It’s very common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million people worldwide. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and intermittent and are also easier to cope with.
Tinnitus happens when you hear a phantom noise, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This might be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Tinnitus is frequently linked to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically result in the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. Dealing with these varieties of tinnitus will call for different approaches.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s significant to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But it’s still essential to determine the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. Hearing loss due to age can be another aspect that can cause tinnitus. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has broken down with the normal ways that your brain and ear communicate. The outcome is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be 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 instances, go away on its own. For others, it could be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and only you can hear it. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is often also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is an actual, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Most commonly, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. For individuals with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it should.
- 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 susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Often, people will have more than one form of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Identifying the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment strategy for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t need to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it may have real and significant impacts on your day-to-day life. When that happens, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
After we determine the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can utilize. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there is no cure for tinnitus, although it can usually be effectively treated. We will work with you to create treatments that work for your symptoms. This will help you enjoy life again by pushing your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.