If you are one of the millions of individuals in the U.S. dealing with a medical disorder called tinnitus then you most likely know that it often gets worse when you are attempting to go to sleep. But what’s the reason for this? The ringing is a phantom noise due to some medical disorder like hearing loss, it’s not an external sound. Naturally, knowing what it is will not clarify why you have this buzzing, ringing, or whooshing noise more frequently during the night.
The truth is more common sense than you might think. But first, we have to discover a little more about this all-too-common disorder.
Tinnitus, what is it?
To say tinnitus isn’t a real sound just compounds the confusion, but, for most people, that is true. It’s a noise no one else can hear. It sounds like air-raid sirens are ringing in your ears but the person sleeping right beside you can’t hear it at all.
Tinnitus is an indication that something is not right, not a disorder on its own. It is generally linked to significant hearing loss. For many, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is at risk. Hearing loss is often gradual, so they don’t notice it until that ringing or buzzing begins. This phantom noise is a warning flag to notify you of a change in your hearing.
What causes tinnitus?
At this time medical scientists and doctors are still not sure of exactly what causes tinnitus. It might be a symptom of a number of medical problems including damage to the inner ear. There are very small hair cells inside of your ears that move in response to sound. Sometimes, when these tiny hairs become damaged to the point that they can’t efficiently send signals to the brain, tinnitus symptoms occur. Your brain translates these electrical signals into recognizable sounds.
The current theory pertaining to tinnitus is about the absence of sound. The brain remains on the alert to receive these messages, so when they don’t arrive, it fills that space with the phantom sound of tinnitus. It gets perplexed by the lack of feedback from the ear and tries to compensate for it.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain a few things. Why it can be caused by so many medical conditions, such as age-related hearing loss, high blood pressure, and concussions, to begin with. It also tells you something about why the ringing gets worse at night for some people.
Why are tinnitus sounds worse at night?
You may not even recognize it, but your ear receives some sounds during the day. It will faintly pick up sounds coming from another room or around the corner. At the very least, you hear your own voice, but that all goes quiet during the night when you try to fall asleep.
Abruptly, all the sound fades away and the level of confusion in the brain rises in response. It only knows one response when faced with complete silence – generate noise even if it’s not real. Sensory deprivation has been shown to trigger hallucinations as the brain attempts to insert information, such as auditory input, into a place where there isn’t any.
In other words, your tinnitus may get louder at night because it’s so quiet. Creating sound might be the remedy for those who can’t sleep due to that irritating ringing in the ear.
How to create noise at night
A fan running is often enough to decrease tinnitus symptoms for many individuals. Just the sound of the motor is enough to decrease the ringing.
But, there are also devices designed to help individuals who have tinnitus get to sleep. Natural sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are produced by these “white noise machines”. The soft noise soothes the tinnitus but isn’t disruptive enough to keep you awake like leaving the TV on might do. Your smartphone also has the ability to download apps that will play soothing sounds.
Can anything else make tinnitus symptoms louder?
Your tinnitus symptoms can be exacerbated by other things besides lack of sound. For instance, if you’re indulging in too much alcohol before you go to bed, that could be a contributing factor. Other things, including high blood pressure and stress can also contribute to your symptoms. If introducing sound into your nighttime routine doesn’t help or you feel dizzy when the ringing is present, it’s time to learn about treatment options by making an appointment with us today.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/
