Tinnitus is an exceptionally common medical condition. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million people worldwide. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and intermittent and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an external source and no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. This could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Although hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t always a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in numerous forms. And each one will call for a different treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? The first thing to recognize is that tinnitus comes in numerous types and causes. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But determining the cause can be crucial to identifying the best treatment approach.
For some people, tinnitus is the result of a neurological problem, including a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. In other circumstances, tinnitus might be caused by age-related hearing loss. The following are some other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus isn’t always caused by ear problems. Sometimes, the underlying cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are damaged by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has broken down with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root causes of tinnitus, as well as others. In some instances, neurological tinnitus may go away as the brain heals. For others, it may be permanent.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s referred to as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective types. 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 ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. But, somatic tinnitus is different. This form of tinnitus becomes more extreme when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus at the same time. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for instance. In order for us to put together a treatment plan, we will first need to identify the root cause of your tinnitus.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You probably won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
After we identify the root cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can utilize. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. We may also employ masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be effectively managed. We will help you customize the best treatment for your particular situation. This will help you enjoy life again by pushing your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.
