It’s really common for people to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million individuals regularly suffer from persistent tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. This doesn’t even count the more common forms of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a major impact on their quality of life.
When you hear noises in your ears that don’t have an external source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It might manifest as a persistent 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.
In fact, there are a considerable variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will call for a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? The first thing to recognize is that tinnitus comes in several types and causes. The assorted causes of tinnitus will present 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 due to age can be another aspect that can cause tinnitus. Here are some of the most prevalent types of tinnitus:
- 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 weakened by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has gone wrong 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 underlying sources of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some cases, go away on its own. It might be permanent in other instances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is quite common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This form of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus as well. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is often also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest 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 forms. Most commonly, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This type of tinnitus becomes more intense when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
The majority of these types of tinnitus are not generally mutually exclusive. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for example. In order for us to develop a treatment plan, we will first need to identify the root cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But if your tinnitus hangs around or comes back frequently, it could have real and severe impacts on your day-to-day life. That’s when it’s especially important to speak with a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we identify the root cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment methods we can utilize. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less obvious. We may also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your particular situation. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily disregarded.