{"id":968,"date":"2022-04-28T12:30:48","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T04:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/?p=968"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:49:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T03:49:15","slug":"sudden-tinnitus-an-ent-emergency-in-singapore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/sudden-tinnitus-an-ent-emergency-in-singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinnitus in the Ear: Will I Suddenly Lose My Hearing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Have you noticed a sudden annoying noise in your ear or ears recently? This is called Tinnitus<\/a><\/strong>, a word which means any humming, whistling, crackling, popping, screeching or ringing sound in your ear(s). The meaning of the word Tinnitus originates from the Latin term, “tinnire” : To ring or tinkle. Tinnitus is all about having the perception of a noise in your ear. In most cases, only the sufferer is able to hear i.e. subjective tinnitus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objective tinnitus where everyone else can hear the noise in your ear too. This is rarer and definitely needs urgent investigation as it may signify an abnormal blood vessel condition or malformation. Subjective tinnitus is much more common. But if tinnitus is sudden, it should be investigated promptly before it leads to hearing loss, dizziness and vertigo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT CAUSES TINNITUS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If only YOU can hear the tinnitus in your ear, then what could be the cause? Is the tinnitus something you should worry about? Remember, tinnitus is a word which describes only the symptom itself, and it is NOT a diagnosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple causes of tinnitus exist and we will list a few of the common causes below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Infection of your ear and surrounding structures<\/strong>: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As tinnitus is usually the earliest sign of something abnormal in your ear, even the mildest infection can lead to tinnitus. Severe ear infections lead to blocked ear, ear pain and hearing loss. If untreated, it can cause facial and neck swelling due to associated inflammation of the surrounding lymph nodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Impacted earwax<\/strong>: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ear is a self-cleaning organ in most people so you should not dig your ears, even with cotton buds or your fingernails. Digging your ears will just end up pushing the earwax even deeper to make it worse, or you might end up injuring your ear canal or eardrum!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Underlying hearing loss<\/strong><\/a>, especially Sudden Hearing Loss<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tinnitus can sometimes be the earliest sign of something abnormal occurring inside your inner ear, where the cochlea and its nerve endings lie. Your ENT specialist in Singapore need to treat your sudden hearing loss as soon as possible to maximise <\/strong>hearing recovery!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Prolonged or excessive noise exposure<\/strong>, commonly with earphone use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people now use earphones for their work from phone and as a result, we have seen a significant increase in the number of tinnitus sufferers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Previous ear surgery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We see many patients in our ENT clinics in Singapore who have previously undergone ear surgery elsewhere but who now want a second opinion from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Sinus infections<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even the common cold or flu may result in tinnitus if there is too much congestion of the nose and Eustachian pressure tubes. So tinnitus management will include management of your nasal and sinus conditions if they appear related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Allergy flareups inside the nose<\/strong> (Allergic rhinitis<\/a><\/strong>)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, itchy watery eyes, itchy throat, feeling of a lump in throat, difficulty breathing through your nose, may all be caused by nasal allergy issues. Having an allergy test, focusing on inhaled substances, is very important to manage your allergic rhinitis properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Migraines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although headaches may be more common, tinnitus can also be a symptom of migraines or a parallel condition which triggers migraines. Often, stress can be a trigger to exacerbate both migraine and tinnitus conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction<\/strong> (Jaw Joint or TMJ abnormalities)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

TMJ problems may worsen with excessive chewing, teeth-grinding and jaw-clenching, all usually signs of underlying muscle tension and stress issues. TMJ dysfunction should be treated early to avoid chronic headaches, neck ache and migraines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Tumours of the postnasal space or inner ear<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More rarely, tumours can grow at the back of your nose to block off the pressure tubes leading to your ears. Tumours from the balance nerve can also lead to sudden tinnitus and sudden hearing loss (acoustic neuroma). Tinnitus may be the first sign of such conditions, so sudden onset means you should get the tinnitus promptly checked out by your best ENT specialist in Singapore. The picture (credit to the Mayo Clinic) below illustrates how an inner ear nerve tumour can grow inside your ear towards the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Acoustic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Is Tinnitus A ” Stress Reflex of the Inner Ear”?