A Guide to Understanding Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the name given to a sensation of hearing a high-pitched buzz, ring or hiss in your ears. It’s known as a subjective noise which means that only you can hear it, and there are only a few known cases where the sound can be heard by others. It’s often clearly audible when there’s no background noise and can either last a few minutes or even several hours. The most common time to be aware of it is when you’re on your own in a quiet room or when you’re trying to get to sleep.

It’s actually a very common condition that affects millions in the United States alone, and many audiologists will be visited by patients that are concerned about ringing in their ears. For many people, tinnitus is simply a passing issue and will likely fade after some time. For others, it’s something that can interrupt their day, make sleep more difficult and even cause stress. It’s often linked to hearing loss, but does not directly cause hearing loss and can occur seemingly randomly.

What actually causes tinnitus?

It’s not easy even for an audiologist to diagnose the cause of tinnitus. The most common reason for tinnitus is due to noise-induced hearing loss, and this makes up around 90% of all tinnitus cases. Loud noises will cause damage to the inner ear, causing the nerves to become damaged and thus cause tinnitus to happen.

However, issues like impacted earwax and ear infections can also be the cause of tinnitus. Head trauma or temporary exposure to a very loud noise might also trigger the high-pitched noises. Sickness may also be a cause for tinnitus especially if it’s a cold or sinus infection as it can lead to a pressure build-up in your inner ear.

Can tinnitus be treated?

In most cases, treating tinnitus involves dealing with the underlying condition such as an ear infection or impacted earwax. Your audiologist will be able to perform a physical examination to see if there are any issues that could be causing your tinnitus. However, if the exact cause isn’t clear, then you may need to take a deeper examination such as an MRI or CT scan.

Once the underlying issue is treated, it should help to get rid of the tinnitus but there are cases where it can remain. In this case, you will likely be recommended a masking device or even retraining therapy that can help your brain gradually phase out the sounds of tinnitus. Counseling and support groups are also available if your audiologist is unable to find the cause or if treatments aren’t effective.

Some final words

Tinnitus can be an issue that is both difficult to diagnose and treat. However, with the right support from your audiologist, dealing with tinnitus can be as simple as cleaning your ears or dealing with the underlying condition. If this doesn’t help, then your audiologist will have several other methods to help including sound machines, retraining therapy or even hearing aids.