It’s very common for individuals to experience tinnitus. Something like 20 million people regularly suffer from chronic tinnitus so severe that it becomes burdensome. This does not even count the more common forms of tinnitus, which for most people can come and go without causing a major impact on their quality of life.
Tinnitus occurs when you hear a phantom sound, when you’re hearing a sound that no one else can hear. It could manifest as a persistent buzzing or ringing in the ears. Although hearing loss is frequently associated with tinnitus, there isn’t necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
In fact, there are a considerable variety of types of tinnitus. And each one will call for a different approach to treatment.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
So, what is tinnitus and where does it come from? Well, it’s essential to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. Regardless of the specific cause, the symptoms will be similar. But distinguishing the cause can be crucial to identifying the right treatment approach.
In some instances, concussions or other traumatic brain injuries or neurological problems can be the cause. Hearing loss due to age can be another aspect that can trigger tinnitus. Here are a few of the most common types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Problems with the ear aren’t always the cause of tinnitus. The brain itself can sometimes be the source. Neurological tinnitus is a result of injury to or problems with your baseline neurological functions. In other words, something has broken down with the typical ways that your brain and ear communicate. The result is that you hear a phantom sound that might not be there. Neurological tinnitus can be a result of concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more. As the brain heals, neurological tinnitus will, in some situations, clear up on its own. For others, it could be lasting.
- Subjective tinnitus: With subjective tinnitus, the sound you’re hearing is phantom and doesn’t objectively exist and only you can hear it. Lots of other forms of tinnitus also fall into this category. Neurological tinnitus, for instance, is frequently also subjective tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can manifest as lots of different sound types, including ringing, buzzing, squeals, whistles, roars, and more.
- Objective tinnitus: When the sound you’re hearing in your ears is a real, verifiable sound, it’s known as objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is not really as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still occurs. Most commonly, this means you’re dealing with something called pulsatile tinnitus, which happens when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. Objective tinnitus causes those sounds to be abnormally loud.
- Somatic tinnitus: Tinnitus sounds are frequently rather constant for many people coping with them. That’s true for both subjective and objective tinnitus. But, somatic tinnitus is different. This is tinnitus that gets worse with movement. Typically, somatic tinnitus is most sensitive to movement of the head or neck areas.
Most of these types of tinnitus aren’t generally mutually exclusive. You may have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for example. In order for us to put together a treatment plan, we will first need to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus.
Finding tinnitus assistance
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you most likely don’t have to do anything about it. But if your tinnitus sticks around or returns frequently, it could have real and serious impacts on your everyday life. That’s when it’s particularly important to speak with a hearing specialist to receive specialized care and find some tinnitus relief.
After we determine the root cause of your symptoms, there are a number of treatment strategies we can use. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. Other treatment solutions can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t usually be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will work with you to create treatments that work for your symptoms. That way, you can more easily ignore the buzzing or ringing in your ears, and get back to the life you love.
