Tinnitus is an incredibly common condition of the ear. It’s one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world with some estimates suggesting that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one time or another. The condition is experienced as a sound in the ear that isn’t actually there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds also.
Unfortunately, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as evident as the symptoms. In part, that’s because tinnitus could be caused by a wide array of causes, some of which are temporary and others that can be more permanent.
This is why environmental factors can play a major role in tinnitus symptoms. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you might be doing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus may sometimes be permanent or it might sometimes respond to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many people experience tinnitus?
When you hear noises that aren’t really there, that’s tinnitus. For the majority of people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it might also present as thumping, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. Normally, the sounds are steady or rhythmic. For most individuals, tinnitus will manifest over a short period of time before resolving itself and vanishing. In less common cases, tinnitus could become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also quite common (more on that in a bit). The second reason is that tinnitus is usually a symptom of an underlying condition or injury. Put simply, there are many such injuries or conditions that can result in tinnitus. As a result, tinnitus tends to be rather common.
How can the environment affect tinnitus?
There are a large number of factors that can contribute to tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medicines. But when it comes to “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite loud. Someone would be at risk of environmental tinnitus, for example, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
These environmental factors can be exceptionally important when considering your hearing health.
Noise induced damage, as with hearing loss, can trigger tinnitus symptoms. In these circumstances, the resulting tinnitus tends to be chronic in nature. Some of the most prevalent noise and environment-related causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Noise in the workplace: Many workplaces, including offices, are frequently the source of loud noises. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these places for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes be caused by loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-period. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this type of noise.
- Traffic: You may not even realize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated locations. And noise damage can occur at a lower volume than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the outcome of long commutes in these loud settings.
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will often be the outcome if you do this regularly.
People often wrongly believe hearing damage will only occur at extreme volume levels. Because of this, hearing protection should be used at lower volumes than you might expect. Hearing protection can help you avoid tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
Will tinnitus go away on its own? Well, in some cases it may. In other situations, your symptoms could be permanent. At first, it’s basically impossible to know which is which. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is a lot more likely.
People often underestimate the minimum volume that damage starts to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its development. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already probably occurred. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to alter your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- If possible, try to lower environmental volume. For example, you could shut the windows if you live in a loud area or turn off industrial machinery that isn’t in use.
- Prevent damage by using hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. Noise canceling headphones can also be a benefit in this regard.
- Limiting the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
Managing symptoms
Lots of individuals who experience persistent tinnitus find the symptoms to be enormously disruptive and unpleasant. This prompts them to attempt to find a way to ease the intensity of their symptoms.
You should contact us for an appointment if you are hearing a persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears. We can help you determine the best way to handle your specific situation. For most cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Symptom management may include the following:
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your house can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits like a hearing aid and plays sounds that mask your symptoms. The precise calibration of your device will depend on your particular symptoms.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify other sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Retraining therapy: In some situations, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually modifying the way you process sound.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be worsened by high blood pressure. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for instance) can sometimes help reduce your tinnitus symptoms.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why controlling your environment to protect your hearing is a great first step.
But addressing and managing tinnitus is possible. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan according to your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many individuals, might be all that’s required. For others, management may be more demanding.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!