It’s very common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Around 20 million people regularly suffer from chronic tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to cope with.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom noise, when you’re hearing a sound that nobody else can hear. This may 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 immediately lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, there are a significant variety of forms of tinnitus. Treating 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 significant to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still crucial to identify the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. In other circumstances, tinnitus may be caused by age-related hearing loss. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear issues. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is a result of injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has gone wrong with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. In some situations, neurological tinnitus may resolve as the brain heals. It might be irreversible in other circumstances.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and has no external source and no one else can hear it. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: With objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective types. Typically, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is fairly constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
The majority of these forms of tinnitus aren’t generally mutually exclusive. For instance, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting tinnitus assistance
You probably won’t have to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But if your tinnitus hangs around or returns frequently, it may have real and significant impacts on your day-to-day life. That’s when it’s especially important to talk to a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
We have several different tinnitus management methods we might try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. We may also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t generally be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your specific situation. That way, you can more easily ignore the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.