Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Around 20 million people routinely suffer from persistent tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an outside source and no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It might manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is frequently linked 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. Managing these varieties of tinnitus will require different approaches.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s essential to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The various causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to identify the cause in order to effectively treat the symptoms.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. In other circumstances, tinnitus might result from age-related hearing loss. The following are some other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus isn’t always caused by ear issues. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. This means that the typical communication between your brain and ears isn’t functioning properly. As a result, a phantom noise is heard which isn’t really there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the underlying sources of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some instances, clear up on its own. It may be permanent in other instances.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and no one else can hear it. This form of tinnitus includes many other forms of tinnitus as well. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present 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 occur, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this type of tinnitus. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it should.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are frequently quite constant for many people coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Often, people will have more than one form of tinnitus at the same time. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for instance. Identifying the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment strategy for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You probably won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it could have real and severe impacts on your day-to-day life. When that happens, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
After we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment strategies we can use. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be successfully managed. We will work with you to formulate treatments that work for your symptoms. That way, you can more easily ignore the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you enjoy.