Tinnitus can drive you crazy- unending ear ringing, hissing, buzzing or whooshing noises that just don’t stop is enough to send you to the madhouse. Tinnitus and depression often go hand in hand, especially if tinnitus symptoms keep you from getting enough sleep, performing job duties, or having a moment’s peace and quiet. In some cases, antidepressants may be the cause of tinnitus, creating a vicious circle of anxiety, sadness, and despair.
Tinnitus caused by Ototoxicity
Many factors may contribute to tinnitus symptoms, including noise-induced ear damage, chronic ear infections, Meniere’s disease, and age-related hearing loss. One of the most treatable causes of tinnitus is ototoxicity (ear poisoning) which occurs when certain chemicals cause a toxic reaction in your ears. Many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs may cause tinnitus ear ringing, including antidepressants for depression and anxiety.
Which drugs cause tinnitus?
Here are some of the most common medications that may cause ringing in the ears from tinnitus. Please do not stop taking a medication without first speaking to your doctor.
- Zoloft (Sertraline), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressants. About 1-10% of Zoloft users experience tinnitus symptoms.
- Celexa (Citalopram), also an SSRI antidepressant, causes tinnitus while weaning off the drug.
- Aminoglycoside antibiotics
- Anti-neoplastic (anti-cancer drugs)
- Loop diuretics
- Environmental chemicals like carbon monoxide, xylene, and mercury
- Lipitor (Atorvastatin), a cholesterol-reducing medication
- Zyrtec (Cetirizine), an antihistamine
- Nexium (Esomeprazole), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used for acid reflux
- Prilosec (Omeprazole), also a proton pump inhibitor that may cause tinnitus
- Aspirin is a common cause of tinnitus ototoxicity
- Quinine
So, depression or tinnitus?
If weaning off drugs that cause tinnitus is the cure for ototoxicity, does that mean that you should stop taking Zoloft for anxiety? First, nobody considering weaning off antidepressants should attempt to do so without first consulting in a physician. It’s possible that your doctor will be able to prescribe a different antidepressant that doesn’t cause tinnitus. More importantly, you need to weigh your options.
Which notion bothers you most- the idea of suffering from ringing in the ears, possibly for the rest of your life, or having to cope with depression. If your depression causes you to contemplate suicide, then the answer should be clear. While long-term tinnitus may result in severe depression and, in rare cases, suicide attempts, the majority of tinnitus patients learn how to cope. Bottom line, if your doctor says to stay on the meds, take his advice.
Stress Less to Prevent Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Alternative treatments for tinnitus
Given that many factors may be causing your tinnitus, it makes sense that there exist many possible cures. Some popular alternative treatments for tinnitus are becoming more mainstream, including:
- Acupuncture
- Hypnotherapy
- Natural supplements for tinnitus, such as ginkgo biloba, black cohosh, and zinc
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Read more about tinnitus causes:
11 Signs and Symptoms of Tinnitus caused by Teeth Grinding
How Loud is Too Loud? Prevent Tinnitus Now
Thrill Rides and Scuba Diving: Summertime Activities that Cause Tinnitus
Sources:
Tinnitus- the constant ear ringing is enough to drive you mad. What causes tinnitus symptoms like buzzing ears, whooshing noises, ear pain, and never-ending ringing noises in the background? Surprisingly, there are dozens of factors that contribute to tinnitus disorder- things like drug ototoxicity, loud noises, health conditions, and lifestyle habits.
Here are 21 most common causes of tinnitus:
1) Smoking: Smoking cigarettes isn’t only bad for your lungs, your heart, your throat, your pancreas…well, you get the picture. Studies prove that cigarette smoke- both inhaled and secondary- is harmful for your ears. Toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke have been linked with chronic ear infections and…you guessed it…tinnitus.
2) Your iPod: Really! Anybody who spends his leisure time with a pair of iPod earbuds stuck in his head is inadvertently giving himself ear damage. Unless you wear a ear-safe noise cancelling headphones, you are exposing your delicate eardrums to dangerously high noise decibels that will ultimately lead to ear ringing caused by tinnitus.
