TINNITUS
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that can seriously interfere with a person’s day-to-day activities. It typically presents as a “ringing” or “buzzing” sensation in the ears, but can manifest as any sound or mix of sounds. This condition is caused by nerve activity interpreted by the brain as auditory signals. While everyone experiences tinnitus at some point, some people may suffer from persistent or near-constant tinnitus that can be troubling and even painful. These individuals may seek help to alleviate their discomfort.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is primarily induced by exposure to loud sounds, but it can also stem from hearing loss, head injuries, particular medications, or too much earwax. Given that tinnitus can be linked with a variety of root causes such as hypertension, stress, dental problems, metabolic disorders, and elevated cholesterol, identifying its precise origin can be difficult. Hence, it’s advisable to get your ears assessed to identify your unique issue.
Types and Symptoms Of Tinnitus
People often describe tinnitus using terms such as buzzing, ringing, clicking, roaring, and hissing. Tinnitus is categorized into two types. Subjective tinnitus: This type, which only you can hear, is the most common. It could be a result of issues with any part of your ear (inner, middle, or outer) or due to problems with the auditory nerves or pathways in your brain that interpret these nerve signals. Objective tinnitus: This less common type can actually be heard by a doctor during an ear examination. Issues with a blood vessel or muscle contractions can cause objective tinnitus.
What Is The Treatment For Tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be managed with the right treatment. While not everyone with tinnitus needs treatment, it could be helpful if your tinnitus is negatively impacting your sleep, focus, emotional regulation, or daily tasks. If the tinnitus is confined to one side of your head or is coupled with changes in hearing, ear discomfort, issues with your head or neck, or balance disturbances, a medical assessment might be required.
Can Hearing Aids Help?
Hearing aids can be beneficial for individuals with hearing loss and tinnitus, as compared to other causes like earwax accumulation or vascular issues related to objective tinnitus. Research indicates that about two-thirds of people with tinnitus experience some level of relief when using hearing aids, with nearly a quarter reporting “considerable relief.” Hearing aids can assist with tinnitus management for two main reasons. Drowning out the ringing: By increasing the volume of external sounds, hearing aids can effectively drown out tinnitus noise. This enables individuals to ignore it and not consciously register the noise from tinnitus. This is particularly useful for those who have hearing loss in the same frequency range as their tinnitus sounds. Enhanced communication: Loud tinnitus can make conversations challenging, especially in environments with background noise, such as at social gatherings. It can also interfere with phone calls, watching television, listening to music, and other activities. Hearing aids raise the volume of these activities above the tinnitus noise, allowing the individual to participate without feeling frustrated or isolated.