Have you ever experienced a ringing noise in your ears or had a hard time hearing right after leaving a concert or noisy restaurant? If you have, then you have likely experienced tinnitus. This describes hearing a specific sound in one or both ears when there is actually no external noise in your environment. This phantom like sound is most often described as a ringing, buzzing, or clicking like noise that can range from being mild to more severe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 50 million people experience tinnitus and 20 million people live with chronic tinnitus. Tinnitus can take a toll on everyday life by impacting sleep, communication, and ability to complete regulatory tasks. But there are effective ways it is managed, providing much needed relief.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a symptom and not a condition itself. The American Tinnitus Association estimates that nearly 200 health issues can cause tinnitus as a symptom A few of the most common causes include the following:
- Hearing Loss. Over 48 million people have some degree of hearing loss which is also the most common cause of tinnitus. It is estimated that 90% of all tinnitus occurs with hearing loss. Hearing loss can be caused by a range of factors including aging and loud noise exposure which damage the sensory cells in the inner ear. These cells translate incoming sound waves into electrical signals which get carried to the brain.
When the auditory pathways or circuits in the brain do not receive the messages they anticipate from the cochlea, the mind, in fact, ‘turns the volume up’ on those pathways in an attempt to locate a signal. This is like turning up the volume on a car radio to hear music. The noise it results in is what is called tinnitus — a high-pitched sound if the hearing loss is high-frequency and low-pitched if it is low-frequency.
- Ear obstructions. This occurs in the middle ear and is the cause of conductive hearing loss which is a temporary form of hearing loss that is treatable. Physical blockages in the ear canal prevent soundwaves from being fully absorbed and reaching the inner ear. Common obstructions include: accumulated earwax, bone growths, and dirt. Obstructions not only disrupt the flow of soundwaves but can also lead to a build of bacteria and cause an infection. This can lead to hearing challenges as well as tinnitus.
- Inner ear disorders. There are different types of inner ear disorders including meniere’s disease. This is caused by an accumulation of fluid in the inner ear which creates pressure and discomfort. This can lead to dizziness, hearing issues, and tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be caused by autoimmune conditions, head injuries, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), thyroid conditions, and specific types of medications.
How is tinnitus treated?
There are several ways tinnitus is treated. This includes finding and treating the underlying cause which can be challenging to do because many conditions can produce tinnitus as a symptom. In addition to this approach, there are several strategies that are used to manage tinnitus effectively. This includes:
- Treating hearing loss: your hearing will likely be tested if you experience tinnitus. Treating hearing loss alleviates tinnitus in a few ways. Hearing aids are the most common treatment and these electronic devices help absorb and process speech as well as sound. This alleviates symptoms including tinnitus and makes it easier to hear. Many of today’s hearing aids also offer tinnitus management features which are designed to provide relief.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy: a type of sound therapy, TRT involves training the brain to interpret tinnitus differently. Using a process known as habituation, tinnitus is experienced at the same time as low-levels of white noise. Over time, the brain associates tinnitus with mundane background noise which reduces its impact.
- Creating ambient noise: another strategy is creating low levels of ambient noise that is in the background of the environment you are in – rainfall, birds chirping, ocean waves etc. There are different ways to do this including using sound machines or an app. Ambient noise can distract the brain from focusing on tinnitus, creating relief.
Other strategies include identifying and reducing stress which exacerbates tinnitus as well as enhancing sleep.
Contact us to learn more about tinnitus and the resources available to help you manage tinnitus effectively in everyday life.