Tinnitus is an exceptionally common medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming 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 much more mild and intermittent and are also easier to deal with.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This may 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 always 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 treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? The first thing to recognize is that tinnitus comes in numerous forms and causes. The assorted causes of tinnitus will present with similar symptoms. But identifying the cause can be crucial to finding the best treatment approach.
In some cases, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can trigger tinnitus. The following are a few other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has gone wrong with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. In some instances, neurological tinnitus might resolve as the brain heals. For others, it may be permanent.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and has no external source and no one else can hear it. This type of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: When you have objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective types. Most commonly, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your heartbeat or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is fairly constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This form of tinnitus becomes more severe when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one form of tinnitus at the same time. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment strategy for your symptoms.
Getting tinnitus assistance
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you probably don’t need to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it could 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.
After we identify the root cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment strategies we can use. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Generally, there is no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be effectively treated. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your specific situation. This will help you enjoy life again by pushing your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.
