Tinnitus
90% of people with tinnitus have hearing loss
Have you ever left a concert, party, or even noisy restaurant and noticed a ringing-like noise in one or both ears? If you have, you have likely experienced temporary tinnitus. Tinnitus describes hearing a specific sound in the ears when no external sound is present in the environment. This sound is most commonly described as a ringing, buzzing, clicking-like noise that ranges from mild to severe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 million people experience tinnitus and 20 million people live with chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus can impact everyday life in significant ways. It can prevent people from initiating or maintaining sleep and contribute to hearing challenges. This takes a toll on mood, ability to perform daily tasks and manage responsibilities, relationships, and social engagement. Though there are no cures for tinnitus, there are ways it can be effectively managed. The treatment alleviates tinnitus and provides relief that allows people to navigate daily life with greater ease.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is not a medical condition itself but is a symptom of an underlying medical condition. According to the American Tinnitus Association, nearly 200 medical conditions can produce tinnitus as a symptom. Common causes include the following:
Hearing Loss
The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss. It is estimated that 90% of cases of tinnitus occur with underlying hearing loss. Over 48 million people have some degree of impaired hearing, making this condition the third most pervasive health issue that people live with today. Hearing loss can be caused by numerous factors including aging, medical conditions, and exposure to loud noise. Most often, hearing loss happens as a result of hair cells in the inner ear being damaged. These sensory cells send auditory information to the brain which allows the brain to further process and assign meaning to the sound we hear. When hair cells are damaged, they are unable to carry out their essential function, resulting in chronic hearing loss.
Ear Obstructions
This includes any physical blockages that prevent soundwaves from either being fully absorbed or traveling through the ear canal to reach the inner ear. Examples of ear obstructions include.
TMJ
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) occurs when the joints that connect the jawbone to the skull are misaligned or damaged. This can lead to various symptoms including tinnitus.
Inner Ear Disorders
Various inner ear disorders can also produce tinnitus as a symptom. This includes Meniere's disease which occurs when fluid accumulates in the cochlea.
Other causes of tinnitus include certain medications, head injuries, autoimmune conditions, and hyperthyroidism.
How is tinnitus treated?
It can take time to identify the underlying cause of tinnitus because numerous medical conditions can produce it. But there are effective ways that tinnitus is managed, a few strategies include:
Treating Hearing Loss
If you experience tinnitus, it is important to have your hearing health assessed. Because hearing loss is such a common cause of tinnitus, evaluating your hearing can be a useful way to treat tinnitus. Hearing tests measure your hearing capacity in both ears which identifies any hearing loss and the degree of impairment you could be experiencing. Hearing aids are the most common way hearing loss is treated. These electronic devices provide the ears and brain with ample hearing support which alleviates symptoms including tinnitus.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
A type of sound therapy, TRT uses a process known as habituation to train the brain to interpret tinnitus differently. Using a combination of sound therapy and relaxation exercises, TRT focuses on reducing tinnitus to mundane background noise. Our brains readily do this with sounds like a fan, a/c, traffic, etc. After engagement with TRT, tinnitus can start to be associated with background sounds, alleviating its impact.
Sound Machines
These devices emit low levels of white noise or calming sounds - rainfall, waves, birds chirping, etc. Creating ambient noise is a helpful way to distract the brain from focusing on tinnitus. This masks tinnitus sounds which provide useful relief.
Other approaches to managing tinnitus include modifying lifestyle factors. This includes increasing physical activity, working on getting quality sleep, and managing stress effectively.
Our team provides individualized care and comprehensive services that include tinnitus management. Contact us today to learn more.