3) Earwax: Doctors say that earwax is a good thing, that it protects your eardrums from foreign matter. This is true. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, and this is certainly true in the case of earwax. Some people just naturally produce more earwax than their bodies need. Over time, as earwax builds up, you are left with a solid mass of waxy residue that clogs up your ears- biological earplugs, if you will. If you think this might be the cause of your tinnitus, then a simple trip to the pharmacist should suffice. Buy an ear-cleaning kit, and see if that helps.
4) Q-Tips: Warning- Do not, under any circumstances, insert cotton swabs into your ears! Sure, it feels good, but the damage you may cause to your ears is irreversible. Plus, it may worsen your tinnitus. The same message goes for other foreign objects like twigs, rocks, knives, pencils, fingernails, toothpicks, ear candles, cuticle cutters, and letter openers.
5) Firearms: Are you an avid hunter? Do you enjoy going to rock concerts just for the fireworks and the loud music? If so, then you are among the most likely to suffer from tinnitus. It only takes one loud explosion to cause serious trauma to your inner ear cochlea, the part of your ear responsible for transmitting and receiving sound messages. So, before you go to the shooting range to fire off a couple rounds, make sure to wear noise-blocking earplugs.
6) Occupational noise: If you work in any of the following fields, then you are regularly exposed to dangerous noise decibels that may cause tinnitus:
The army or air force- The police force
- Movie sets
- Airline pilot
- Machinist
- Welder
- Construction worker
- Fed-ex delivery
- Truck driver
- Wedding singer
- And the list goes on…
7) Anxiety: Stress is a common contributor to tinnitus, believe it or not. Many people who suffer from anxiety disorder, panic attacks, depression, or just high stress levels are prone to ear ringing caused by tinnitus.
8) Anxiety medications: Well, here’s a “Catch 22.” Anxiety causes tinnitus, and so do popular drugs for anxiety, such as Zoloft (Sertraline). This is where you get to choose which condition is the most intolerable- chronic anxiety or chronic ear ringing.
9) Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder that causes severe chronic pain where no sign of injury or inflammation is evident. Fibromyalgia patients also suffer from tinnitus, in addition to gastrointestinal disorders, intense fatigue, and vitamin deficiency.
10) Thyroid disorder: Scientists have noted a high occurrence of tinnitus symptoms in people who have either hypothyroidism (underproduction of thyroid hormone) or hyperthyroidism (overproduction of thyroid hormone).
11) Hypertension: High blood pressure is another common cause of tinnitus.
12) Heart disease: Tinnitus is one of the many symptoms experienced by people who suffer from cardiovascular disease.
13) Antibiotics: In addition to lowering your immunity to infectious diseases, frequent use of antibiotics may result in chronic tinnitus.
14) Diuretics: If you take diuretics on a regular basis, then you should stay on the lookout for mysterious ear ringing, buzzing, chirping, whooshing, or clicking sounds in your ears caused by tinnitus.
15) Quinine: Used for treating malaria and other illnesses, quinine may cause tinnitus ear ringing.
16) Aspirin: Excess and prolonged usage of aspirin tablets is a common cause of tinnitus.
Ear bones
17) TMJ disorder: Temporomandibular joint disorder affects the workings of your jawbones, at the point where they meet by your temples. Any defect that occurs in this area interferes with the smooth functioning of your jaws, and causes symptoms like headaches, nighttime jaw clenching, facial pain, and tinnitus ear ringing.
18) Head and neck injuries: If you have suffered any kind of trauma to your head or neck, then you might experience tinnitus symptoms.
19) Tumor: A head or neck tumor may also cause tinnitus.
20) Lyme disease: Often misdiagnosed, Lyme disease symptoms are similar to fibromyalgia. Lyme disease spread by tick bites may cause tinnitus.
21) Getting older: Sad, but true. Tinnitus is one of the many symptoms that people experience as they age. A large majority of tinnitus sufferers and hearing loss patients are senior citizens. Tinnitus is not a cause of hearing loss, but a symptom that may accompany early onset hearing loss. For some, investing in a hearing aid is a worthwhile remedy for tinnitus and hearing loss.
