Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, roaring or clicking noise in the ears that cannot be perceived from the outside. A common condition, tinnitus, is estimated to affect between 15% and 20% of people.
A migraine is a headache that can cause a severe throbbing pain or pulsing sensation in the head, usually on one side. During a migraine attack, it is common to experience nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
One study analyzing datasets of 193 tinnitus patients found that 44.6% suffered from migraines. There are multiple hypotheses for the association between migraines and tinnitus. One prevalent theory is that the spontaneous abnormal neural activity during a migraine attack may increase tinnitus symptoms. Others suggest that the nerve pain associated with migraine can bring about tinnitus symptoms.
While there are no known cures for migraines or tinnitus, you can reduce your symptom severity and frequency. Let’s take a look at a couple of migraine and tinnitus management medications and techniques.
Migraine Medication
Migraine medication is generally split into two categories:
- Pain medication. Pain medication can help prevent migraines from becoming debilitating. You can use pain medication alone or alongside home remedies such as sitting in a dark room or drinking water and herbal tea from Tippi Teas.
- Prevention medication. Preventative medications cannot stop migraines entirely but may effectively reduce their frequency, severity and length.
Tinnitus Management
A couple of standard methods for managing tinnitus include but are not limited to:
- Hearing aids. Hearing aids reduce tinnitus symptoms by masking the internal noise with amplified external noise. Since the brain can only focus on one sound at once, the tinnitus noise will feel less intense.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of counseling focused on developing coping techniques. With effective CBT, a counselor can help reduce the stress, anxiety and other negative emotions surrounding tinnitus noise.
For more information on managing tinnitus symptoms, contact Tinnitus & Hearing Experts today to make an appointment with one of our specialists.