Tinnitus is an incredibly prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million people around the world. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are a lot 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. This might be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Although hearing loss is often associated with tinnitus, there isn’t necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will require a different approach to treatment.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s important to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the particular cause, the symptoms will be similar. But determining the cause can be crucial to identifying the proper treatment strategy.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. In other instances, tinnitus might be caused by age-related hearing loss. The following are a few other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has broken down with the normal ways that your brain and ear interact. As a result, a phantom noise is heard which isn’t really there. Neurological tinnitus can be caused by concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more. In some cases, neurological tinnitus might resolve as the brain heals. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and has no external source and only you can hear it. This form of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is often also subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and lots of others.
- Objective tinnitus: With objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Typically, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. For individuals with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it should.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This form of tinnitus becomes more extreme when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Identifying the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment strategy for your symptoms.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You probably won’t have to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be significantly impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep coming back. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we determine the root cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment methods we can employ. A few of these techniques can decrease the intensity of your symptoms making them less obvious. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, although it can usually be effectively treated. 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 ignored.