It’s really common for people to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million people regularly cope with persistent tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an outside source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. This may be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Tinnitus is frequently linked to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately result in the other.
In fact, there are a significant variety of forms of tinnitus. And each one will require a different treatment approach.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? The first thing to understand is that tinnitus comes in numerous forms and causes. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to determine the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. In other instances, tinnitus may be caused by age-related hearing loss. Here are some of the most prevalent types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. Neurological tinnitus is a result of injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. This means that the normal communication between your brain and ears isn’t working correctly. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that might not be there. Neurological tinnitus can be due to concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. In some situations, neurological tinnitus may go away as the brain heals. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and only you can hear it. This form of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus as well. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can present as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: When you have objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this form of tinnitus. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be abnormally loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are often rather constant for many individuals coping with them. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this attribute. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Frequently, people will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for example. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You probably won’t need to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But if your tinnitus sticks around or comes back frequently, it might have real and serious impacts on your everyday life. When that happens, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
After we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can use. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be successfully managed. We will work with you to formulate treatments that work for your symptoms. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.