Ringing in the Ears Isn’t the Only Aspect of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is an exceptionally prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for about 20 million people around the world. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic 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 could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically lead to the other.

In fact, there are a considerable variety of types of tinnitus. Dealing with these varieties of tinnitus will require different approaches.

Tinnitus – exactly what is it?

Exactly what is tinnitus and how is it caused? Well, it’s significant 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 crucial to identify the cause in order to successfully treat the symptoms.

For some people, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological problem, such as a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss due to age can be another aspect that can trigger tinnitus. The following are a few other potential causes:

• Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. In some cases, the underlying cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has broken down with the normal ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t really there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some cases, clear up on its own. For others, it may be permanent.
• Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For instance, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
• Objective tinnitus: With objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus is not really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this type of tinnitus. 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. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.

The majority of these forms of tinnitus aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In order for us to put together a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the root cause of your tinnitus.

Getting assistance with your tinnitus

You probably won’t have to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are sporadic. But your quality of life can be significantly impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. That’s when it’s especially important to speak with a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some tinnitus relief.

We have a number of different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the root cause of your symptoms. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.

Generally, there’s no cure for tinnitus, though it can usually be effectively treated. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your specific situation. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.