Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Something like 20 million people regularly suffer from persistent tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are a lot more mild and intermittent and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear noises in your ears that don’t have an outside source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. This could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Tinnitus is often related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately result in the other.
As a matter of fact, there are a substantial variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will require a different approach to treatment.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? Well, it’s important to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But identifying the cause can be crucial to finding the right treatment strategy.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. Hearing loss due to age can be another aspect that can trigger tinnitus. Here are some of the most common types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has broken down with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t really there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the underlying causes of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some situations, go away on its own. It might be irreversible in other circumstances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When you’re the only one who can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is really common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and lots of others.
- Objective tinnitus: With objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an example of this type of tinnitus. For those with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is fairly constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this attribute. However, somatic tinnitus is different. This type of tinnitus becomes more intense when you move around. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Often, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you probably don’t have to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus hangs around or comes back frequently, it could have real and serious impacts on your everyday life. When that happens, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
After we determine the root cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment methods we can use. A few of these strategies can decrease the intensity of your symptoms making them less obvious. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you customize the best treatment for your particular situation. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.