Tinnitus is an incredibly prevalent medical condition. Something like 20 million people routinely suffer from persistent tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. This doesn’t even count the more common forms of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a huge impact on their quality of life.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Tinnitus is frequently related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will call for a different approach to treatment.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s significant to mention 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 determine the cause in order to successfully manage the symptoms.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can cause tinnitus. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus isn’t always caused by ear problems. Sometimes, the root cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is a result of injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has gone wrong with the typical ways that your brain and ear interact. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root sources of tinnitus, as well as others. In some situations, neurological tinnitus might resolve as the brain heals. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as many 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 happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Most commonly, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be abnormally 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 extreme when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
Frequently, people will have more than one form of tinnitus simultaneously. For instance, you may 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 help with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. That’s when it’s especially important to speak with a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
We have a few different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less obvious. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be effectively managed. 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.