How to stop swoosh sound in ear

• October 16, 2019
• Blog, Patients

Tinnitus or ringing in the ears is a common problem that affects about 15 to 20 percent of the people. It is usually a symptom of another underlying condition like muscle dysfunction, wax build-up, ear injury or a circulatory disorder.

If you suffer from Tinnitus this simple little trick may help give you some relief.

Dr. Jan Strydom, of A2Z of Health, Beauty and Fintess.org. instructs:

“Place the palms of your hands over your ears with fingers resting gently on the back of your head. Your middle fingers should point toward one another just above the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of you middle fingers and snap them (the index fingers) onto the skull making a loud, drumming noise. Repeat 40-50 times. Some people experience immediate relief with this method. Repeat several times a day for as long as necessary to reduce tinnitus.”

The most likely reason that this technique works is because you are causing the suboccipital muscles to relax and reduce tension. A common cause of Tinnitus is due to tight, painful suboccipitals. The suboccipital muscles are always on as they are constantly working to with the other muscles of your neck to keep balanced on top of your spine. In particular they initiate and control fine movements. Lately these muscles are getting taxed more and more as people spend additional time in front of a computer at work, or stretching their neck forward to look at their tablet tablet or phone. Muscles that are always contracted are tight and painful. Muscles that are overstretched are long and weak. The suboccipital muscles are a source of pain for a lot of people who have tinnitus and are a common cause of “tension” type headaches.

Tapping a muscle belly or tendon quickly is a good way to cause a muscle to contract. When you go to the doctor and they test your muscles this is happening. Continual tapping or constant pressure provides the opposite effect: they overload the muscle, causing it to burn up all of it’s electrolytes and ATP and other resources it needs to activate and contract on a regular basis. When muscle cells become energy depleted, they turn off and once enough cells turn off, the muscle as a whole relaxes and you feel instant pain relief.

That said, maybe this trick can at least offer you some brief relief. Perhaps right before you try to go to sleep at night. Keep in mind that it doesn’t work for everyone. Give it a shot and see what happens.

Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds from inside, rather than outside, the body. One characteristic sound is a “ringing in the ears,” which can describe buzzing, humming, grinding, hissing, or whistling.

Some people hear sounds similar to music or singing.

Pulsatile tinnitus is characterized by hearing noises that beat in time with your pulse.

Pulsatile tinnitus is a rhythmical noise that beats at the same rate as the heart and is the sound of blood circulating the body. A person can confirm this by feeling their pulse as they listen to the tinnitus noise.

Unlike other forms of tinnitus, which are thought to be caused by a disconnect between the sounds the ears hear and the way the brain interprets them, pulsatile tinnitus has a physical source.

Pulsatile tinnitus occurs when the ear becomes aware of a change in blood flow in nearby blood vessels. These include the arteries and veins in the neck, base of the skull, and in the ear itself.

The main causes are:

Generalised increased blood flow

When blood is flowing quickly, such as during strenuous exercise or pregnancy, it makes more noise.

Severe anemia or an overactive thyroid gland may also cause general increased blood flow in the body.

Localised increased flow

Sometimes, blood flow increases in just one or one group of vessels. Tumors in the head and neck can lead to the development of abnormal blood vessels, which can result in pulsatile tinnitus.

The majority of tumors associated with pulsatile tinnitus are benign, meaning they are not cancerous.

Turbulent blood flow

Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, makes the insides of the blood vessels lumpy. This leads to a turbulent and louder blood flow.

Heightened awareness

If someone is suffering from a condition causing conductive hearing loss, such as a perforated eardrum or secretory otitis media (glue ear), they tend to be more aware of sounds from inside their body.

People can also experience a heightened sensitivity in their auditory pathways, meaning the brain is alerted to normal noises in the blood vessels that it would usually ignore.

Intracranial hypertension

A condition called benign or idiopathic intracranial hypertension can cause pulsatile tinnitus, as well as headaches and sight problems.

It is unclear what causes the condition, but young and middle-aged women who are overweight are most at risk.

To diagnose tinnitus, a doctor will ask questions such as whether the sound is continuous, if it affects one or both ears, and what kind of impact it is having on a person’s everyday life.

They will also ask whether a person has experienced any other symptoms of hearing loss or has been taking medications that list tinnitus as a side effect.

They will examine the inside and outside of the ear to check for problems that might be easy to treat, such as an infection or excess earwax.

A specialist will examine the eyes, head, and neck, and do a hearing test.

In people with pulsatile tinnitus, doctors may suggest that they have additional tests, such as an MRI or ultrasound scan, to study the blood vessels and check the pressure inside the head.

If a specific cause is found for pulsatile tinnitus, doctors can treat the underlying condition.

Anemia can be treated with medication or blood transfusions. Secretory otitis media may be treated with a tympanostomy tube, or grommet. Perforated eardrums can be closed with grafts, and narrowed segments of an artery can be repaired.

If caused by a specific blood vessel, doctors may or may not be able to repair it, depending on where the vessel is located.

If there are no medical interventions, a person can try several self-management techniques, including:

Sound therapy

Sound therapy, also called sound enrichment, was originally developed as a form of distraction. Many people with tinnitus notice their symptoms more when in a quiet environment, so listening to other sounds can make them less intrusive.

Sound therapy is the deliberate use of any sound to reduce a person’s awareness of tinnitus. A person could try listening to:

• environmental noise, such as from an open window
• music or the radio
• a dedicated smartphone App
• table-top sound generators
• a wearable sound generator

Relaxation

Certain changes take place in the body when a person relaxes, including a drop in their heart rate, blood pressure, and some brain activity.

Relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditation, may also reduce the impact pulsatile tinnitus can have on everyday life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to change the way people react to their tinnitus rather than remove the actual sounds. The idea is to learn techniques to improve the way a person thinks about and acts towards the tinnitus.

Tinnitus retraining therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a form of therapy that aims to help people manage the impact tinnitus has on their everyday life. TRT uses directive counseling and sound therapy.

Many of the underlying causes of pulsatile tinnitus are treatable, but it is important to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Untreated pulsatile tinnitus can have a negative impact on a person’s quality of life, but there are many different self-management approaches that can help reduce symptoms.