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We welcome your comments below!
Read more about tinnitus causes:
11 Signs and Symptoms of Tinnitus caused by Teeth Grinding
How Loud is Too Loud? Prevent Tinnitus Now
These 4 Vitamins are Tops for Treating Tinnitus
Sources:
ATA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions- American Tinnitus Association
Amazon.com’s Best Books for Tinnitus Hearing Loss Relief
Tinnitus hearing loss causes constant, irritating ringing in the ears, and ear pain. There is no cure for tinnitus, but some therapies may ease the symptoms.
There is no “one” cure for tinnitus
The internet abounds with sites promising to deliver the magic cure you’ve been searching for- the secret to weight loss, an end to chronic pain, the magical fountain of youth, and of course, a guaranteed cure for the annoying symptoms of tinnitus that plague your waking…and sleeping…hours. The problem is, there is no one universal cure. Because the causes of tinnitus are diverse. They are:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Chronic ear infections
- Punctured eardrums
- Drug interactions
- Listening to music on your iPod with the volume set too high
- Working in a construction area
- Being near an explosion
- Cranial deformity
Remedies, we have a few
There might not be a permanent cure to end tinnitus, but many therapies, treatments, and nutritional supplements alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus, including:
- Tinnitus retraining therapy
- White noise
- Hypnosis
- Herbal and nutritional supplements, including Gingko Biloba, black cohosh, and CoQ10.
Here are 10 popular books on Amazon.com that will help you find relief from tinnitus:
1- Dizziness, Hearing Loss, and Tinnitus
2-Tinnitus, Turning the Volume Down: Proven Strategies for Quieting the Noise in Your Head
3-The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus
4-The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss and Hearing AIDS: A Bridge to Healing
5- Tinnitus: Questions and Answers
6- Help! I’m Losing My Hearing-What Do I Do Now?: A Basic Guide to Hearing Loss (and Other Ear Problems)
, by Neil G. Bauman, $47.60
7- Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music & Other Spooky Sounds: Musical Ear Syndrome
8- Save Your Hearing Now: The Revolutionary Program That Can Prevent and May Even Reverse Hearing Loss
9- Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms…How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective
10- Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model
Also read:
Finding Tranquility with Tinnitus, Part II: Homeopathy
Amazon.com’s Top 5 Best Selling Phones for the Hearing Impaired
Bruxism and Tinnitus Ear Ringing
Do you grind your teeth in the middle of the night? Symptoms of bruxism disease (nighttime teeth grinding) include tinnitus, jaw pain, headache, and more.
Plagued by phantom tinnitus noise?
If you suffer from constant ringing sounds in your ear, then you might have tinnitus. Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that causes its victims to hear varying pitches of a variety of sounds in one or both ears, despite the absence of any real outside noise. There exists no universal cure for tinnitus, but identifying the trigger is helpful for alleviating some of the symptoms.
Possible causes of tinnitus
Often, tinnitus results from hearing loss, either due to old age or because of an ear injury. Common ear injuries occur when frequently exposed to excessively loud noise decibels, such as explosives, loud engine noise, high-volume concert music, iPod in-ear headphones, or construction noise. Other causes of tinnitus may include chronic ear infections, drug interactions, punctured eardrums, or bone-structure deformity.
The TMJ connection
There is a high correlation between sufferers of tinnitus, headaches, and bruxism disease, or nighttime teeth grinding. Bruxism is the result of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ), a condition that affects the joints that connect the jawbone with the skull.
What are the signs and symptoms of bruxism?
