It’s really common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Around 20 million individuals regularly suffer from persistent tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. This doesn’t even count the more common types of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a huge impact on their quality of life.
When you hear noises in your ears that don’t have an outside source and no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. This might be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically result in the other.
In fact, there are a significant variety of types of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? Well, it’s significant to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But it’s still crucial to identify the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. In other circumstances, tinnitus may result from age-related hearing loss. The following are some other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus isn’t always caused by ear issues. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. If your baseline neurological functions are impaired by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. This means that the standard communication between your brain and ears isn’t functioning correctly. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t really there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root sources of tinnitus, as well as others. In some cases, neurological tinnitus might resolve as the brain heals. For others, it could be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and no one else can hear it. This form of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When you have objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus isn’t really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this form of tinnitus. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often rather constant for many people coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. But, somatic tinnitus is different. This form of tinnitus becomes more intense when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
The majority of these forms of tinnitus aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for example. Identifying the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Finding tinnitus support
You most likely won’t need to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But your quality of life can be significantly impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are rather constant or keep returning. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
We have a few different tinnitus management strategies 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 evident. We may also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be effectively 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.