It’s really common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million individuals regularly suffer from chronic tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. This does not even count the more common types of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a huge impact on their quality of life.
When you hear noises in your ears that don’t have an outside source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It may manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately result in the other.
In fact, there are a substantial variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
Exactly what is tinnitus and how is it caused? Well, it’s important to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But identifying the cause can be essential to finding the correct treatment approach.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can trigger tinnitus. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear problems. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. If your baseline neurological functions are damaged by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has gone wrong with the normal ways that your brain and ear interact. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t really there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root sources of tinnitus, as well as others. In some instances, neurological tinnitus might go away as the brain heals. For others, it could be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is very common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is an actual, verifiable sound, it’s referred to as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an example of this form of tinnitus. For those with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it should.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to become more intense when you move your head or neck.
Often, people will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for example. In order for us to put together a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus.
Getting tinnitus support
You most likely won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are rather constant or keep coming back. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some tinnitus relief.
After we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment methods we can utilize. A few of these strategies can decrease the severity of your symptoms making them less evident. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there is no cure for tinnitus, although it can usually be successfully treated. We will work with you to formulate treatments that work for your symptoms. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you enjoy.