You have a ringing in your ears and it’s not getting any better, if anything it’s getting worse. At first, you could barely hear it. But you’ve noticed how loud and constant the tinnitus noises have become after an entire day on the job at a construction site. Sometimes, it sounds like ringing or other noises. You’re considering coming in to see us, but you’re wondering: how is ringing in the ears treated?
The management of tinnitus (that’s what that ringing is called) will differ from person to person and depend considerably on the origin of your hearing issues. But your own tinnitus treatment will share some common threads with others that can help you get prepared.
What type of tinnitus are you experiencing?
Tinnitus is not unusual. The ringing or buzzing (or any number of sounds) in your ear can be caused by various underlying issues. So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is usually divided into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Some tinnitus symptoms are caused by an inherent medical problem, like an ear infection, excessive earwax, or a growth, among other ailments. Managing the root medical problem will normally be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: Tinnitus that is caused by hearing damage or hearing impairment is typically referred to as “non-medical” tinnitus. Significant, persistent, and chronic tinnitus can be the outcome of hearing damage caused by long term exposure to loud noise (like at your construction site). It’s usually very challenging to manage non-medical tinnitus.
The best way to manage your symptoms will be determined by the root cause of your hearing issue and the kind of tinnitus you have.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
Your medical tinnitus symptoms will normally go away when the underlying medical issue is addressed. Treatments for medical tinnitus could include:
- Antibiotics: Your doctor might prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is caused by a bacterial ear infection. Your tinnitus symptoms will most likely go away when the infection clears.
- Surgery: Doctors might decide to do surgery to eliminate any tumor or growth that could be causing your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hydrocortisone: Not all infections can be treated with antibiotics. For instance, antibiotics never work on viral infections. In these cases, your doctor might prescribe hydrocortisone to help you manage other symptoms.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to come see us so we personalize a tinnitus treatment plan, especially if you’re dealing with medical tinnitus.
Treatments for non-medical tinnitus
Typically, medical tinnitus is a lot easier to diagnose and treat than non-medical tinnitus. There is normally no cure for non-medical tinnitus (particularly in situations where the tinnitus is caused by hearing damage). Treatments, instead focus on relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is getting worse as your hearing gets worse. The tinnitus symptoms will likely seem louder because everything else gets quieter (due to hearing loss). A hearing aid can help mask the sound of your tinnitus by amping up the volume of everything else.
- Medications: There are some experimental medications available for treating tinnitus. For instance, steroids and anti-anxiety medication combinations can sometimes help reduce tinnitus symptoms. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to speak with us.
- Noise-masking devices: These devices hide your tinnitus sounds by producing enough white noise to allow the buzzing or ringing to fade into the background. These devices can be calibrated to generate specific sounds designed to balance out your tinnitus symptoms.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some cases, you can be trained to disregard the sounds of your tinnitus. This frequently used method has helped many people do just that.
Find what works
For most of us, it won’t be completely clear what’s triggering our tinnitus, so it’s likely you’ll need to attempt several approaches in order to effectively treat your own hearing issues. In most cases, tinnitus can’t be cured. But there are various treatments available. Finding the best one for you is the trick.