It’s really common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million people routinely cope with chronic tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and intermittent and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an outside source and no one else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It might manifest as a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is frequently accompanied by tinnitus, there isn’t always a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in numerous forms. And each one will require a different approach to treatment.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? Well, it’s significant to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The various causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But distinguishing the cause can be crucial to identifying the right treatment strategy.
For some people, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological problem, such as a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. In other circumstances, tinnitus might be caused by age-related hearing loss. Here are some of the most common types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear problems. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. This means that the standard communication between your brain and ears isn’t working correctly. 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 instances, clear up on its own. It may be permanent in other circumstances.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and no one else can hear it. This type of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus also. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and many others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s referred to as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is not really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Typically, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it should.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to get worse when you move your head or neck.
Often, people will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting help with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t need to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But if your tinnitus hangs around or comes back frequently, it might have real and serious impacts on your day-to-day 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 number of treatment methods we can use. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less obvious. We may also utilize masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Generally, there is no cure for tinnitus, although it can usually be successfully treated. We will work with you to formulate treatments that work for your symptoms. That way, you can more easily ignore the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.