Tinnitus is an exceptionally prevalent medical condition. Something like 20 million people regularly suffer from chronic tinnitus so intense that it becomes burdensome. This does not even reference the more common types of tinnitus, which for most individuals can come and go without causing a major impact on their quality of life.
Tinnitus happens when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. This might be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Tinnitus is frequently related to hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean that one condition will immediately lead to the other.
As a matter of fact, tinnitus comes in a number of forms. Dealing with these varieties of tinnitus will call for different approaches.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
Exactly what is tinnitus and how is it caused? Well, it’s important to note that not all kinds of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will present with similar symptoms. But it’s still essential to identify the cause in order to effectively manage the symptoms.
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. Here are some of the most prevalent types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear issues. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can trigger neurological tinnitus. This means that the typical communication between your brain and ears isn’t working properly. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that might not be there. A stroke, concussion, or brain injury can all be the underlying causes of tinnitus, as well as others. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some cases, clear up on its own. For others, it could be permanent.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is quite common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. This type of tinnitus includes many other types of tinnitus also. Neurological tinnitus, for example, is frequently also 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 example of this type of tinnitus. For those with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many individuals, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Often, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus at the same time. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus at the same time, for example. Determining the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist decide the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Getting assistance with your tinnitus
If your tinnitus is here this minute and gone the next, you likely don’t have to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus sticks around or comes back frequently, it could have real and significant impacts on your day-to-day life. When that occurs, your best plan to get some relief is to contact us for a consultation.
We have a number of different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the underlying cause of your symptoms. Several treatments can make the sounds you’re hearing less evident. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t typically be cured, but it can be successfully managed. We will work with you to create treatments that work for your symptoms. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily ignored.