Tinnitus is an exceptionally prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for about 20 million individuals around the world. And there are also more prevalent 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 outside source and no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It may manifest as a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t always a cause-and-effect connection between the two.
As a matter of fact, there are a significant variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? The first thing to understand is that tinnitus comes in several forms and causes. Regardless of the particular cause, the symptoms will be similar. But it’s still crucial to identify the cause in order to successfully manage the symptoms.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the result of a neurological problem, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can cause tinnitus. The following are some other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has broken down with the normal ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the underlying causes of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some instances, go away on its own. For others, it could be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and only you can hear it. This type of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is often also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s referred to as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective types. Typically, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This form of tinnitus becomes more intense when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, people will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For instance, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment strategy for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any specific 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 especially important to talk to a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some tinnitus relief.
We have a few different tinnitus management strategies we might try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. A few of these strategies can decrease the intensity of your symptoms making them less evident. We might also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t generally be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you customize the best treatment for your particular situation. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.