause. And that's even worse.

There may be less dangerous causes of ringing in the ear, but you cannot determine this on your own! So the question, what does it mean if it often rings in the left ear, has only one answer: go for a consultation with a doctor!

Ringing tinnitus - both unilateral and bilateral - appears in various situations. It is not always caused by pathology exclusively of the hearing organ and can be a manifestation of various diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. This symptom in some patients is associated with exposure to occupational hazards - for example, industrial noise or toxins. Many provoking factors and diseases accompanied by ringing cause a large number of assumptions about the etiology of noise, making it difficult to quickly and accurately diagnose. If the ringing in the ear does not go away on its own, it is necessary to immediately find out what it is connected with.

The reasons

Ringing in the ears in silence interferes with sleep and rest. An obsessive sound irritates the patient, causes reasonable concern about a possible disease that provokes noise.

Both adults and children can complain about this symptom. Sometimes ringing noise is mistakenly perceived as a pathological sign that is present only in the elderly, while changes in the elements of the sound-conducting and sound-receiving system are observed in patients of all age groups.

What does ringing in the ears mean?

This largely depends on the main characteristics of the symptom (time of appearance, duration), the presence of concomitant manifestations (pain syndrome, etc.). If the ringing noise appeared once and quickly disappeared on its own, this may be due to short-term exposure to loud sound (for example, after listening to music with headphones). An alarming sign is the frequent repetition of episodes of tinnitus or its constant persistence.

Many patients wonder if there is a cure for tinnitus. You should be aware that there are no special pharmacological preparations designed to affect this symptom. The choice of treatment regimen depends on what caused the noise - sometimes even surgery may be required. However, in the complex therapy of diseases accompanied by ringing noise, agents belonging to the groups of nootropics, vitamins, antiplatelet agents, anxiolytics, etc. are used.

What causes ringing in the ears? Possible causes that explain ringing in the ear are:

Meniere's disease.
Hypertonic disease.
Barotitis.
Occupational deafness.
Syndrome of sudden deafness.
Labyrinthotoxicosis.
Acoustic injury.

The appearance of tinnitus is noted in patients with hypertension during an increase in blood pressure.

At the same time, ringing is not the only possible variant of subjective sound. Long ringing in the ear in Meniere's disease. The etiology remains unknown; Of great importance in the development of pathology are endocrine disorders (in particular, pathology of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands), a tendency to allergic reactions, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, and degenerative changes in the cervical spine. Severe ringing in the ears is one of the most persistent symptoms. Although the course of the disease is paroxysmal, patients may indicate that ringing in the left ear or on the right side is constantly present. The appearance of noise is characteristic, first in one ear, then in both.

Barotitis occurs as a result of a drop in atmospheric pressure.

One of the most common forms of barootitis is aerootitis - the popularization of the use of air transport for travel has led to the emergence of a separate variant of the disease. The patient says that the ear is blocked and ringing. The risk of developing pathology is much higher if at the moment of pressure change (with a sharp decrease in the aircraft or, conversely, a sharp rise), there is a pronounced nasal congestion (as a result of infectious, allergic rhinitis or rhinitis of a different etiology).

If it rings in the ears, what can it mean with constant contact with industrial noise? The damaging effect of loud sounds of various tonalities has long been known. To prevent the development of occupational hearing loss at enterprises, special headphones and other protective devices are used to reduce the noise level. However, in many cases, hearing loss cannot be avoided, and the first sign indicating the occurrence of hearing loss is a gradually increasing constant ringing in one ear or on both sides.

Labyrinthotoxicosis

Labyrinthotoxicosis is understood as damage to the ear labyrinth as a result of intoxication with household and industrial poisons, drugs. If the patient has ringing in the ear, this may be due to poisoning:

mercury compounds;
methanol;
quinine;
salicylates;
streptomycin, neomycin.

Tinnitus is only part of the clinical picture of each variant of intoxication.

The rapid development of labyrinthotoxicosis is observed with an overdose of quinine. Patients note that there is a sharp ringing in the ear, hearing acuity has decreased. The left and right ear are affected to varying degrees, so the murmur may initially be unilateral. Currently, quinine as a medicine is used extremely rarely.

Salicylates provoke the appearance of noise with prolonged use - if it rings in the right ear, you need to think about the connection with pharmacological drugs.

This group of drugs is used as painkillers and antipyretics, the most famous representative is acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin).

Streptomycin and Neomycin belong to the aminoglycoside group of antibacterial agents. Aminoglycoside drugs have an ototoxic effect, so they should not be taken without clearly justified indications - especially in childhood.

acoustic trauma

Damage caused by sound stimuli is defined as acoustic trauma. She may be:

acute;
chronic.

A chronic acoustic injury is referred to if a patient suffering from hearing loss has been exposed to external noise for a long time. One of the variants of this pathology is hearing loss as a result of contact with noise in the workplace. In addition to occupational hearing loss, there are also disorders associated with the influence of external noise during rest and sleep in everyday life. They occur in people living near "noisy" objects - railways, large enterprises. It is also necessary to take into account the frequent use of headphones, listening to music at high volume - this can provoke ringing in the ear and congestion.

The most dangerous are "vacuum" headphones and "tablet headphones" or "earbuds".

The reason for the development of acute acoustic trauma is a sudden impact on the organ of hearing by high-power pulsed noise. Pathology occurs as a result of an explosion or a shot, it is characterized by a sharp ringing in the ears. In acute acoustic trauma, ringing can be either unilateral or bilateral.

When it rings and stuffs the ears, one can think of a combination of acoustic and barometric trauma. Barotrauma occurs when there is a sharp change in atmospheric pressure, as already mentioned in the previous sections when discussing aerootitis.

It can be observed during a rapid ascent from a depth, during a stay in the cabin of an aircraft. This type of damage is also noted in case of explosive trauma - the patient's ear is suddenly blocked and the ringing becomes the dominant sound, while external acoustic stimuli are not perceived.

sudden deafness syndrome

The exact etiology of sudden deafness syndrome has not been established. Among the assumptions about the provoking factors are the following:

damaging effects of low or high temperatures (hypothermia, hyperthermia);
neuritis of the auditory nerve, proceeding latently;
emotional overstrain, stress;
physical stress, etc.

The researchers found that a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease is played by impaired blood supply to the cochlea. Noise appears suddenly - the patient has a strong ringing in the ears, hearing worsens.

There may be a paroxysmal nature of the course with periodic repetition of episodes of tinnitus.

If the attacks of hearing loss are repeated, the degree of hearing loss is constantly aggravated. Ringing in the right ear and on the left side, disappearing without the use of special methods at the beginning of the development of the disease, becomes persistent, it is difficult to fight it.

Labyrinth Contusion

Contusion of the ear labyrinth occurs as a result of mechanical damage to its anatomical elements, which is facilitated by:

injury;
shake;
compression of labyrinth structures.

Contusion of the ear labyrinth is one of the likely consequences of a traumatic brain injury, in which there is ringing in the ears and a headache. The pathogenetic basis for the onset of symptoms, including complaints about ringing in the ears, is hemorrhage and swelling in the ear labyrinth.