- Loud clenching, grinding noises in your sleep
- Blunt front teeth that are also chipped or flattened
- Eroded tooth enamel
- Chronic toothaches
- Constant pain and muscular tension in the jaws
- Jaw muscle fatigue
- Earaches, or tinnitus
- Frequent headache
- Facial pain, achy cheekbones
- Raised ridge on the inside of your cheeks that corresponds with your bite
- Tongue sores, tears, or dimples
Related reading:
Is TMJ Causing Your Tinnitus? 7 Exercises to Release Jaw Tension
How Loud is Too Loud? Prevent Tinnitus Now
Sources:
TMJ Pain – Grinding Teeth in Sleep – Mouth Guard for Grinding – Real Age
Bruxism/Teeth grinding: Symptoms – MayoClinic.com
Teeth Grinding – How To Stop Teeth Grinding In Sleep (Teeth Clenching)
Don’t Let Tinnitus Ear Noise keep you up
Tinnitus ear ringing makes it hard for tinnitus sufferers to concentrate and have conversation, in addition to causing sleep disturbances such as insomnia.
Tinnitus- the Hearing Disorder that Never Sleeps
People who suffer from hearing loss often have difficulty listening to music, hearing conversation at close range, making phone calls, and hearing important traffic signals. For many, relief comes in the form of a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
For tinnitus patients, the suffering can be nonstop. High-pitched, annoying ringing or buzzing sounds haunt their days, and often their nights, causing them to awaken in the middle of the night to tinnitus clicking or whooshing noises. For that reason, there is a high correlation between tinnitus and insomnia.
White Noise Sound Machines- The 5 Best Reviewed by Customers
Learn how to Fall asleep, even with Tinnitus
Insomnia caused by tinnitus can become a vicious circle of sleeplessness, unless you learn how to doze off quickly, and effortlessly.
Here are five important tips for getting your eight hours of sleep every night:
- Don’t go to asleep until you’re tired. This may seem redundant, but the key is to avoid lying around in bed and thinking about getting to sleep, thus turning your bedroom into a place associated with stress and frustration. Your bedroom should be a happy comfort zone, so don’t allow yourself to spend more than 10 or 15 minutes tossing and turning in your bed.
- Make your bed a “sleep only” zone. Some people like to watch TV in bed, or read a book, finish crossword puzzles, or check their email. This is a bad bedtime habit. Instead, read in a favorite chair stationed in a corner of your room, or retreat to the living room to watch television.
- Can’t sleep? Leave the room immediately. If after 10 minutes, you are still unable to fall asleep, then get up and go to another room. Do something relaxing, anything that usually puts you in a sleepy mood. Avoid worrying, or doing anything stressful, like paying bills or thinking of family problems. Also, avoid doing housework, or anything productive, lest you find yourself with an unwelcome midnight ritual.
- Don’t nap! For insomniacs, there is no such thing as a power nap. Even a ten-minute catnap in the middle of the day could easily turn into a 3-hour siesta that will leave you feeling groggy, headachy, and out of sorts.
- Set your alarm clock, and don’t snooze. Regardless of whether or not you slept well the night before, you should stick to a very strict sleep schedule. Wake up at the same time each morning, including weekends and holidays, and go to sleep the same time each night. Resist te urge to whack the snooze button. The first few days will be tiring, but eventually, you will be so tired at night that you won’t be able to stay awake a minute past bedtime.
Related reading:
Speaker Pillows for Tinnitus Therapy- 8 Comfy Music Pillows
14 Things to do Instead of Listening to Tinnitus Ear Ringing
Sources:
6 Easy Steps to Falling Asleep Fast
Tinnitus – insomnia and sleep problems- Better Health Channel
Learn how to Ignore Persistent Tinnitus Noise
50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus ear ringing, but only 12 million ever seek tinnitus treatment. Learn simple ways to ignore…and stop tinnitus noise.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that causes you to hear “phantom” sounds that only you can hear. Sounds vary in pitch, frequency, and duration, and may fluctuate from one ear to the other. Tinnitus patients often use the following words to describe their tinnitus ear noises: ringing, whooshing, buzzing, chirping, clicking, crackling, screaming, roaring, crickets, hissing, beeping, and in rare cases, music. Free Digital Photos
What causes tinnitus?
Sometimes tinnitus results from damage to the cochlea of the inner ear; in such cases, hearing loss may 
follow. People who run a high risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss are individuals that regularly expose themselves to dangerously high noise decibels, such as explosions, loud music, construction site noise, job shop manufacturing, and engine noises. Alternatively, tinnitus may result from chronic ear infections, puncturing of the eardrum, and medications such as pain relievers and antidepressants. Free Digital Photos
7 Most Harmful Trickle-Down Effects of Noise Pollution
Is there any treatment for tinnitus?
