In the movies, invisibility is a formidable power. 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.
Invisible health conditions, unfortunately, are equally as potent and much less fun. Tinnitus, for instance, is a really common condition that affects the ears. Regardless of how well you may look, there are no external symptoms.
But for people who experience tinnitus, though it may be invisible, the impact could be significant.
What is tinnitus?
So we recognize one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. In fact, tinnitus is a condition of the ears, meaning that symptoms are auditory in nature. You know that ringing in your ears you occasionally hear after a rock concert or in a really silent room? That’s tinnitus. Now, tinnitus is fairly common (something like 25 million people experience tinnitus every year).
There are lots of other presentations of tinnitus besides the typical ringing. Noises including humming, whirring, crackling, clicking, and lots of others can manifest. The common denominator is that anybody who has tinnitus is hearing sounds that aren’t actually there.
In most situations, tinnitus will come and go quickly. But for somewhere between 2-5 million individuals, tinnitus is a chronic, sometimes debilitating condition. Sure, it can be a bit annoying to hear that ringing for a few minutes now and again. But what if you can’t get rid of that sound, ever? Clearly, your quality of life would be significantly affected.
What causes tinnitus?
Have you ever tried to pinpoint the cause of a headache? Maybe it’s stress; maybe you’re getting a cold; perhaps it’s allergies. A number of things can trigger a headache and that’s the challenge. The same goes for tinnitus, even though the symptoms might be common, the causes are extensive.
Sometimes, it may be really apparent what’s causing your tinnitus symptoms. But you may never really know in other cases. Generally speaking, however, tinnitus could be caused by the following:
- Certain medications: Tinnitus symptoms can be caused by certain over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Once you quit taking the medication, the ringing will typically subside.
- Hearing loss: Hearing loss and tinnitus are frequently closely connected. In part, that’s because noise damage can also be a direct contributor to sensorineural hearing loss. Both of them have the same cause, in other words. But the ringing in your ears can seem louder with hearing loss because the outside world is quieter.
- Head or neck injuries: The head and neck are really sensitive systems. Ringing in your ears can be brought on by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus accumulates in your ears, it may cause some swelling. This swelling can trigger tinnitus.
- Ear infections or other blockages: Swelling of the ear canal can be generated by things like seasonal allergies, a cold, or an ear infection. This often triggers ringing in your ears.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a disorder of the inner ear that can cause a wide range of symptoms. Amongst the first symptoms, however, are typically tinnitus and dizziness. Permanent hearing loss can happen over time.
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure can trigger tinnitus symptoms for some people. If this is the case, it’s a smart plan to consult your primary care provider in order to help control your blood pressure.
- Noise damage: Damage from loud noises can, after a while, cause tinnitus symptoms to develop. One of the leading causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud noises and this is very prevalent. Wearing hearing protection if exceedingly loud locations can’t be avoided is the best way to counter this kind of tinnitus.
If you’re able to identify the cause of your tinnitus, treating it may become simpler. For instance, if an earwax obstruction is triggering ringing in your ears, cleaning out that earwax can relieve your symptoms. Some people, however, might never identify what’s causing their tinnitus symptoms.
How is tinnitus diagnosed?
If your ears ring for a few minutes and then it goes away, it’s not really something that needs to be diagnosed (unless it occurs frequently). Still, getting regular hearing exams is always a good idea.
However, if your tinnitus won’t subside or keeps coming back, you should schedule some time with us to find out what’s going on (or at least start treatment). We will conduct a hearing examination, talk to you about your symptoms and how they’re impacting your life, and maybe even talk about your medical history. Your symptoms can then be diagnosed using this information.
How is tinnitus treated?
There’s no cure for tinnitus. The strategy is management and treatment.
If your tinnitus is due to a root condition, such as 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 controlling symptoms so they have a minimal affect on your life is the objective if you have persistent tinnitus. We can help in a variety of ways. Among the most common are the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: When it comes to cognitive behavioral therapy, we might end up referring you to a different provider. This technique uses therapy to help you learn to ignore the tinnitus sounds.
- A hearing aid: When you have hearing loss, outside sounds become quieter and your tinnitus symptoms become more obvious. In these cases, a hearing aid can help raise the volume on the rest of the world, and overpower the buzzing or ringing you might be hearing from your tinnitus.
- A masking device: This is a device a lot like a hearing aid, except instead of boosting sounds, it masks sound. These devices generate just the right amount and type of sound to make your particular tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
We will develop an individualized and unique treatment plan for you and your tinnitus. The objective will be to help you manage your symptoms so that you can get back to enjoying your life!
If you have tinnitus, what should you do?
Tinnitus might be invisible, but the last thing you should do is act like it isn’t there. Odds are, those symptoms will only get worse. You may be able to stop your symptoms from worsening if you can get in front of them. You should at least be sure to have your ear protection handy whenever you’re going to be around loud sound.
If you’re struggling with tinnitus, contact us, we can help.
