Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for about 20 million people worldwide. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear noises in your ears that don’t have an external source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It may manifest as a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t necessarily a cause-and-effect connection between the two.
As a matter of fact, there are a considerable variety of types of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
Exactly what is tinnitus and how is it caused? The first thing to understand is that tinnitus comes in a number of types and causes. Regardless of the particular cause, the symptoms will be similar. But identifying the cause can be essential to finding the correct treatment strategy.
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 some other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. Neurological tinnitus is a result of injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. This means that the normal communication between your brain and ears isn’t working 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 more. In some situations, neurological tinnitus might resolve as the brain heals. It might be permanent in other instances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus includes many other forms of tinnitus also. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus isn’t quite as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Typically, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. For individuals with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often rather constant for many people coping with them. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Most of these types of tinnitus aren’t generally mutually exclusive. For example, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You probably won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it may have real and significant impacts on your day-to-day life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
We have a few different tinnitus management strategies we may try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. We may also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be successfully managed. 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 disregarded.