While there is no actual cure for tinnitus, some treatments are helpful for alleviating most of the symptoms. Popular tinnitus therapies include tinnitus retraining, sleep pillows, hearing aids, and nutritional supplements. Overwhelmingly, though, most tinnitus patients eventually learn to “ignore” their tinnitus noises until they no longer notice them.
How do you ignore loud, persistent tinnitus ringing?
It’s not easy to ignore something that stays with you all day, as is the case for most people who suffer from chronic tinnitus. If tinnitus noises are interfering with your ability to relax, sleep, work, hold a conversation, or listen to music, then it’s imperative that you learn how to ignore the “elephant in the living room.” Easier said than done, but it is possible.
Here are some activities that may distract you from overwhelming tinnitus ear ringing:
- Listen to the radio, or to an environmental noise CD. Many tinnitus sufferers find relief through nature sounds such as rainfall, crickets, beach waves, and forest sounds. Read: White Noise Sound Machines- The 5 Best Reviewed by Customers
- Turn on the TV, or pop in a DVD, even if just for the background noise. For many tinnitus patients, nothing is more agonizing than (near-complete) silence.
- Turn on your computer, and surf the web for a while. Check out some helpful websites and blogs for tinnitus sufferers. Read: 40+ Best Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Sites
- Start a simple art project, such as painting, mosaics, or decoupage. Free Digital Photos
Read a good book, like a thriller, romance, or humor novel.- Exercise! Run around the block, dust off your elliptical machine, walk your dog, or do a few laps around the mall.
- Clean the house- nothing’s more soothing to a tinnitus sufferer than the steady hum of a vacuum cleaner.
- Organize your garage, or other work area. Free Digital Photos
- Take up woodworking, or sewing. The repetitive movements and background noises can be therapeutic for tinnitus patients.
Go for drive- your focus will be on the road and street sounds, not on your inner ear noises.- Do a crossword puzzle.
- Call friend on the phone- it will help for relieving stress, and break the tinnitus cycle.
- Turn on a fan; the gentle whooshing noise of a floor fan is one of the best sounds for “shushing” tinnitus ear ringing.
- Fold laundry- not only will it keep you busy, but the sound of the clothes dryer will silence annoying tinnitus ringing. Free Digital Photos
Sources:
Related reading:
Speaker Pillows for Tinnitus Therapy- 8 Comfy Music Pillows
Tinnitus Symptoms Making you Turn to Sleeping Pills? Read about Side Effects of Sleep Drugs
These 4 Vitamins are Tops for Treating Tinnitus
Fall Asleep Quickly; Sleep Well the Whole Night…Finally
If tinnitus ringing in the ears is keeping you up nights, then you might benefit from white noise. Environmental music “shushes” the buzzing in your ears, allowing you to sleep peacefully. Speaker pillows are a popular sleeping aid for tinnitus sufferers; just plug in your MP3 device, such as an iPod, and choose your favorite relaxation sounds for tinnitus therapy.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
Below are 8 effective, moderately priced music MP3 pillows that are available online:
1- SoftSpeaker Pillow Speaker, $19.95
By C. Crane, the SoftSpeaker Pillow Speaker is a tiny music speaker, about the size of your hand. Place it on top of your pillow, or underneath. The soft, plush pillowcase protects the speaker system, while providing you ultimate comfort. The SoftSpeaker comes with a one-year warranty.
The original Sound Pillow features two small removable speakers, concealed within a twin-sized hypoallergenic fiberfill, poly-cotton shell pillow. Plug the attached cable into an iPod, MP3 device, iPhone, CD player, sleep machine, or laptop, for convenient tinnitus treatment. Let one of their relaxation CD’s soothe you into a refreshing slumber. SoundPillow.com
Tinnitus Ear Ringing Keeping you up nights? Sleep it off with Melatonin
3- Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow, $49.99
Designed to accompany the Sound Oasis Sound Therapy Systems, the Sleep Therapy Pillow is also compatible with all MP3 devices, CD players, and television sets.
