Tinnitus is a really prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so overwhelming that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million individuals around the world. And there are also more common presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an external source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. It may manifest as a continual buzzing or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately result in the other.
As a matter of fact, there are a significant variety of types of tinnitus. Treating these varieties of tinnitus will require different approaches.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
Exactly what is tinnitus and how is it caused? Well, it’s essential to mention that not all kinds of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will present with similar symptoms. But determining the cause can be essential to finding the proper treatment approach.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological issues can be the cause. Hearing loss related to age can be another factor that can cause tinnitus. The following are a few other possible causes:
- Neurological tinnitus: Issues with the ear are not always the cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, the underlying cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. In other words, something has gone wrong with the normal ways that your brain and ear interact. As a result, a phantom noise is heard which isn’t actually there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some instances, clear up on its own. For others, it may be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is very common, hearing specialists will talk about your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and lots of others.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is an actual, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus does occur, though it’s not as common as subjective types. Pulsatile tinnitus, which is when you hear your heartbeat or pulse, is an illustration of this form of tinnitus. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound usually seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are frequently quite constant for many people coping with them. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. But, somatic tinnitus is different. This type of tinnitus becomes more severe when you move around. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Most of these types of tinnitus are not necessarily mutually exclusive. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for example. Identifying the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
You most likely won’t have to take any particular action if your tinnitus symptoms are intermittent. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are rather constant or keep returning. That’s when it’s particularly important to talk to a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
After we identify the underlying cause of your symptoms, there are a few treatment strategies we can use. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. We may also use masking techniques to hide your symptoms.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will help you personalize the best treatment for your particular situation. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.