Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million people around the world. This does not even count the more common types of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a major impact on their quality of life.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an external source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It could manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is frequently related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately result in the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? Well, it’s significant to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But it’s still crucial to determine the cause in order to effectively treat the symptoms.
For some people, tinnitus is the result of a neurological issue, including a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. In other instances, tinnitus may be caused by age-related hearing loss. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. 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 really there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root sources of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some cases, go away on its own. For others, it could be permanent.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and no one else can hear it. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is often also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest 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 known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus isn’t really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Typically, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. For those with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are frequently rather constant for many people coping with them. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Usually, 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 necessarily mutually exclusive. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for instance. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting tinnitus support
You probably won’t need to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. When that happens, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
After we determine the root cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can use. A few of these techniques can decrease the severity of your symptoms making them less evident. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be successfully treated. We will help you personalize 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.
