It isn’t uncommon for people 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 time or another. The condition is experienced as a sound in the ear that isn’t really there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds too.
While the prevalence of tinnitus may be obvious, the causes are often more opaque. Some of the wide variety of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more permanent.
This is why environmental factors can Have a major impact on tinnitus symptoms. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is noisy, you could be causing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be permanent or it might 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. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it may perhaps also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will usually clear itself up after a short time period. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also quite common (more on that in a bit). The second reason is that tinnitus is often a symptom of a root condition or injury. Put simply, there are lots of such injuries or conditions that can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite common for these reasons.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
There are a large number of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medicines. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest offender. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite loud. Likewise, anybody who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment worsening their tinnitus.
These environmental factors can be incredibly significant when considering your hearing health.
Noise related damage, as with hearing loss, can cause tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is caused by noise damage, it’s usually chronic and frequently permanent. Here are some of the most common noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short stretches, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Shooting a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this kind of noise.
- Noise in the workplace: It could come as a surprise that many workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty loud. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of lots of people talking in an office.
- Music: Many people will often listen to their music at high volumes. Tinnitus will often be the outcome if you do this frequently.
- Traffic: You might not even realize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated places. 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 noisy locations.
Damage to the ears can happen at a far lower volume than people generally expect. Consequently, it’s crucial to wear hearing protection before you think you might need it. Hearing protection can help you avoid tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
If I have tinnitus, what should I do?
So, does tinnitus go away? Well, in some instances it may. But your symptoms may be permanent in some cases. There’s no way to know which is which at the beginning. Likewise, just because your tinnitus has reseeded doesn’t mean that noise damage has not occurred, leading to an increased chance of chronic tinnitus in the future.
Individuals tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its advancement. Damage has most likely already occurred if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are several things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- Prevent damage by using hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. Noise canceling headphones can also be an asset in this regard.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment where possible. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and close the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
- If you’re in a loud environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears breaks.
How to handle your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are often a big distraction and are really unpleasant for the majority of individuals who deal with them. This prompts them to try and find a way to ease the intensity of their symptoms.
You should contact 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 identify how best to manage them. For most cases of persistent tinnitus, there’s no cure. Here are a number of ways to manage the symptoms:
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the help of a specialist, which will slowly retrain the way you process sound.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, but instead of boosting sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your symptoms of tinnitus.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been connected to an increase in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for instance) can sometimes help decrease your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by raising the volume of outside sounds with hearing aids.
Tinnitus has no cure. That’s why managing your environment to safeguard your hearing is a practical first step.
But addressing and controlling tinnitus is possible. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan for you. For some people, dealing with your tinnitus might simply mean making use of a white noise machine. In other situations, a more intensive approach may be necessary.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!