Invisibility is a really useful power in the movies. The characters can frequently do the impossible if they have the power of invisibility, whether it’s a starship with cloaking ability or a wizard with an invisibility cloak.
Unfortunately, invisible health problems are no less potent…and they’re a lot less fun. Tinnitus, for instance, is a really common condition that affects the ears. But there are no outward symptoms, it doesn’t matter how thoroughly you look.
But just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean tinnitus doesn’t have a significant affect on people who experience symptoms.
Tinnitus – what is it?
So we recognize one thing: you can’t see tinnitus. Actually, tinnitus symptoms are auditory in nature, being a disorder of the ears. You know when you are sitting in a silent room, or when you get back from a loud concert and you hear that ringing in your ears? That’s tinnitus. Now, tinnitus is pretty common (somewhere around 25 million individuals experience tinnitus yearly).
There are lots of other manifestations of tinnitus besides the typical ringing. Some individuals may hear buzzing, crunching, metallic sounds, all kinds of things. The one thing that all of these noises have in common is that they aren’t real sounds at all.
For most individuals, tinnitus will be a short-term affair, it will come and go really quickly. But for somewhere between 2-5 million individuals, tinnitus is a chronic, sometimes debilitating condition. Here’s one way to think about it: hearing that ringing in your ears for a few minutes is annoying, but you can distract yourself easily and move on. But what if you can’t get rid of that sound, ever? Obviously, your quality of life would be substantially affected.
What causes tinnitus?
Have you ever had a headache and tried to figure out the cause? Maybe it’s stress; maybe you’re getting a cold; perhaps it’s allergies. The trouble is that lots of issues can trigger headaches! The symptoms of tinnitus, though relatively common, also have a large number of causes.
Sometimes, it may be really apparent what’s causing your tinnitus symptoms. But you might never really know in other situations. In general, however, tinnitus may be caused by the following:
- Head or neck injuries: The head and neck are really sensitive systems. Ringing in your ears can be triggered by traumatic brain injuries including concussions.
- Certain medications: Some over-the-counter or prescription drugs can cause you to have ringing in your ears. Usually, that ringing disappears when you quit taking the medication in question.
- Ear infections or other blockages: Swelling of the ear canal can be generated by things like seasonal allergies, a cold, or an ear infection. Consequently, your ears might start ringing.
- Meniere’s Disease: This is a condition of the inner ear that can cause a large number of symptoms. Dizziness and tinnitus are amongst the first symptoms to manifest. Irreversible hearing loss can occur over time.
- Hearing loss: Hearing loss and tinnitus are often closely associated. Sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus can both be caused by noise damage and that’s a big part of the equation here. In other words, they both have the same cause. But hearing loss can also worsen tinnitus, when the outside world seems quieter, that ringing in your ears can become louder.
- Noise damage: Tinnitus symptoms can be triggered by exposure to overly loud noise over time. This is so common that loud noises are one of the primary causes of tinnitus! Using ear protection if extremely loud places can’t be avoided is the best way to prevent this kind of tinnitus.
- High blood pressure: For some individuals, tinnitus may be the result of high blood pressure. Getting your blood pressure under control with the help of your physician is the best way to handle this.
- Colds or allergies: If a lot of mucus backs up in your ears, it could cause some swelling. This inflammation can trigger tinnitus.
If you’re able to identify the cause of your tinnitus, treating it might become easier. Clearing a blockage, for instance, will relieve tinnitus symptoms if that’s what is causing them. Some individuals, however, may never identify what causes their tinnitus symptoms.
Diagnosing Tinnitus
Tinnitus that only lasts a few minutes isn’t something that you really need to have diagnosed. Still, getting regular hearing exams is always a smart plan.
But you should definitely make an appointment with us if your tinnitus won’t go away or if it continues to come back. We will conduct a hearing screening, talk to you about your symptoms and how they’re impacting your life, and perhaps even discuss your medical history. All of that information will be used to diagnose your symptoms.
How is tinnitus treated?
Tinnitus is not a condition that has a cure. But it can be addressed and it can be controlled.
If your tinnitus is caused by a root condition, such as an ear infection or a medication you’re taking, then dealing with that underlying condition will result in a noticeable difference in your symptoms. However, if you have chronic tinnitus, there will be no root condition that can be easily addressed.
So controlling symptoms so they have a limited affect on your life is the goal if you have persistent tinnitus. There are many things that we can do to help. Here are a few of the most common:
- A masking device: This is a device much like a hearing aid, except instead of amplifying sounds, it masks sound. These devices create exactly the right amount and type of sound to make your specific tinnitus symptoms fade into the background.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: We may refer you to another provider for cognitive behavior therapy. This strategy uses therapy to help you learn to disregard the tinnitus sounds.
- A hearing aid: Sometimes, tinnitus becomes obvious because your hearing loss is making everything else comparatively quieter. The buzzing or ringing will be less apparent when your hearing aid raises the volume of the outside world.
The treatment plan that we develop will be custom-designed to your specific tinnitus needs. The goal 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. Your symptoms will most likely get worse if you do. You might be able to stop your symptoms from worsening if you can get in front of them. At the very least, you should get yourself hearing protection for your ears, make sure you’re wearing ear plugs or ear muffs whenever you are around loud noises.
If you have tinnitus that won’t go away (or keeps coming back) schedule an appointment with us to get a diagnosis.