Invisibility is a really useful power in the movies. Whether it’s a mud-covered hero, a cloaked starship, or a stealthy ninja, invisibility allows people in movies to be more effectual and, frequently, accomplish the impossible.
Unfortunately, invisible health problems are no less potent…and they’re a lot less enjoyable. As an illustration, tinnitus is a very common hearing condition. But there are no external symptoms, it doesn’t matter how well you look.
But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean tinnitus doesn’t have a substantial affect on individuals who experience symptoms.
What is tinnitus?
So we know one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. As a matter of fact, tinnitus is a condition of the ears, meaning that symptoms are auditory in nature. You know that ringing in your ears you sometimes hear after a rock concert or in a really silent room? That’s tinnitus. Tinnitus is so prevalent that about 25 million individuals experience it daily.
While ringing is the most typical presentation of tinnitus, it’s not the only one. Some individuals might hear humming, crunching, metallic noises, all kinds of things. Here’s the common denominator, anybody who has tinnitus is hearing sounds that aren’t actually there.
In most situations, tinnitus will come and go over a short period. But tinnitus is a lasting and debilitating condition for between 2-5 million people. Sure, it can be a little annoying to hear that ringing for a few minutes now and then. But what if you can’t get rid of that sound, ever? Obviously, your quality of life would be substantially affected.
What causes tinnitus?
Have you ever tried to pinpoint the cause of a headache? Are you catching a cold, are you stressed, or is it an allergic reaction? A number of things can cause a headache and that’s the issue. The symptoms of tinnitus, though fairly common, also have a wide variety of causes.
The cause of your tinnitus symptoms may, in some cases, be obvious. But you might never really know in other cases. Here are some general things that can cause tinnitus:
- Noise damage: Tinnitus symptoms can be caused by exposure to overly loud noise over time. One of the top causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud noises and this is very prevalent. The best way to counter this kind of tinnitus is to avoid excessively loud places (or wear ear protection if avoidance isn’t possible).
- Head or neck injuries: Your head is pretty sensitive! Ringing in your ears can be caused by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure can cause tinnitus symptoms for some people. 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 generated by things like seasonal allergies, a cold, or an ear infection. This sometimes triggers ringing in your ears.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus accumulates in your ears, it might cause some inflammation. And tinnitus can be the result of this swelling.
- Certain medications: Certain over-the-counter or prescription medicines can cause you to have ringing in your ears. Once you stop using the medication, the ringing will normally subside.
- Meniere’s Disease: Quite a few symptoms can be caused by this disorder of the inner ear. Tinnitus and dizziness are among the first symptoms to appear. Over time, Meniere’s disease can result in permanent hearing loss.
- Hearing loss: There is a close association between tinnitus and hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus can both be caused by noise damage and that’s a large part of the equation here. Both of them have the same cause, in other words. But hearing loss can also exacerbate tinnitus, when the outside world seems quieter, that ringing in your ears can become louder.
Treatment will clearly be easier if you can identify the cause of your tinnitus symptoms. Cleaning out a blockage, for instance, will relieve tinnitus symptoms if that’s what is causing them. Some individuals, however, might never identify what’s causing their tinnitus symptoms.
How is tinnitus diagnosed?
Tinnitus that only lasts a few minutes isn’t something that you really need to have diagnosed. Still, having regular hearing tests is always a good idea.
However, if your tinnitus won’t subside or continues to come back, you should schedule some time with us to get to the bottom of it (or at least start treatment). We will execute a hearing exam, talk to you about your symptoms and how they’re affecting your life, and perhaps even talk about your medical history. Your symptoms can then be diagnosed utilizing this information.
Treating tinnitus
There’s no cure for tinnitus. But it can be addressed and it can be controlled.
If your tinnitus is due to an underlying condition, like an ear infection or a medication you’re taking, then addressing that underlying condition will result in an improvement in your symptoms. But there will be no known root condition to treat if you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
So managing symptoms so they have a limited affect on your life is the objective if you have chronic tinnitus. We can help in a variety of ways. Here are a few of the most prevalent:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: We may refer you to a different provider for cognitive behavior therapy. This strategy uses therapy to help you learn to disregard the tinnitus sounds.
- A masking device: This is a device a lot like a hearing aid, except instead of amplifying sounds, it masks sound. These devices create just the right amount and type of sound to make your particular tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
- A hearing aid: When you have hearing loss, external sounds become quieter and your tinnitus symptoms become more noticeable. In these cases, a hearing aid can help turn the volume up on the rest of the world, and overpower the buzzing or ringing you might be hearing from your tinnitus.
The treatment plan that we formulate will be custom-designed to your specific tinnitus requirements. Helping you get back to enjoying your life by controlling your symptoms is the objective here.
What should you do if you have tinnitus?
Tinnitus might be invisible, but the last thing you should do is pretend 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 might be able to stop them from getting worse. You should at least be certain to have your ear protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you have tinnitus that won’t go away (or keeps coming back) make an appointment with us to get a diagnosis.