You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something blows up near the hero and the sound gets all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, at least some degree of minor brain trauma has likely happened to them.
To be sure, brain injuries aren’t the bit that most action movies focus on. But that ringing in our hero’s ears represents a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is most frequently discussed from the perspective of hearing loss, but actually, traumatic brain injuries like concussions can also trigger this particular ringing in the ears.
Concussions, after all, are one of the more common traumatic brain injuries that occur. And there are quite a few reasons concussions can happen (car crashes, sports accidents, and falls, for example). It can be somewhat complicated sorting out how a concussion can trigger tinnitus. But here’s the good news: even if you suffer a brain injury that triggers tinnitus, you can usually treat and manage your condition.
Concussions, exactly what are they?
A concussion is brain trauma of a very particular kind. One way to think about it is that your brain is protected by sitting tightly in your skull. The brain will start to move around in your skull when something shakes your head violently. But your brain could end up crashing into the inside of your skull because of the small amount of extra space in there.
This harms your brain! The brain can hit one or more sides of your skull. And this is what leads to a concussion. When you visualize this, it makes it easy to understand how a concussion is literally brain damage. Here are a few symptoms of a concussion:
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Blurry vision or dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
- Confusion and loss of memory
- Headaches
- Slurred speech
Even though this list makes the point, it’s in no way complete. Symptoms from a concussion can persist anywhere between several weeks and several months. When somebody gets a single concussion, they will normally make a complete recovery. However, repetitive or multiple concussions are a bigger problem (generally speaking, it’s a good idea to avoid these).
How do concussions cause tinnitus?
Can a concussion mess with your hearing? Really?
The matter of concussions and tinnitus is an intriguing one. Because it’s more correct to say that traumatic brain injuries (even minor ones) can result in tinnitus, It isn’t only concussions. Even mild brain injuries can result in that ringing in your ears. Here are a couple of ways that may happen:
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The onset of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be a consequence of a TBI. This is a consequence of the buildup of pressure inside of the inner ear. Significant hearing loss and tinnitus can become a problem over time as a result of Menier’s disease.
- Damage to your hearing: For members of the armed forces, TBIs and concussions are frequently related to proximity to an explosion. Irreversible hearing loss can be triggered when the stereocilia in your ears are injured by the tremendously noisy shock wave of an explosion. So it’s not so much that the concussion brought about tinnitus, it’s that the tinnitus and concussion have the same root cause.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: There are three tiny bones in your ear that help transmit sounds to your brain. These bones can be knocked out of place by a substantial concussive, impactive event. Tinnitus can be triggered by this and it can also interrupt your hearing.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: When your TBI damages the inner ear this kind of concussion occurs. Tinnitus and hearing loss, due to inflammation, can be the result of this damage.
- Disruption of communication: In some cases, the part of your brain that controls hearing can become damaged by a concussion. When this happens, the signals that get transmitted from your ear cannot be precisely processed, and tinnitus might occur consequently.
- Nerve damage: There’s also a nerve that is in charge of transmitting sounds you hear to your brain, which a concussion can harm.
Of course it’s significant to keep in mind that no two brain injuries are exactly alike. Personalized care and instructions, from us, will be provided to every patient. Certainly, if you think you have experienced a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, you need to call us for an evaluation right away.
How do you manage tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Usually, it will be a temporary situation if tinnitus is the result of a concussion. How long can tinnitus linger after a concussion? Weeks or months, sadly, could be the time period. However, if your tinnitus has lasted for more than a year, it’s likely to be long lasting. Over time, in these circumstances, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the best strategy.
Here are some ways to accomplish this:
- Hearing aid: Sometimes, tinnitus becomes prominent because the rest of the world goes into the background (as is the situation with non-TBI-caused hearing loss, everything else becomes quieter, so your tinnitus seems louder). Hearing aids help your tinnitus fade into the background by turning the volume up on everything else.
- Therapy: Sometimes, patients can learn to disregard the sound by engaging in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You ignore the sound after accepting it. It will require some therapy, practice, and time though.
- Masking device: This device goes inside your ear a lot like a hearing aid, but it generates specific noises instead of amplifying things. Your distinct tinnitus symptoms dictate what sound the device will produce helping you disregard the tinnitus sounds and be better able to focus on voices and other external sounds.
Obtaining the desired result will, in some cases, call for additional therapies. Getting rid of the tinnitus will frequently call for treatment to the root concussion. The best course of action will depend on the nature of your concussion and your TBI. In this regard, a precise diagnosis is key.
Learn what the best plan of treatment might be for you by getting in touch with us.
TBI-caused tinnitus can be controlled
A concussion can be a significant and traumatic event in your life. When you get a concussion, it’s a bad day! And if you’ve been in a car crash and your ears are ringing, you may wonder why.
It could be days later or immediately after the crash that tinnitus symptoms surface. But you can effectively manage tinnitus after an accident and that’s significant to keep in mind. Schedule a consultation with us today.