10 Ways to Mask Tinnitus inside your Home Without Hearing Aids
4- Boombox Speaker Cushion, $19.99
This novelty pillow is a great gift for a young tinnitus sufferer. Increasingly, teenagers and young adults are falling into the ranks of tinnitus patients, due to dangerously loud music, iPod in-ear headphones, and excessive Bluetooth use. Prop this boombox-shaped pillow by your bedside, attach iPod, and say goodbye to tinnitus whooshing sounds. ThinkGeek.com
5- Sleep Tunes Music Pillow, $59.99
The Sleep Tunes Music Pillow from Sharper Image features a comfortable memory-foam cushion. Sink into your pillow each night while listening to one of Sleep Tunes’ relaxing nature tracks, or choose from your own tinnitus environmental sounds playlist. The Sleep Tunes Music Pillow can be set to turn off after thirty or sixty minutes.
Trouble Sleeping? Redesign your Sleeping Space with Feng Shui
6- Memory Foam MP3 Neck Pillow, $19.93
If tinnitus noises bother you throughout the day, then you’ll appreciate this MP3 neck pillow, featuring soft, squishy memory foam. Take it with you to the office, on the road (passenger only), or on the plane for effective tinnitus therapy.
7- Ellery Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow, $31.64
The Ellery Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow has a 100% cotton cover and hypoallergenic polyester fiberfill, for nighttime comfort. This MP3 pillow can also accommodate your smartphone, iPod, radio, and TV.
8- NECKii Pod Travel and Leisure Neck Pillow with Speakers, $24.99
This ergonomically designed travel pillow is compact enough to slip into your purse or carry-on bag, or to clip onto your beach tote. The Neckii Pod Travel and Leisure Neck Pillow features a retractable universal MP3 connector. Measures 10″ L x 4″ W, and the cotton-spandex removable cover is washable. Bed, Bath and Beyond
Related reading:
Tinnitus Symptoms Making you Turn to Sleeping Pills? Read about Side Effects of Sleep Drugs
Stop that Ringing in your Ears: Get Tinnitus Treatment Now
Smartphone Applications for Deaf Consumers
It’s a new day and age for those with hearing loss, thanks to Android.
Smartphones, such as the iPhone and Android, have opened up a world of communication possibilities for today’s telecommuter. From Sprint and Think Mobile, now even the hearing-impaired can enjoy the convenience of Android technology, such as Google and chat. Android also offers helpful applications to aid the deaf communities, such as transcriptional voicemail, captioned calls, and updated news information about hearing-loss treatments and awareness.
Coming Soon: iPod Device to Treat Tinnitus
Here are some excellent Android apps to look for:
Sprint Relay ID pack: Sprint has released an Android package aimed at benefiting individuals with partial hearing loss, deafness, and tinnitus. The new bundle includes Google Voice, Captionfish, Video Relay, TuneWiki, a captioned video player, and a handful of devices to notify you of important messages and dates.
ClearCaptions, by Purple Communications, allows people with hearing loss to read their phone calls in a text message, featuring almost-real-time service that’s compatible with web browsers and the iOS platform.
Hamilton Mobile CapTel works with most smartphones and hands-free headsets that are compatible with hearing aids and cochlear implants. With a Hamilton Mobile CapTel account, your cell phone becomes a captioned-enabled device for the deaf. Make and receive calls from any location, and read your incoming conversations on your smartphone screen. Service is available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.
Hearing Aids are for Old People, and Other Nontruths
DeafNation is a popular website for the hard of hearing, featuring updated video content, news coverage, social networking, and special events. Now, you can access DeafNation from your Android smartphone.
Evernote picks up where sticky notes left off. Deaf individuals often rely on note taking for quick communication with non-signers. With Evernote, you can keep an updated list of most-often used messages. You’ll never need to rewrite the same memo all over again, and you can forget about frantically searching for a pen or sharpened pencil.
