Invisibility is a very useful power in the movies. The characters can frequently do the impossible if they possess the power of invisibility, whether it’s a spaceship with cloaking ability or a wizard with an invisibility cloak.
Invisible health disorders, regrettably, are equally as potent and much less fun. Tinnitus, for example, is a very common condition that impacts the ears. Regardless of how well you might look, there are no outward symptoms.
But just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean tinnitus doesn’t have a considerable affect on those who experience symptoms.
What is tinnitus?
So we know one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. As a matter of fact, tinnitus is a disorder of the ears, meaning that symptoms are auditory in nature. You know that ringing in your ears you often hear after a rock concert or in a really quiet room? That’s tinnitus. Now, tinnitus is pretty common (something like 25 million individuals experience tinnitus yearly).
There are lots of other manifestations of tinnitus besides the common ringing. Some individuals may hear buzzing, crunching, metallic noises, all kinds of things. The one thing that all of these sounds have in common is that they aren’t real sounds at all.
In most situations, tinnitus will go away quickly. But tinnitus is a persistent and incapacitating condition for between 2-5 million people. Sure, it can be a bit annoying to hear that ringing for a few minutes now and then. But what if you can’t be free from that sound, ever? Clearly, your quality of life would be substantially affected.
Tinnitus causes
Have you ever tried to identify the cause of a headache? Are you getting a cold, is it stress, or is it allergies? A number of things can trigger a headache and that’s the challenge. The symptoms of tinnitus, though fairly common, also have a wide variety of causes.
The source of your tinnitus symptoms may, in some cases, be obvious. In other situations, you may never really know. Here are a few general things that can trigger tinnitus:
- Hearing loss: Hearing loss and tinnitus are often closely connected. In part, that’s because noise damage can also be a strong contributor to sensorineural hearing loss. Both of them have the same cause, in other words. But hearing loss can also worsen tinnitus, when the outside world seems quieter, that ringing in your ears can become louder.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a condition of the inner ear that can cause a wide range of symptoms. Amongst the first symptoms, however, are usually tinnitus and dizziness. Irreversible hearing loss can happen over time.
- Noise damage: Damage from loud noises can, over time, cause tinnitus symptoms to happen. One of the primary causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud noises and this is quite prevalent. Wearing ear protection if exceptionally loud places can’t be avoided is the best way to counter this kind of tinnitus.
- Head or neck injuries: The head and neck are extremely sensitive systems. Ringing in your ears can be brought on by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- Certain medications: Some over-the-counter or prescription medications can cause you to hear ringing in your ears. Once you stop taking the medication, the ringing will normally go away.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus backs up in your ears, it could cause some inflammation. This inflammation can trigger tinnitus.
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure can trigger tinnitus symptoms for some individuals. Getting your blood pressure under control with the help of your doctor is the best way to address this.
- Ear infections or other blockages: Inflammation of the ear canal can be caused by things like seasonal allergies, a cold, or an ear infection. Consequently, your ears may begin to ring.
Treatment will clearly be simpler if you can identify the cause of your tinnitus symptoms. Cleaning out a blockage, for example, will relieve tinnitus symptoms if that’s what is causing them. But the cause of their tinnitus symptoms might never be known for some people.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
If you have ringing in your ears for a few minutes and then it recedes, it’s not really something that needs to be diagnosed (unless it occurs often). Still, having regular hearing exams is always a good idea.
However, if your tinnitus won’t go away or keeps coming back, you should make an appointment with us to find out what’s going on (or at least begin treatment). We will ask you about your symptoms, talk to you about how your quality of life is being affected, do a hearing test, and probably discuss your medical history. Your symptoms can then be diagnosed utilizing this information.
Treating tinnitus
Tinnitus isn’t a condition that has a cure. But it can be addressed and it can be controlled.
If your tinnitus is caused by a root condition, such as an ear infection or a medication you’re taking, then addressing that underlying condition will result in a noticeable difference in your symptoms. But there will be no known root condition to manage if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
So managing symptoms so they have a minimal impact on your life is the objective if you have persistent tinnitus. There are lots of things that we can do to help. amongst the most prevalent are the following:
- A hearing aid: In some cases, tinnitus becomes noticeable because your hearing loss is making outside sounds comparatively quieter. In these situations, a hearing aid can help turn the volume up on the rest of the world, and drown out the buzzing or ringing you might be hearing from your tinnitus.
- A masking device: This is a device much like a hearing aid, except instead of amplifying sounds, it masks sound. These devices can be calibrated to your unique tinnitus symptoms, generating just enough sound to make that ringing or buzzing substantially less conspicuous.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: We may refer you to another provider for cognitive behavior therapy. This is a therapeutic strategy created to help you not pay attention to the ringing in your ears.
The treatment plan that we devise will be custom-tailored to your specific tinnitus requirements. Helping you get back to enjoying your life by managing your symptoms is the goal here.
If you have tinnitus, what should you do?
Tinnitus might be invisible, but the last thing you should do is act like it isn’t there. Your symptoms will most likely get worse if you do. It’s better to get ahead of your symptoms because you may be able to prevent them from growing worse. You should at least be certain to have your ear protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you’re struggling with tinnitus, contact us, we can help.
