Tinnitus is an extremely common condition of the ear. Some estimates suggest that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one point or another, making it one of the most common health conditions in the world. Even though the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds too.
Sadly, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as obvious as the symptoms. Some of the wide range of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more long term.
That’s why your environment can be critically important. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you could be causing 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)?
When you hear noises that aren’t really there, that’s tinnitus. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it may possibly also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus will occur over a short period of time before solving itself and going away. In less common cases, tinnitus might become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. Firstly, environmental factors that can play a role in tinnitus are quite prevalent. Underlying conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. And there are a wide variety of conditions and injuries that can result in tinnitus. Consequently, tinnitus tends to be rather common.
How is tinnitus impacted by environmental factors?
Other things can also cause tinnitus, including ototoxic medications and chemicals. However, when the majority of individuals talk about “environment” in terms of tinnitus, they actually mean the noise. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get very loud. Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment worsening their tinnitus.
When assessing the state of your health, these environmental factors are really important.
Noise related damage, as with hearing loss, can trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is due to noise damage, it’s normally chronic and frequently permanent. Some of the most common noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Music: Listening to music at loud volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will frequently be the result if you do this frequently.
- Noise in the workplace: It could come as a surprise that many workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty noisy. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these places for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Traffic: You might not even realize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated locations. 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 settings.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short intervals, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. For instance, attending a concert or using firearms can both result in tinnitus if the volumes reach a loud enough level.
People frequently mistakenly think hearing damage will only occur at extreme volume levels. As a result, it’s important to wear hearing protection before you think you may need it. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
If I have tinnitus, what should I do?
Will tinnitus go away on its own? Well, in some cases it could. In other cases, your symptoms could be permanent. There’s no way to know which is which at the outset. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your risk of having your tinnitus come back and become chronic is much more probable.
Individuals tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its development. Damage has most likely already occurred if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to alter your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- Using hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to prevent damage. Noise canceling headphones can also be an asset in this regard.
- Limiting the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
- If possible, try to lower environmental volume. If you have any machinery that’s not in use, turn it off, and shut the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
Managing symptoms
Many people who experience chronic tinnitus find the symptoms to be tremendously disruptive and uncomfortable. 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 can help you determine the best way to handle your particular situation. There’s no cure for the majority of forms of chronic tinnitus. Symptom management might include the following:
- White noise devices: Utilizing a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the assistance of a specialist, which will slowly retrain the way you process sound.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, only instead of boosting sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your symptoms of tinnitus.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by amplifying the volume of external sounds with hearing aids.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been associated with an increase in the severity of tinnitus symptoms. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by utilizing relaxation techniques like meditation, for example.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. A good first step would be to safeguard your hearing by controlling your environment.
But tinnitus can be addressed and managed. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. For some, dealing with your tinnitus may simply mean making use of a white noise machine. For other people, management may be more demanding.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!
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