Tinnitus is a really common medical condition. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for about 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.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This may be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Although hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will require a different approach to treatment.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? The first thing to understand is that tinnitus comes in numerous forms and causes. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still crucial to determine the cause in order to successfully manage the symptoms.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the result of a neurological issue, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can trigger tinnitus. The following are a few other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, the root cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are impaired by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has broken down with the normal ways that your brain and ear interact. As a result, a phantom noise is heard which isn’t really there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more. In some situations, neurological tinnitus may resolve as the brain heals. It might be permanent in other circumstances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is very common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This form of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is frequently also 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 a real, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Typically, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. 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 form of tinnitus becomes more severe when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Most of these forms of tinnitus are not generally mutually exclusive. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for example. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting tinnitus support
You probably won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But if your tinnitus sticks around or comes back frequently, it may have real and serious impacts on your day-to-day life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
We have several different tinnitus management strategies we might try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. A few of these strategies can decrease the intensity of your symptoms making them less apparent. We might also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, although it can usually be successfully managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your specific situation. This will help you enjoy life again by pushing your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.