You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something blows up next to the hero and the sound gets all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, guess what: that likely means our hero suffered at least a minor traumatic brain injury!
To be sure, brain injuries aren’t the bit that most action movies focus on. But that ringing in our hero’s ears represents a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is most often talked about in the context of hearing loss, but actually, traumatic brain injuries like concussions can also trigger this particular ringing in the ears.
After all, one of the most prevalent traumatic brain injuries is a concussion. And they can occur for many reasons (car crashes, sporting accidents, and falls, for example). It can be somewhat complicated sorting out how a concussion can lead to tinnitus. Luckily, treating and managing your conditions is typically very achievable.
Concussions, exactly what are they?
A concussion is brain trauma of a very distinct type. One way to think about it is that your brain is protected by sitting snuggly in your skull. When something occurs and shakes the head violently enough, your brain starts moving around inside of your skull. But your brain could end up crashing into the inside of your skull because of the little amount of additional space in there.
This causes harm to your brain! Multiple sides of your skull can be impacted by your brain. And this is what results in a concussion. This example makes it quite clear that a concussion is literally damage to the brain. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Vomiting and nausea
- Headaches
- Confusion and loss of memory
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Slurred speech
This list is not exhaustive, but you get the point. A few weeks to a few months is the normal duration of concussion symptoms. When somebody gets one concussion, they will usually make a full recovery. But, repetitive or multiple concussions are a different story (generally, it’s a good idea to avoid these).
How is tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Can a concussion mess with your hearing? Really?
The question of concussions and tinnitus is an interesting one. Not surprisingly, concussions aren’t the only brain traumas that can cause tinnitus symptoms. That ringing in your ears can be triggered by even minor brain injuries. Here are a few ways that may take place:
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The development of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be a consequence of a TBI. When pressure builds up in the inner ear this condition can happen. Substantial hearing loss and tinnitus can become a problem over time as a result of Menier’s disease.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: There are three bones in your ear that help transfer sounds to your brain. A substantial impact (the type that can trigger a concussion, for example) can push these bones out of position. Tinnitus can be caused by this and it can also disrupt your ability to hear.
- Damage to your hearing: Experiencing an explosion at close distance is the cause of concussions and TBIs for many members of the military. And explosions are incredibly loud, the sound and the shock wave can damage the stereocilia in your ear, causing hearing loss and tinnitus. Tinnitus isn’t necessarily caused by a concussion, but they definitely do share some root causes.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: This type of concussion takes place when the inner ear is damaged as a result of your TBI. This damage can create inflammation and cause both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Nerve damage: A concussion may also trigger injury to the nerve that is in charge of transferring the sounds you hear to your brain.
- Disruption of communication: In some cases, the part of your brain that manages hearing can become damaged by a concussion. As a result, the messages sent from the ear to your brain can’t be properly processed and tinnitus can be the outcome.
Of course it’s significant to keep in mind that no two brain injuries are exactly the same. Every patient will receive individualized care and instructions from us. You should certainly call us for an assessment if you think you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
When you get a concussion and tinnitus is the consequence, how can it be managed?
Most often, tinnitus triggered by a concussion or traumatic brain damage will be short-term. How long does tinnitus linger after a concussion? Weeks or months, sadly, could be the time period. However, if your tinnitus has lasted for more than a year, it’s likely to be long lasting. Over time, in these circumstances, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the best plan.
Here are some ways to achieve this:
- Masking device: This device goes in your ear much like a hearing aid, but it creates particular noises instead of amplifying things. This noise is customized to your tinnitus, drowning out the sound so you can pay attention to voices, or other sounds you really want to hear.
- Therapy: In some situations, therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be utilized to help patients ignore the noise produced by their tinnitus. You disregard the sound after acknowledging it. This technique takes therapy and practice.
- Hearing aid: Sometimes, tinnitus becomes prominent because the rest of the world takes a back seat (as is the case with non-TBI-caused hearing loss, everything else becomes quieter, so your tinnitus seems louder). A hearing aid can help raise the volume of everything else, ensuring that your tinnitus fades into the background.
In some situations, further therapies might be required to accomplish the desired result. Management of the underlying concussion might be necessary in order to make the tinnitus go away. The best course of action will depend on the status of your concussion and your TBI. As a result, an accurate diagnosis is incredibly important in this regard.
Learn what the best plan of treatment may be for you by giving us a call.
TBI-triggered tinnitus can be controlled
A concussion can be a substantial and traumatic event in your life. It’s never a good day when you get a concussion! And if you have ringing in your ears, you may ask yourself, why are my ears ringing after a car crash?
Tinnitus could surface immediately or in the following days. However, it’s important to remember that tinnitus after a head injury can be successfully managed. Schedule a consultation with us today.