Unilateral Tinnitus

Unilateral Tinnitus – Cause and Effect

Unilateral tinnitus is commonly known as the buzzing sound in one ear. Generally, tinnitus is an ear-related problem where patients hear disturbing noises in one or both ears. These noises can be heard in the form of buzzing, ticking, hissing or roaring noise. If your tinnitus condition is unilateral, that means you are hearing certain sounds in just one ear. With unilateral tinnitus, only you can hear the noise inside your ear.

Impacted earwax?

There are various factors that can cause unilateral tinnitus and these factors can either be serious or mild. Unilateral ear ringing can be due to impacted earwax. If you think this is the case, you can have a family member check if there is excessive amount of earwax in your ear. If there is, make sure that you do not try to remove it on your own, as this may further distort your ear. It would be best if you can have it removed by an ear specialist.

Ear infection?

Unilateral ringing ear can also be due to an acute ear infection. However, you should know that this condition can also be aggravated by certain medications. This is true for the consumption of antibiotics, which are considered as ototoxic medicines. Aside from antibiotics, other ototoxic medications are anti-depressants, analgesics, ibuprofen, anti-inflammatory, oral contraceptives, diuretics, anti-malarial drugs and drugs being used for chemotherapies.

Head injury?

Another common cause of unilateral tinnitus is head injuries. This is true in some individuals who experienced a motor accident that affected a region in their head. Stress is another cause of unilateral ringing ears. Although it is not the direct cause, it can aggravate any tinnitus condition. Aside from that, excessive consumption of salt, caffeine, sugar, fat, alcohol and nicotine can also worsen your tinnitus condition. Another very common cause of unilateral tinnitus is excessive exposure to very loud noises, as these can damage the hair cells in your ears. The worst scenario is that it can even lead to permanent hearing loss.

Self-prescribed medications…

If you think that you are suffering from unilateral tinnitus, the first thing that you should do is to visit your physician for a checkup and further testing. You have to go through adequate medical exam to help you identify the cause of your tinnitus condition in order to find the right treatment for it to improve your condition. Make sure that you avoid starting on self-prescribed medications even before you consult your physician as this can only aggravate your condition.