In the movies, invisibility is a formidable power. Whether it’s a mud-covered hero, a cloaked spaceship, or a sneaky ninja, invisibility allows characters in movies to be more effective and, frequently, accomplish the impossible.
Regrettably, invisible health disorders are no less potent…and they’re a lot less fun. As an illustration, tinnitus is an extremely common hearing condition. But there are no outward symptoms, it doesn’t matter how thoroughly you look.
But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean tinnitus doesn’t have a significant impact on those who experience symptoms.
What is tinnitus?
One thing we recognize for certain about tinnitus is that it can’t be seen. Actually, tinnitus symptoms are auditory in nature, being a disorder of the ears. You know that ringing in your ears you occasionally hear after a rock concert or in a really silent room? That’s tinnitus. Now, tinnitus is quite common (somewhere around 25 million people experience tinnitus every year).
While ringing is the most common manifestation of tinnitus, it isn’t the only one. Some people may hear buzzing, crunching, metallic noises, all kinds of things. The one thing that all of these sounds have in common is that they aren’t real sounds at all.
For most individuals, tinnitus will be a short-lived affair, it will come and go really quickly. But tinnitus is a long-term and debilitating condition for between 2-5 million individuals. Think about it like this: hearing that ringing in your ears for a few minutes is annoying, but you can occupy yourself easily and move on. But what if you can’t get rid of that sound, ever? Clearly, your quality of life would be significantly affected.
Tinnitus causes
Have you ever attempted to identify the cause of a headache? Are you getting a cold, are you stressed, or is it an allergic reaction? The trouble is that lots of issues can cause headaches! The same goes for tinnitus, even though the symptoms might be common, the causes are extensive.
Sometimes, it may be really clear what’s causing your tinnitus symptoms. But you may never really know in other situations. Generally speaking, however, tinnitus might be caused by the following:
- Ear infections or other blockages: Swelling of the ear canal can be generated by things like seasonal allergies, a cold, or an ear infection. As a result, your ears may begin to ring.
- Noise damage: Tinnitus symptoms can be triggered by exposure to overly loud noise over time. This is so prevalent that loud noises are one of the leading causes of tinnitus! Using ear protection if exceedingly loud settings can’t be avoided is the best way to prevent this type of tinnitus.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a condition of the inner ear that can cause a wide range of symptoms. Amongst the first symptoms, however, are typically tinnitus and dizziness. Over time, Meniere’s disease can cause permanent hearing loss.
- Head or neck injuries: Your head is quite sensitive! So head injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries (including concussions)–can end up causing tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing loss: There is a close association between tinnitus and hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus can both be brought about by noise damage and that’s a large part of the equation here. They both have the same cause, in other words. But hearing loss can also worsen tinnitus, when the outside world seems quieter, that ringing in your ears can become louder.
- High blood pressure: For some people, tinnitus may be caused by high blood pressure. Getting your blood pressure under control with the help of your physician is the best way to address this.
- Certain medications: Certain over-the-counter or prescription drugs can cause you to have ringing in your ears. Normally, that ringing disappears once you quit using the medication in question.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus accumulates in your ears, it might cause some inflammation. And tinnitus can be the result of this inflammation.
If you’re able to identify the cause of your tinnitus, treatment may become simpler. Cleaning out a blockage, for example, will ease tinnitus symptoms if that’s what is causing them. But the cause of their tinnitus symptoms might never be identified for some individuals.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
If your ears ring for a few minutes and then it subsides, it’s not really something that needs to be diagnosed (unless it happens frequently). Still, getting regular hearing assessments is always a smart plan.
But you should absolutely schedule an appointment with us if your tinnitus won’t go away or if it continues to come back. We will perform a hearing exam, talk to you about your symptoms and how they’re impacting your life, and maybe even discuss your medical history. Your symptoms can then be diagnosed utilizing this insight.
Treating tinnitus
There’s no cure for tinnitus. The strategy is management and treatment.
If your tinnitus is due to an underlying condition, like an ear infection or a medication you’re using, then addressing that underlying condition will lead to a noticeable difference in your symptoms. But there will be no known root condition to manage if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
So managing symptoms so they have a limited impact on your life is the objective if you have persistent tinnitus. There are a number of things that we can do to help. Here are a few of the most prevalent:
- A hearing aid: Sometimes, tinnitus becomes noticeable because your hearing loss is making everything else comparatively quieter. The buzzing or ringing will be less noticeable when your hearing aid boosts the volume of the outside world.
- A masking device: This is a hearing aid-like device that masks sounds instead of boosting them. These devices generate just the right amount and type of sound to make your particular tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: In terms of cognitive behavioral therapy, we may end up referring you to a different provider. This strategy uses therapy to help you learn to disregard the tinnitus sounds.
We will develop a personalized and distinct treatment plan for you and your tinnitus. Helping you get back to enjoying your life by controlling your symptoms is the objective here.
If you’re struggling with tinnitus, what should you do?
Even though tinnitus is invisible, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your symptoms will likely get worse if you do. You may be able to prevent your symptoms from getting worse if you can get in front of them. You should at least be certain to have your hearing protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you have tinnitus that won’t go away (or keeps coming back) make an appointment with us to get a diagnosis.
