Tinnitus is an exceptionally common medical condition. Something like 20 million people regularly suffer from persistent tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
Tinnitus happens when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that nobody else can hear. It might manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is frequently related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in numerous forms. And each one will call for a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? Well, it’s important to note that not all kinds of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will present with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to identify the cause in order to successfully treat the symptoms.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological issue, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can trigger tinnitus. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, the underlying cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are damaged by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. This means that the standard communication between your brain and ears isn’t functioning properly. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be there. Neurological tinnitus can be due to concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some cases, go away on its own. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is quite common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus includes many other forms of tinnitus also. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: With objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus is not quite as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still happens. Typically, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often quite constant for many people coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This form of tinnitus becomes more extreme when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
Often, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In order for us to put together a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the root cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here this minute and gone the next, you likely don’t need to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus hangs around or returns frequently, it might have real and significant impacts on your everyday life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
We have several different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. A few of these techniques can decrease the severity of your symptoms making them less apparent. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you customize the best treatment for your specific situation. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.