Tinnitus is an incredibly common medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million people around the world. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and intermittent and are also easier to cope with.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. It could 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 connection between the two.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will require a different approach to treatment.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it stem from? The first thing to recognize is that tinnitus comes in a number of forms and causes. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But identifying the cause can be essential to identifying the right treatment strategy.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the result of a neurological problem, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. In other circumstances, tinnitus might be caused by age-related hearing loss. Here are a few of the most prevalent types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the cause. Neurological tinnitus is caused by injury to or issues with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has gone wrong with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t actually there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the root sources of tinnitus, as well as others. In some instances, neurological tinnitus may go away as the brain heals. It may be permanent in other instances.
- 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. This type of tinnitus comprises many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is often also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as many different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does happen, though it’s not as common as subjective forms. Typically, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be unusually loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. However, somatic tinnitus is 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 at the same time. For example, you might have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In order for us to formulate a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you most likely don’t have to do anything about it. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep coming back. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we determine the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can employ. A few of these techniques can minimize the severity of your symptoms making them less evident. We might also utilize masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be successfully managed. We will work with you to create 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 enjoy.
