Invisibility is a really useful power in the movies. Whether it’s a mud-covered hero, a cloaked spaceship, or a stealthy ninja, invisibility allows people in movies to be more effective and, frequently, accomplish the impossible.
Invisible health problems, regrettably, are just as potent and much less fun. As an example, tinnitus is an extremely common hearing condition. Regardless of how good you may look, there are no external symptoms.
But for people who experience tinnitus, though it may be invisible, the impact may be significant.
What is tinnitus?
So we know one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. Actually, tinnitus symptoms are auditory in nature, being a condition of the ears. You know when you are sitting in a silent room, or when you return from a loud concert and you hear a ringing in your ears? That’s tinnitus. Tinnitus is so prevalent that around 25 million people experience it every day.
There are many other presentations of tinnitus besides the common ringing. Some people may hear humming, crunching, metallic noises, all sorts of things. The common denominator is that anyone who has tinnitus is hearing noises that are not really there.
In most cases, tinnitus will go away quickly. But for somewhere between 2-5 million people, tinnitus is a chronic, sometimes incapacitating condition. Sure, it can be a bit annoying to hear that ringing for a few minutes now and again. But what if you can’t get rid of that sound, ever? Clearly, your quality of life would be substantially impacted.
Tinnitus causes
Have you ever attempted to determine the cause of a headache? Perhaps it’s stress; maybe you’re getting a cold; maybe it’s allergies. Lots of things can trigger a headache and that’s the problem. The same is also true of tinnitus, even though the symptoms may be common, the causes are extensive.
The cause of your tinnitus symptoms may, in some cases, be evident. But you may never really know in other situations. Here are some general things that can cause tinnitus:
- Ear infections or other blockages: Just like a cold or seasonal allergies, ear infections, and other obstructions can cause inflammation in the ear canal. This often triggers ringing in your ears.
- Head or neck injuries: Your head is rather sensitive! Ringing in your ears can be triggered by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- Colds or allergies: Inflammation can occur when a lot of mucus backs up in your ears. And tinnitus can be the consequence of this inflammation.
- High blood pressure: For some people, tinnitus might be caused by high blood pressure. If this is the situation, it’s a smart plan to consult your physician in order to help control your blood pressure.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a condition of the inner ear that can cause a large number of symptoms. Among the first symptoms, however, are generally tinnitus and dizziness. Permanent hearing loss can happen over time.
- Noise damage: Tinnitus symptoms can be caused by exposure to excessively loud noise over time. This is so prevalent that loud noises are one of the leading causes of tinnitus! Wearing hearing protection if very loud places can’t be avoided is the best way to prevent this type of tinnitus.
- Certain medications: Tinnitus symptoms can be triggered by certain over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Typically, that ringing disappears when you quit taking the medication in question.
- Hearing loss: Hearing loss and tinnitus are frequently closely associated. Partly, that’s because noise damage can also be a direct contributor to sensorineural hearing loss. They both have the same cause, in other words. But the ringing in your ears can sound louder with hearing loss because the external world is quieter.
If you’re able to determine the cause of your tinnitus, managing it may become easier. Clearing a blockage, for instance, will relieve tinnitus symptoms if that’s what is causing them. But the cause of their tinnitus symptoms might never be known for some people.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
If your ears ring for a few minutes and then it recedes, it’s not really something that needs to be diagnosed (unless it takes place frequently). That said, it’s never a bad plan to come see us to schedule a hearing screening.
However, if your tinnitus won’t go away or continues to come back, you should schedule some time with us to find out what’s going on (or at least begin treatment). We will ask you about your symptoms, talk to you about how your quality of life is being affected, perform a hearing test, and most likely discuss your medical history. All of that information will be utilized to diagnose your symptoms.
How is tinnitus treated?
Tinnitus is not a condition that can be cured. The strategy is management and treatment.
If your tinnitus is caused by a root condition, like an ear infection or a medication you’re taking, then dealing with that underlying condition will lead to a noticeable difference in your symptoms. But there will be no known root condition to treat if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
So controlling symptoms so they have a limited affect on your life is the goal if you have persistent tinnitus. There are a number of things that we can do to help. Here are some of the most prevalent:
- A masking device: This is a device much like a hearing aid, except instead of boosting sounds, it masks sound. These devices generate exactly the right amount and type of sound to make your specific tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: When it comes to cognitive behavioral therapy, we might end up referring you to a different provider. This approach uses therapy to help you learn to ignore the tinnitus sounds.
- A hearing aid: In some cases, tinnitus becomes obvious because your hearing loss is making outside sounds relatively quieter. The buzzing or ringing will be less apparent when your hearing aid raises the volume of the outside world.
The treatment plan that we formulate will be custom-tailored to your specific tinnitus needs. Helping you get back to enjoying your life by managing your symptoms is the objective here.
What should you do if you have tinnitus?
Even though tinnitus is invisible, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Odds are, those symptoms will only get worse. It’s better to get ahead of your symptoms because you might be able to prevent them from getting worse. You should at least be certain to have your hearing protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you’re struggling with tinnitus, contact us, we can help.