If you have a constant ringing ear or buzzing in your ears, you probably have some form of tinnitus.
Rest assured, you have plenty of company.
Approximately 50 million people in the United States alone suffer from ear ringing tinnitus, with 12 million of those affected so severely that it impacts their daily lives.
Your first step, if you haven't done so already, should be to see your healthcare professional to find out what's causing your ear ringing.
More than likely it's some form of tinnitus, but just to be safe you should have it checked.
Be aware that tinnitus itself is not a disease but merely a symptom of some underlying cause, and a whole range of things can cause ear ringing.
Exposure to excessive noise is one of the most common causes, but all sorts of medications can be responsible as well, so it makes sense to talk to your doctor.
If you've already seen your doctor, you've probably been told that there's not much that can be done.
While it's true that there is no cure for tinnitus, there are some things you can do to help quiet your ringing ears.
One thing you can try immediately is to control your diet.
Limiting the amount of caffeine, alcohol, and salt you get can help reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
Avoid loud and noisy places, as these environments only add to them problem.
If you can wear hearing protection in noisy places, like when you're mowing the lawn, this will help too.
When you're dealing with tinnitus it's very easy to get aggravated or depressed.
It's a very stressful situation and those not affected by it are not likely to understand what you're going through.
Sometimes I find myself growing irritable if the ear ringing increases for no apparent reason.
Exercise can help, and so can getting plenty of rest.
When in a quiet environment, almost every tinnitus sufferer will agree that their tinnitus seems worse.
This is because background noise tends to drown out the ear ringing or at least take your mind off it.
To combat this effect, some people turn on a radio or use fan to increase the background noise.
Educating yourself about ear ringing and tinnitus can be a great way to make yourself feel better.
Once you better understand what has caused your tinnitus you can begin to develop a plan to reduce the ear ringing to a tolerable level.
There are guides and books available today that will help you understand tinnitus and also assist you with various proven techniques that are known to help.
Don't let your ear ringing win the battle.
Develop a plan that will let you take control of your tinnitus.
Step one should be to see your doctor so you know what you're dealing with.
Step two is to educate yourself about tinnitus and its causes and effects.
Step three should be to research the help that's available today.
Guides and books have been written that can help you reduce your ear ringing to a tolerable level so you can enjoy life again.