Question: I am 69 and have had ringing in my ears for some time and have just learned to ignore it. I was told that it is just part of the aging process. Is that bad advice or is there something I should do to deal with it?
Ringing in your ears is not normal. It should not be ignored. See your family physician for an evaluation for this. Do not self-treat this one. If an obvious correctable cause is not seen, have your physician order a hearing test (audiogram) with air and bone conduction and speech reception threshold (SRT) testing.
This simple test will determine whether further evaluation by an ear, nose, and throat specialties is warranted. Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) may be caused by exposure to noise, aging, tumors of the internal auditory canal, infections, obstructions, and disorders of the inner, middle, and external ear canals.
It may also be caused by heart-valve disorders, carotid-artery diseases, and blood circulation problems. So be sure to have your condition properly evaluated.