Invisibility is a really useful power in the movies. Whether it’s a mud-covered hero, a cloaked starship, or a sneaky ninja, invisibility allows characters in movies to be more effectual and, often, accomplish the impossible.
Unfortunately, invisible health conditions are no less potent…and they’re a lot less fun. As an example, tinnitus is an extremely common hearing condition. Regardless of how well you may look, there are no external symptoms.
But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean tinnitus doesn’t have a considerable impact on people who experience symptoms.
What is tinnitus?
So we know one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. In fact, tinnitus is a disorder of the ears, which means symptoms are auditory in nature. You know that ringing in your ears you occasionally hear after a rock concert or in a really silent room? That’s tinnitus. Now, tinnitus is fairly common (somewhere around 25 million people experience tinnitus every year).
While ringing is the most typical presentation of tinnitus, it’s not the only one. Noises including humming, buzzing, crackling, clicking, and a number of others can manifest. The common denominator is that anyone who has tinnitus is hearing sounds that are not really there.
In most cases, tinnitus will go away quickly. But tinnitus is a long-term and incapacitating condition for between 2-5 million people. Sure, it can be a little annoying to hear that ringing for a few minutes now and again. But what if that sound never goes away? Obviously, your quality of life would be significantly affected.
Tinnitus causes
Have you ever attempted to determine the cause of a headache? Are you getting a cold, are you stressed, or is it allergies? A number of things can trigger a headache and that’s the issue. The symptoms of tinnitus, though rather common, also have a large number of causes.
Sometimes, it may be really apparent what’s causing your tinnitus symptoms. But you might never really know in other situations. Generally speaking, however, tinnitus could be caused by the following:
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure can trigger tinnitus symptoms for some people. If this is the situation, it’s a smart plan to check with your primary care provider in order to help manage your blood pressure.
- Head or neck injuries: The head and neck are incredibly sensitive systems. Ringing in your ears can be caused by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- Hearing loss: Hearing loss and tinnitus are often closely associated. Partly, that’s because noise damage can also be a direct contributor to sensorineural hearing loss. Both of them have the same cause, in other words. But the ringing in your ears can sound louder with hearing loss because the external world is quieter.
- Ear infections or other blockages: Similar to a cold or seasonal allergies, ear infections, and other blockages can cause swelling in the ear canal. This sometimes triggers ringing in your ears.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus accumulates in your ears, it could cause some swelling. This inflammation can cause tinnitus.
- Noise damage: Tinnitus symptoms can be triggered by exposure to excessively loud noise over time. This is so prevalent that loud noises are one of the leading causes of tinnitus! The best way to counter this kind of tinnitus is to avoid excessively loud settings (or wear hearing protection if avoidance isn’t possible).
- Certain medications: Some over-the-counter or prescription drugs can cause you to hear ringing in your ears. Once you stop using the medication, the ringing will typically go away.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a disorder of the inner ear that can cause a large number of symptoms. Among the first symptoms, however, are generally tinnitus and dizziness. With time, Meniere’s disease can result in permanent hearing loss.
If you’re able to identify the cause of your tinnitus, treating it may become simpler. For example, if an earwax blockage is causing ringing in your ears, clearing out that earwax can relieve your symptoms. But the cause of their tinnitus symptoms may never be known for some people.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
Tinnitus that only persists a few minutes isn’t something that you really need to have diagnosed. Still, getting regular hearing tests is always a smart plan.
But you should absolutely schedule an appointment with us if your tinnitus won’t go away or if it keeps coming back. We will ask you about your symptoms, talk to you about how your quality of life is being impacted, do a hearing exam, and probably discuss your medical history. All of that information will be utilized to diagnose your symptoms.
How is tinnitus treated?
There’s no cure for tinnitus. The strategy is management and treatment.
If your tinnitus is caused by an underlying condition, such as an ear infection or a medication you’re using, then addressing that underlying condition will lead to a noticeable difference in your symptoms. But there will be no known root condition to manage if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
For people who have chronic tinnitus then, the mission is to manage your symptoms and help make sure your tinnitus does not negatively impact your quality of life. There are a number of things that we can do to help. Here are a few of the most common:
- A hearing aid: When you have hearing loss, external sounds become quieter and your tinnitus symptoms become more apparent. The buzzing or ringing will be less noticeable when your hearing aid boosts the volume of the external world.
- A masking device: This is a hearing aid-like device that masks sounds instead of amplifying them. These devices generate just the right amount and type of sound to make your distinct tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: In terms of cognitive behavioral therapy, we might end up referring you to a different provider. This is a therapeutic technique designed to help you not pay attention to the ringing in your ears.
The treatment plan that we develop will be custom-tailored to your specific tinnitus needs. The objective will be to help you manage your symptoms so that you can go back to enjoying your life!
If you’re struggling with tinnitus, what should you do?
Tinnitus may be invisible, but the last thing you should do is act like it isn’t there. Odds are, those symptoms will only grow worse. It’s better to get ahead of your symptoms because you might be able to stop them from growing worse. You should at least be sure to have your hearing protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you have tinnitus that won’t go away (or keeps coming back) make an appointment with us to get a diagnosis.
