Could You be Experiencing Tinnitus?

If you’ve ever watched a movie where a loud explosion occurs, then you may have noticed that the characters will experience a loud high-pitched sound when they are recuperating. This isn’t just a movie effect that emphasizes what just happened or to annoy you; it’s a real thing called tinnitus.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is defined as a subjective sound that only you can hear. It’s often in the form of a buzzing, screeching or hissing that is often high-pitched and remains for a couple of minutes at a time. In some cases, the tinnitus can last several hours and this is often referred to as a severe case of tinnitus. However, most people will only experience it for a few minutes at a time and it often only happens after something triggers it, such as a light blow to the head or neck, or if you’re exposed to a very sudden and loud noise.

Objective tinnitus also exists but is very uncommon. It’s often caused by physical effects such as muscle spasms in the middle ear. Your audiologist will be able to hear any kind of objective tinnitus and will have some kind of treatment available to help you deal with it.

Who is at risk of tinnitus?

Everyone can develop tinnitus regardless of their age. However, it’s most common in older adults and those with hearing loss. It’s also relatively common in children especially if they are exposed to loud sounds at a young age which could damage their hearing, often permanently.

As long as you take the right steps to protect your hearing, you can drastically reduce the chance of developing tinnitus.

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus can be triggered by exposure to loud sounds, it can be a symptom of hearing loss and it can even be caused temporarily by something physical such as a blow to the head. If you’re unsure what causes your tinnitus then an appointment with your audiologist is often the best way to determine the triggers and what is causing your tinnitus.

In some cases, tinnitus can be caused by physical problems in your ear such as an infection or impacted earwax. These problems can be cleared up which will completely get rid of the tinnitus, but if left unchecked for too long it can cause long-term damage and effects that you will need to cope with.

Can tinnitus be treated?

Tinnitus often improves on its own because our brain filters out the noise. However, if your tinnitus isn’t improving, then it could be caused by damage to the nerves in your inner ear. In this case, tinnitus cannot be treated easily but there are a number of ways to ensure that it doesn’t get worse, such as protecting your ears from further loud sounds.

There are also therapy treatments available that will teach your brain to filter out the sound. Additionally, you can also use noise generation machines or even hearing aids that will cover the frequencies that your tinnitus occurs at to mask the sounds.