It isn’t unusual for people to have ringing in their ears, also known as tinnitus. It’s one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world with some estimates indicating that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one time or another. Even though the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds as well.
Sadly, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as evident as the symptoms. In part, that’s because tinnitus could result from a wide range of causes, some of which are temporary and others that can be more permanent.
That’s why your environment can be really important. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is noisy, you might be doing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is due to damage, it could end up being permanent.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so common)?
When you hear noises that aren’t really present, that’s tinnitus. Tinnitus typically manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other sounds, like screeching, thumping, or humming. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short time period. In less common cases, tinnitus might become effectively permanent, a condition known as chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is so common for a couple of reasons. Firstly, environmental factors that can contribute to tinnitus are rather prevalent. Underlying conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. In other words, there are many such injuries or conditions that can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is rather common for these reasons.
How can the environment affect tinnitus?
Other things can also trigger tinnitus, including ototoxic medicines and chemicals. However, when the majority of individuals talk about “environment” when it comes to tinnitus, they really mean the noise. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite loud. Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment worsening their tinnitus.
These environmental factors can be exceptionally important when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-induced damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. In these situations, the resulting tinnitus is often chronic in nature. Here are some of the most prevalent noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- 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 may expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the outcome of long commutes in these noisy settings.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes result from loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-period. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this type of noise.
- Music: Many individuals will frequently listen to their music at loud volumes. Doing this on a regular basis can often trigger tinnitus symptoms.
- Noise in the workplace: It may come as a surprise that many workplaces, sometimes even offices, are fairly 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.
People often wrongly believe hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. Because of this, hearing protection should be utilized at lower volumes than you may expect. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
Will tinnitus go away by itself? Perhaps, in some cases. In other cases, your symptoms could be irreversible. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. Likewise, just because your tinnitus has reseeded doesn’t mean that noise damage has not happened, resulting in an increased chance of chronic tinnitus down the road.
Individuals often underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its advancement. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already probably occurred. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to alter your environment so as to prevent more irreparable damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- If you’re in a noisy setting, limit the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
- Stop damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. Noise canceling headphones can also be an asset in this regard.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment when possible. For example, you could close the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that isn’t in use.
How to handle your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are frequently a huge distraction and are quite uncomfortable for most people who deal with them. Because of this, they frequently ask: how do you calm tinnitus?
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s important to set up an appointment, particularly if the sound won’t go away. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms and identify how to best deal with them. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Symptom management may include the following:
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing produced by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been associated with an increase in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by using relaxation techniques like meditation, for instance.
- Masking device: This device is a lot like a hearing aid, only instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
- White noise devices: In some cases, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by using a white noise generator around your house.
- Retraining therapy: In some instances, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, slowly modifying the way you process sound.
Tinnitus has no cure. A great first step would be to protect your hearing by managing your environment.
But treating and managing tinnitus is possible. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan according to your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many people, might be all that’s needed. In other cases, a more extensive approach may be necessary.
Learn how to best manage your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!