Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Something like 20 million individuals regularly cope with chronic tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and intermittent and are also easier to cope with.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that nobody else can hear. This could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically result in the other.
As a matter of fact, there are a considerable variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s significant to note that not all kinds of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But it’s still essential to identify the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological problem, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can cause tinnitus. The following are a few other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear issues. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. If your baseline neurological functions are damaged by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has gone wrong with the normal ways that your brain and ear communicate. The outcome is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the underlying causes of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some instances, go away on its own. It might be permanent in other circumstances.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and only you can hear it. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is not quite as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an example of this type of tinnitus. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often rather constant for many individuals coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This type of tinnitus becomes more intense when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
Most of these forms of tinnitus aren’t generally mutually exclusive. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In order for us to develop a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the root cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you likely don’t have to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it might have real and significant impacts on your everyday life. That’s when it’s particularly important to speak with a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we identify the root cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment methods we can utilize. A few of these techniques can decrease the severity of your symptoms making them less evident. We might also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t generally be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will work with you to create treatments that work for your symptoms. That way, you can more easily ignore the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.
