It isn’t uncommon for people to have ringing in their ears, also called tinnitus. It’s one of the most common health conditions in the world with some estimates indicating that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one time or another. Even though the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds too.
Unfortunately, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as obvious as the symptoms. Some of the wide array of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more long term.
This is why environmental factors can play a major role in tinnitus symptoms. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you could be causing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is a result of damage, it may end up being permanent.
Why do so many individuals experience tinnitus?
When you hear noises that aren’t actually present, that’s tinnitus. For the majority of people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it may also present as thumping, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. The sounds are normally rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short period of time. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also relatively common (more on that in a bit). The second reason is that tinnitus is usually a symptom of an underlying condition or injury. And there are a wide variety of conditions and injuries that can trigger tinnitus. Tinnitus is rather common for these reasons.
How is tinnitus impacted by environmental factors?
There are a large number of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. However, when the majority of people discuss “environment” when it comes to tinnitus, they actually mean the noise. For example, some locations are louder than others (traffic noise in some settings can get extraordinarily high). Somebody would be at risk of environmental tinnitus, for instance, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
These environmental factors can be incredibly important when considering your hearing health.
Noise induced damage, as with hearing loss, can trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is due to noise damage, it’s usually chronic and often permanent. Here are some of the most common noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Noise in the workplace: Lots of workplaces, including offices, are frequently the source of loud noises. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Music: Many individuals will often listen to their music at high volumes. Tinnitus will often be the outcome if you do this frequently.
- Traffic: Traffic in densely populated places can be much louder than you might expect it to be. And you might not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the result of long commutes in these noisy locations.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes be caused by loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long duration. Shooting a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this kind of noise.
People frequently mistakenly believe hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. Consequently, it’s essential to wear hearing protection before you think you may need it. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
Will tinnitus clear up on its own? Well, in some cases it could. But your symptoms may be irreversible in some cases. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your risk of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is much more likely.
One of the most main contributing factors to the advancement of tinnitus is that individuals tend to underestimate the volume at which damage occurs to their ears. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already probably happened. If this is the situation, finding and changing the source of the noise damage is crucial to prevent additional damage.
For example, you could try:
- Prevent damage by using hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some amount of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment where possible. For instance, you could shut the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that is not in use.
- If you’re in a noisy environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
How to handle your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are frequently a big distraction and are really unpleasant for most people who deal with them. This prompts them to attempt to find a way to ease the severity of their symptoms.
You should call us for an appointment if you’re hearing a persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms and figure out how to best manage them. There’s no cure for the majority of types of chronic tinnitus. Symptom management may include the following:
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been associated with an increase in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for example) can sometimes help decrease your tinnitus symptoms.
- White noise devices: In some cases, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by using a white noise generator around your house.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the assistance of a specialist, which will progressively retrain the way you process sound.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits similarly to a hearing aid and plays sounds to mask your symptoms. Your device will be specially calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why managing your environment to protect your hearing is a great first step.
But addressing and managing tinnitus is possible. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan for you. A white noise machine, for many, might be all that’s needed. In other situations, a more intensive approach may be necessary.
Make an appointment to find out how to address your tinnitus symptoms.