Related reading:
Top 5 Noise Cancelling Headphones
How Loud is Too Loud? Prevent Tinnitus Now
Sources:
Sprint Launches Bundle of Android Apps for Hearing Loss Applications
Hearing Sparks: The Top 8 Android Apps for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Hearing Dogs that Alert you of Emergencies, and More
Have you always wanted to adopt a trained service dog for the hard of hearing, but didn’t know where to start? Does it sound like an endeavor that would take a lot of time, money, or commitment that you don’t think you have? Perhaps you just need to gather some more information on the various assistant dog training for the hearing impaired programs that are available, many of which get their animals from dog rescue societies.
It’s a match made in heaven
Adopting a hearing dog is really a win-win situation. Trainers with an eye for picking out intelligent, well-behaved dogs regularly search nearby animal rescue shelters for canine candidates. The ones considered trainable receive a new home, and eventually, a “person” to assist. Everybody benefits!
Doggie services
Originally, service guide dogs were only available to assist the blind, but new developments in animal behavioral studies have opened the doors to a wide range of animal services. Various programs pair qualified dogs with trainers who teach them to help with hearing-impaired individuals and many with physical disabilities and illnesses.
- Hearing dogs assist the hearing-impaired in many ways. They can fetch you the telephone, alert you when somebody is at the door, “lend” you their ears on a walk, and most importantly, alert you when a smoke detector sounds off.
- Animal therapy dogs help children with special needs, such as autism. Many autistic children learn to communicate, follow directions, and relax just by having a specially trained dog by their side.
- Handicapped individuals benefit greatly by housing a guide dog. Large dogs, such as Golden Shepherds or Labradors, help by aiding with the wheelchair, fetching items, and bringing them their medicine.
- Epileptics have more time to prepare for a seizure with a trained dog at their side. Many signal dogs have a natural ability to sense epileptic seizures or migraines mere minutes before they arrive, and with training can alert their owners in time.
- US veterans who suffer disabilities related to war injuries benefit greatly by their service dogs.
Where can I find more information about adopting a service dog?
Many websites are available that can help you find a local assistance dog training program, in addition to answering questions about caring for your dog, introducing him to friends and relatives, and your legal rights as the owner of a service dog.
Here are 15 great sites to get you started:
- Assistance Dogs International has chapters all over Europe and North America. They specialize in training and placing guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for deaf people, and specially trained service dogs for individuals with mental and physical disabilities.
- Can Do Canines Assistance Dogs is based in Minnesota, but also extends services to Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, and parts of Illinois. They provide service dogs that meet a wide variety of needs, including mobility, deafness, diabetes, autism, and seizures.
- Canine Companions for Independence is a California-based organization that trains Labrador and Golden Retrievers as service and hearing dogs. They have chapters throughout the United States, and they provide service dogs and follow-up services free of charge.
- Dogs Ears and Paws is a non-profit organization based in Maryland that humanely trains dogs for assisting those with special needs, handicaps, and hearing loss.
- Dogs for the Deaf has been rescuing animals for 33 years, and they have trained 33,000 dogs for Oregon’s hearing-impaired.
- Fidos for Freedom hearing assistance dogs finish a 2-3 year training course before they get assigned to a good home. This organization is also based in Maryland.
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a UK-based charity organization that trains dogs for assisting the deaf.
- International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) is your hub for all things related to the raising and training of service dogs, from organizational advocates, resources, and veterinarian services, to behavioral approaches, forums, and puppy gear.
- International Hearing Dog, Inc. This nonprofit organization trains and matches hearing dogs for deaf people throughout the United States and Canada, free of charge.
- Midwest Assistance Dogs, Inc. Servicing hearing-impaired individuals all over the mid-western United States, this organization rescues animal shelter dogs and trains them to provide assistance with mobility, hearing, seizure alerts, and emotional therapy.
- NEADS/Nat’l Education for Assistance Dog Services is a New England organization that provides an intense on-faculty program in which prospective dog owners are required to dorm on the facilities for two weeks before taking their dog home. Nearly 100% of NEADS dogs come from animal shelters.
