It’s very common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million people routinely suffer from persistent tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. This doesn’t even count the more common types of tinnitus, which for most people can come and go without causing a huge impact on their quality of life.
When you hear sounds 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 continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is frequently related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. Treating these varieties of tinnitus will call for different approaches.
What is tinnitus?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? Well, it’s important to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to determine the cause in order to effectively treat the symptoms.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. In other circumstances, tinnitus might result from age-related hearing loss. The following are a few other potential causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus isn’t always caused by ear issues. Sometimes, the underlying cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has gone wrong with the typical ways that your brain and ear interact. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be 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 may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is quite common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and many others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is an actual, verifiable sound, it’s referred to as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective types. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an example of this type of tinnitus. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often rather constant for many people coping with them. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this attribute. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This form of tinnitus becomes more severe when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one form of tinnitus at the same time. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for instance. In order for us to formulate a treatment plan, we will first need to identify the underlying cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But if your tinnitus sticks around or comes back frequently, it might have real and significant impacts on your day-to-day life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
We have several different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the root cause of your symptoms. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be effectively managed. 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 disregarded.