It’s really common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million people regularly cope with chronic tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom noise, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This could be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t shake. Tinnitus is often related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will automatically lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. And each one will call for a different approach to treatment.
What is tinnitus?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s significant to note that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The various causes of tinnitus will present with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to determine the cause in order to successfully treat the symptoms.
For some individuals, tinnitus is the outcome of a neurological problem, like a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss due to age can be another factor that can cause tinnitus. Here are a few of the most common types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. This means that the standard communication between your brain and ears isn’t functioning properly. The outcome is that you hear a phantom sound that may not be there. Neurological tinnitus can be due to concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. In some cases, neurological tinnitus may resolve as the brain heals. For others, it could be permanent.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and has no external source and only you can hear it. This form of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus also. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be 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 types. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an example of this type of tinnitus. For those with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it should.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is fairly 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. Typically, somatic tinnitus will cause the symptoms to become more intense when you move your head or neck.
Frequently, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. For example, you may have neurological tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Finding tinnitus support
You probably won’t need to take any specific action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to call us for a consultation.
After we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment methods we can utilize. A few of these strategies can minimize the intensity of your symptoms making them less evident. We may also employ masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your particular situation. That way, you can more easily disregard the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.