Sometimes cold and
tinnitus seem to
occur simultaneously and it is difficult to distinguish
causes of one from the other. This is because a viral
infection – such as cold in this case – has the potential
to cause tinnitus which is a condition in which a person
hears a buzzing, whooshing or ringing kind of noise in
the ear or in the head in the absence of any actual
noise being present. Sometimes this condition may be
accompanied with a sensation of puffiness in the ear
especially when tinnitus is caused by a cold.
Typical
Symptoms of a Cold Induced
Tinnitus:
- The
onset of tinnitus can be felt suddenly along with the
occurrence of a cold or immediately after a bout of
cold.
- Sometimes tinnitus associated
sounds are heard only in one ear and at times in
either ears; or the sounds
might seem
to come somewhere from the middle of the
head.
- Even
after the cold disappear the tinnitus symptoms can
carry on long enough to cause anxiety to a person and
lead to further escalation of the tinnitus problem
since stress and anxiety are other causes of nerves
related tinnitus.
- Anxiety
in this case can arise because the sounds seemingly
refuse to go away and because the tinnitus sounds are
loud enough to hinder sleep. Negative thoughts about
the condition can also be a contributing
factor.
- At
times an allergy to a prescribed antibiotic or over
the counter drug taken to subside cold can also lead
to tinnitus.
- A
simple case of cold can at times cause an ear
infection and other sinus problems which then go on to
cause tinnitus that is associated with ear infection
or Eustachian tube malfunctions.
- People
who suffer from tinnitus might find that the condition
worsens when they are affected by cold. This could be
a result of excessive pressure in the ear as a result
of congestion or inflammation of the mucous glands –
which aggravates the preexisting tinnitus condition.
It is important to understand that
in cases of cold and tinnitus
the symptoms of tinnitus
can sometimes linger on up to as much as six months
or so. If other causes of
tinnitus are medically eliminated then learning to
reduce the intensity of tinnitus and undertaking
holistic methods of keeping good overall health can
bring great relief while waiting for the tinnitus to go
away.
