You have a ringing in your ears and it’s not getting any better, if anything it’s getting worse. It began quietly enough, one of those “is it really there” sort of situations. But after spending all day at the construction site (for work), you’ve realized just how noisy (and how persistent) that buzzing has become. Sometimes, it sounds like ringing or other sounds. You don’t know if you should contact us or how ringing in your ears could even be managed.
The treatment of tinnitus (that’s what that ringing is called) will differ from person to person and depend greatly on the origin of your hearing issues. But your own tinnitus therapy will share some common threads with others that can help you get prepared.
There are a couple of different kinds of tinnitus
Tinnitus is very common. There can be a number of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus noises you’re hearing). So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is normally split into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Inherent medical issues, including ear infections, excessive earwax, a growth, or other medical problems, can be the cause of tinnitus. Dealing with the root medical issue will usually be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: Tinnitus that is caused by hearing damage or hearing loss is typically referred to as “non-medical” tinnitus. Severe, persistent, and chronic tinnitus can be the outcome of hearing damage caused by long term exposure to loud noise (like at your construction site). Non-medical tinnitus is usually more challenging to manage.
The best way to treat your symptoms will be determined by the root cause of your hearing issue and the kind of tinnitus you have.
Treating medical tinnitus
If your tinnitus is a result of a root medical condition, it’s likely that managing your initial illness or disorder will relieve the ringing in your ears. Treatments for medical tinnitus could include:
- Antibiotics: Your doctor might prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is caused by a bacterial ear infection. Once the infection clears up, it’s likely that your hearing will return to normal.
- Hydrocortisone: Certain types of infections will not respond to antibiotics. Viral infections, for instance, never respond to antibiotic solutions. Hydrocortisone may be prescribed in these cases to treat other symptoms.
- Surgery: When your tinnitus is a result of a tumor or other growth, doctors could perform surgery to remove the mass that’s causing your tinnitus, especially if your symptoms are decreasing your quality of life.
You’ll want to make an appointment to come see us so we personalize a tinnitus treatment plan, especially if you’re dealing with medical tinnitus.
Non-medical tinnitus treatments
Typically, medical tinnitus is a lot easier to diagnose and manage than non-medical tinnitus. There is usually no cure for non-medical tinnitus (especially in situations where the tinnitus is a result of hearing damage). Instead, treatment to improve quality of life by relieving symptoms is the normal course of action.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is becoming worse as your hearing gets worse. When you are dealing with hearing impairment everything externally gets quieter and that can make your tinnitus sounds seem louder. A hearing aid can help mask the sound of your tinnitus by raising the volume of everything else.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: You can get training that will help you learn to ignore your tinnitus sounds. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a widely used strategy created to help you reach just that.
- Medications: Tinnitus is sometimes treated with experimental medication. As an example, tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be reduced by mixtures of anti-anxiety medication and steroids. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to speak with us.
- Noise-masking devices: Sometimes called “white noise machines,” these devices are created to supply enough sound to minimize your ability to hear the buzzing or ringing caused by your tinnitus. These devices can be calibrated to generate certain sounds created to offset your tinnitus symptoms.
Find what works
In order to successfully treat your hearing problems you will probably need to explore several strategies as the exact cause of your tinnitus most likely won’t be obvious. Depending on the source of your buzzing or ringing, there may not be a cure for your tinnitus. But numerous different treatments are available that could reduce the symptoms. The trick is discovering the one that works for you.
