It’s not unusual for individuals to have ringing in their ears, also called tinnitus. It’s one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world with some estimates suggesting that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one point or another. The condition manifests as a sound in the ear that isn’t actually there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds also.
While the preponderance of tinnitus might be obvious, the causes are frequently more opaque. Some of the wide array of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more permanent.
That’s why your environment can be very important. If the background sound of your particular environment is very loud, you could be harming your hearing. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be permanent or it may sometimes react to changes to make your environment quieter.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so common)?
Tinnitus is a condition that causes you to hear a sound that isn’t really there. Tinnitus typically manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other noises, like screeching, thumping, or humming. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will typically clear itself up after a short period of time. In less common cases, tinnitus could become effectively permanent, a condition known as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. Firstly, environmental factors that can contribute to tinnitus are rather prevalent. Underlying conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. Put simply, there are many such injuries or conditions that can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is rather common for these reasons.
How is tinnitus impacted by environmental factors?
Other things can also produce tinnitus, including ototoxic medications and chemicals. But when it comes to “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get very loud. Somebody would be in danger of environmental tinnitus, for instance, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
When evaluating the state of your health, these environmental factors are extremely important.
Noise related damage, as with hearing loss, can cause tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is caused by noise damage, it’s usually chronic and often permanent. Here are some of the most prevalent noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Noise in the workplace: Many workplaces, including offices, are frequently the source of loud noises. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short periods, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this type of noise.
- Music: Many individuals will frequently listen to their music at high volumes. Tinnitus will frequently be the outcome if you do this frequently.
- Traffic: You may not even recognize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated locations. And noise damage can occur at a lower volume than you may expect. Long commutes or regular driving in these loud environments can eventually result in hearing damage, including tinnitus.
People frequently mistakenly believe damage to their ears will only occur at extreme volume levels. For this reason, hearing protection should be utilized at lower volumes than you may expect. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Well, in some cases it could. In other situations, your symptoms may be irreversible. There’s no way to identify which is which at the outset. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your chance of having your tinnitus come back and become chronic is much more likely.
One of the most main contributing factors to the development of tinnitus is that individuals tend to underestimate the volume at which damage occurs to their ears. Damage has likely already occurred if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to alter your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
For example, you could try:
- Using hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to counter damage. Noise canceling headphones can also be an asset in this regard.
- Reducing the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recover.
- Reducing the volume of your environment when possible. If you have any machinery that’s not in use, turn it off, and shut the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
How to manage your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are often a big distraction and are really unpleasant for the majority of people who deal with them. This prompts them to try and find a way to ease the intensity of their symptoms.
You should give us a call for an appointment if you are hearing a persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears. We will be able to assess your symptoms and identify how best to deal with them. For most cases of persistent tinnitus, there’s no cure. Symptom management might include the following:
- Retraining therapy: In some situations, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually changing the way you process sound.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify other sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be aggravated by high blood pressure. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be alleviated by using relaxation techniques like meditation, for instance.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, only instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. The exact calibration of your device will depend on your specific symptoms.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some instances.
Tinnitus has no cure. A good first step would be to protect your hearing by controlling your environment.
But addressing and controlling tinnitus is possible. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan according to your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. For some, managing your tinnitus might simply mean utilizing a white noise machine. For other people, management may be more demanding.
Schedule an appointment to learn how to regulate your tinnitus symptoms.