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For most tinnitus <\/a>sufferers though, the MRI scan of your inner ears will be normal. So what can you do about your tinnitus? Is it driving you mad to the point of having difficulty sleeping? Are you are unable to focus on your work and perform your usual daily activities? Tinnitus is basically a stress reflex of the ear! Anything that stresses the ear out, may lead to the onset of tinnitus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tinnitus is also often what I call “the tip of the iceberg”. It is a very common symptom that sometimes has other deep-seated causes, such as anxiety and depression. But it’s tricky sometimes to try to decide which came first: The “chicken vs egg” situation! Was it the tinnitus that was truly causing the sleep issues? Or was it the lack of good quality sleep which led to the more noticeable tinnitus noise disturbing you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Four Key Principles of Tinnitus Management:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Distraction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping yourself busy and avoiding overly quiet\/overly noisy situations can help distract you from the tinnitus noise. Tinnitus sufferers often find their tinnitus disturbs them more at night when it tends to be quieter at bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Masking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This involves applying a band of soothing sounds to cover up the irritating tinnitus noise itself, or soften the intensity. Masking techniques can range from using your favourite relaxing music in the background, to downloading a tinnitus app. Some patients purchase a special sound machine to apply calming sounds to alleviate the effects of your tinnitus symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.Adaptation and modulation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over time, many tinnitus sufferers find that they don’t seem to notice their tinnitus as much as before. This is thought to be due to the nerve endings of the inner ear gradually adapting to the constant tinnitus stimulus. What studies have so far been unable to precisely identify is how the inner ear nerve endings can actually adapt to achieve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Habituation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adaptation is very closely linked to the process of habituation. After a while, ranging from weeks to months, the inner ear nerve endings become habituated and no longer respond so sensitively. The brain plays an important role in adaptation and habituation. It may start to process the constant tinnitus stimulus differently over time. Individuals with perhaps a more neurotic personality may be more sensitive to the processing of sound. Such patients may stand a higher risk of developing tinnitus which is less likely to adapt and habituate with time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY TINNITUS TO IMPROVE?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Although most tinnitus sufferers do eventually adapt to their symptoms, some patients may need a prescription for antidepressant and anti-anxietymedications to help them manage their tinnitus. Tinnitus counselling may also play an important role in helping the tinnitus sufferer. This often involves cognitive behavioural therapy to help tinnitus patients understand and hence cope better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So actually, how the tinnitus patient manages the emotional and psychological aspects, is extremely important. This then greatly impacts on the duration of time needed for tinnitus to improve. This inner ear compensation won’t just suddenly occur and may fluctuate with “good days” and “bad days”, depending on the changes around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, tinnitus counselling may involve a trial of a white noise masking device to offer a form of auditory adaptation. This is a special type of hearing aid which aims to match the frequency band of the tinnitus noise to mask it. Hence it reduces the disturbing effects of tinnitus on your ear. However, it can be challenging to obtain a precise match between the sound frequency of tinnitus and the white noise masker. Visiting a tinnitus counsellor may help. Tinnitus counsellors are experienced audiologists who have been trained specifically in tinnitus management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, as a busy ENT specialist in Singapore looking after many patients with ear problems, I just want to say one important thing. Sudden tinnitus might be a warning sign of impending sudden hearing loss and dizziness. So please don’t delay seeking the help of your friendly ENT specialist if tinnitus starts!<\/p>\n

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    Have you noticed a sudden annoying noise in your ear or ears recently? This is called Tinnitus, a word which means any humming, whistling, crackling, popping, screeching or ringing sound in your ear(s). The meaning of the word Tinnitus originates from the Latin term, “tinnire” : To ring or tinkle. Tinnitus is all about having the perception of a noise in your…
    Continue Reading →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,1],"tags":[95,207,212,105,91,90,186,133,210,209,192,213,211],"class_list":["post-968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ear","category-sleep","category-uncategorized","tag-blocked-ear","tag-deafness","tag-difficulty-sleeping","tag-dizziness","tag-ear-pain","tag-earache","tag-headache","tag-hearing-loss","tag-imbalance","tag-noise-in-ear","tag-tinnitus","tag-tumour","tag-vertigo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=968"}],"version-history":[{"count":123,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3299,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968\/revisions\/3299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drannabelle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}