It’s really common for people to experience tinnitus. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for about 20 million individuals worldwide. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and intermittent and are also easier to deal with.
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 may manifest as a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is frequently associated with tinnitus, there isn’t always a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, there are a substantial variety of types of tinnitus. Managing these varieties of tinnitus will call for different approaches.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
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 various causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still crucial to determine the cause in order to effectively treat the symptoms.
For some people, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological problem, such as a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss related to age can be another aspect that can trigger tinnitus. The following are a few other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, the root cause lies within the brain. 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 result is that you hear a phantom sound that might not be there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root causes of tinnitus, as well as others. In some cases, neurological tinnitus may go away as the brain heals. It might be irreversible in other instances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who 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 example, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and many 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 happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. 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: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. But, somatic tinnitus is different. This type of tinnitus becomes more extreme when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one form of tinnitus at the same time. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for instance. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be significantly impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are rather constant or keep coming back. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we identify the root cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment methods we can use. A few of these strategies can decrease the intensity of your symptoms making them less obvious. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there is no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be successfully treated. 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 enjoy.