Tinnitus is an exceptionally prevalent medical condition. Something like 20 million individuals routinely cope with chronic tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. This does not even count the more common types of tinnitus, which for most people 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 no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It might manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t always a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in numerous forms. And each one will call for a different treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? The first thing to understand is that tinnitus comes in several types and causes. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to identify the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. Hearing loss due to age can be another factor that can trigger tinnitus. The following are a few other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, the underlying cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are damaged by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. This means that the normal communication between your brain and ears isn’t functioning correctly. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more. In some instances, neurological tinnitus might go away as the brain heals. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is an actual, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is not really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still happens. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this form of tinnitus. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often quite constant for many individuals coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Most of these forms of tinnitus aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In order for us to formulate a treatment plan, we will first need to identify the underlying cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you most likely don’t need to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus sticks around or comes back frequently, it may have real and severe impacts on your everyday life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
After we determine the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can use. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your particular situation. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you enjoy.