Tinnitus is an exceptionally common condition of the ear. Some estimates indicate that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one point or another, making it one of the most common health conditions in the world. Although the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds too.
While the prevalence of tinnitus might be evident, the causes are frequently more cloudy. In part, that’s because tinnitus may be caused by a wide range of causes, some of which are temporary and others that can be more permanent.
That’s why your environment can be really important. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you could be doing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is a result of damage, it could end up being permanent.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so prevalent)?
Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a sound that isn’t actually there. Tinnitus usually manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other sounds, like screeching, thumping, or humming. Usually, the sounds are consistent or rhythmic. For most people, tinnitus will manifest over a short period of time before solving itself and vanishing. In less common cases, tinnitus may become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also fairly common (more on that soon). Underlying conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. And there are lots of conditions and injuries that can trigger tinnitus. As a result, tinnitus tends to be rather common.
How is tinnitus affected by environmental factors?
There are a large number of factors that can contribute to tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. For example, some locations are noisier than others (traffic noise in some areas can get extraordinarily high). Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment exacerbating their tinnitus.
When assessing the state of your health, these environmental factors are really significant.
As with hearing loss, noise-associated damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. In these cases, the resulting tinnitus is often chronic in nature. Some of the most common noise and environment-related causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a pretty common practice. Doing this on a consistent basis can often cause tinnitus symptoms.
- Noise in the workplace: It could come as a surprise that many workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty noisy. Whether it’s industrial equipment or chatty office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around constant workplace noise can eventually result in tinnitus.
- Traffic: Traffic in densely populated locations can be a lot louder than you might expect it to be. And you may not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the outcome of long commutes in these loud settings.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes result from loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long duration. For example, attending a concert or using firearms can both trigger tinnitus if the volumes get to a loud enough level.
People frequently wrongly believe hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. Consequently, it’s essential to use hearing protection before you think you may need it. Hearing protection can help you avoid tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
What should I do if I have tinnitus?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Perhaps, in some instances. In other situations, your symptoms may be permanent. There’s no way to identify which is which at the outset. If you have tinnitus caused by noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is a lot more probable.
Individuals tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its development. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already likely occurred. If this is the case, finding and changing the source of the noise damage is crucial to prevent further damage.
For instance, you could try:
- Stop damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some amount of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Reducing the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recover.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment where possible. For example, you could shut the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that is not in use.
Dealing with symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are often a huge distraction and are really unpleasant for most people who deal with them. As a result, they frequently ask: how do you calm tinnitus?
You should call us for an appointment if you are hearing a persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears. We will be able to assess your symptoms and determine how best to deal with them. There’s no cure for the majority of types of chronic tinnitus. Here are a few ways to manage the symptoms:
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the assistance of a specialist, which will progressively retrain the way you process sound.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, but instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your symptoms of tinnitus.
- White noise devices: In some instances, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by utilizing a white noise generator around your home.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing produced by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been linked to an increase in the severity of tinnitus symptoms. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by using relaxation techniques like meditation, for example.
Tinnitus has no cure. A good first step would be to protect your hearing by managing your environment.
But tinnitus can be managed and treated. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan for you. A white noise machine, for many people, might be all that’s needed. In other cases, a more extensive approach might be needed.
Set up an appointment to learn how to regulate your tinnitus symptoms.