- Patriotic PAWS is a nonprofit organization that teaches service dogs and donates them to disabled American veterans.
- Service Dog Central is a great landing base for dog laws, forums, and updated newsworthy information related to assistance dogs.
- Service Dogs for America is located in North Dakota, and specializes is training dogs for hearing loss, seizures alerts, mobility assistance, and emotional support.
- Wolf Packs- Gear for Working Dogs is a great site that sells gear for your working dog, including patches, decals, backpacks, and collars.
Environmental Noise is bad for your Health
Noise pollution isn’t just annoying- it can be detrimental to your health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
If you live in an urban area, then chances expose yourself daily to dangerously high levels of noise pollution, described as anything above 55 decibels. Freeway and airport traffic noise, manufacturing plants, and overcrowded public spaces all amount to a lot of environmental noise. Even if you don’t live in a dense population, your chances of suffering the ill effects of noise pollution are high. If you attend indoor events like rock concerts, musical plays, or basketball tournaments, then you are at risk for developing tinnitus and hearing loss, along with a myriad of other symptoms linked with noise pollution. Top 5 Noise Cancelling Headphones
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quotes, “Problems related to noise include stress related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity.”
Below are the 7 most common conditions caused by noise pollution:
1- Hearing loss:
Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common result of overexposure to noise pollution. Scientists have confirmed that 8-hour exposure to noise levels above 85 dB causes severe ear damage. How loud is 85 decibels? The amount of noise emitted by a large truck driving on the freeway is equivalent to 85 dB. Tinnitus has become a more prominent disorder among teenagers since the popularity of iPod in-ear listening devices. How Loud is Too Loud? Prevent Tinnitus Now
2- Decreased communication skills:
In a study published by the EPA, scientists noted that prolonged noise exposure weakens our ability to communicate effectively, causing symptoms such a difficulty concentrating, indecision, faltering speech, confusion, stress, and impatience. 20 iPad Apps for Hearing Loss
3- Sleep problems:
High levels of noise make it difficult to get a full night’s sleep. Sleep disturbances often lead to insomnia, which creates stress, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and lowers our immunity. Tinnitus Symptoms Making you Turn to Sleeping Pills? Read about Side Effects of Sleep Drugs
4- Heart conditions:
Since noise pollution causes stress, anxiety, and insomnia, then long-term exposure to constant, loud noise eventually creates cardiovascular difficulties. Hypertension, elevated heart rate, and the hormonal flight-or-fight response are common side effects of stress caused by excess noise. Additionally, sudden wakefulness in the middle of the night from a loud noise causes a heart response that could be harmful. Finding Tranquility with Tinnitus, Part I: Relax the Mind
5- Psychiatric disorders:
Noise pollution doesn’t cause psychosis, but it does exacerbate symptoms in the mentally ill. Persistent and loud noise contributes to anxiety, stress, headaches, mood swings, aggressiveness, phobias, and antisocial behavior. In addition, in a report on noise pollution and its effect on general mental health, individuals such as the elderly and young children who lacked the ability to cope with loud noise exposure suffered a weakened sense of well-being. British Singer Frightened by Tinnitus Symptoms
6- Lost productivity:
Noise pollution impairs our cognitive functioning, according to many studies. Whether at work or at school, our ability to complete an assignment efficiently and timely becomes compromised when loud noise is a factor. Noise pollution negatively affects our reading comprehension, learning and problem-solving skills, work performance, ambition, and socio-emotional development. When Children Suffer Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
7- Agitation:
According to some clinical studies, persistent low frequency rumbling noises produced feelings of aggression, discontent, fatigue, despair, anxiety, and distractedness in test participants. While the behavioral changes were subtle, they influenced daily activities and social manners, such as loud slamming of doors, avoidance of neighbors, and proneness to accidents. 6 Anxiety Busting Tricks- Try Them Now!
Related reading:
5 Ways to Deal with Noisy Neighbors
40+ Best Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Sites
Treatments for Severe Hearing Loss
Sources:
Noise Pollution: A Modern Plague: Adverse Health Effects of Noise
