Is this your symptom?
- You hear noises in your ear(s) or in your head when there is nothing around you making the sound
- May be in one or both ears. You notice it more when it is quiet or at night.
- The noise may be constant or come-and-go
Causes of Tinnitus
- Age related hearing loss.
About half of people age 60 and older will have a degree of hearing loss. It can be mild to severe. It usually comes on slowly over a period of years. The cause might not be clear, but could be linked to:
- Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) affecting the blood vessels that supply the parts of the ear used in hearing
- Exposure to loud noise over the years (a noisy workplace or hobby) or a single very loud noise (loud music at rock concerts, gun fire, an explosion).
- Exposure to some medicines
- Smoking
- Genetics
- Ear Wax. See Ear Congestion care guide.
- Meniere's Disease affects the inner part of the ear. It most often starts to affect people aged 40 to 60 years. It often starts in one ear, but can go on to affect both. Symptoms are dulled hearing, dizziness (vertigo), tinnitus and a feeling of ear pressure. Attacks come and go and can last from minutes to hours. Severity can vary. Tinnitus and some hearing loss may become permanent.
- Underlying Health Problems such as iron deficiency anemia, thyroid disease and diabetes can be linked with tinnitus. Your doctor will be able to rule these out as a cause or start the right treatment.
- Ear Infection. Middle ear pus can also cause muffled hearing on that side. It may also cause tinnitus.
- Otosclerosis affects the tiny bones which are behind the ear drum that allow us to hear sounds. It usually starts between ages 15 and 35 years and can affect one or both ears. It is not caused by exposure to loud noise. It is more common in women and can get worse during pregnancy. Symptoms include hearing loss, hearing better in a noisy environment and tinnitus.
- Pulsatile Tinnitus (may be serious) is a rhythmic tinnitus noise. It pulses at the same time as the heartbeat. It is caused by a change in blood flow in the blood vessels near the ear. There are a number of causes (anemia, overactive thyroid or fluid behind the eardrum). Tumors of the head and neck can also be a cause. It is important to see you doctor if you have pulsatile tinnitus in one or both ears.
When to Call for Ringing in ears
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Noise started after a recent ear or head injury
- Loss of balance makes it hard to stand
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Earache
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have tinnitus which beats in time with your pulse (heartbeat)
- Hearing loss or ringing in the ears is constant OR comes and goes
- Tinnitus is getting worse
- Hearing loss has come on slowly over months or years
- You find it hard to cope with the symptoms. It disturbs sleep, your ability to focus, or makes you feel anxious or depressed.
- Your ear feels congested. It could be blocked with wax.
- You are taking medicine that can cause tinnitus (such as aspirin or meds for anxiety, depression, acne, some antibiotics, blood pressure and other)
- Mild tinnitus in both ears. May only hear the ringing at night or in quiet room.
- You have other questions or concerns
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
