Tinnitus is an extremely common condition of the ear. 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 point 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.
This is why environmental factors can play a major role in tinnitus symptoms. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you may be causing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is caused by damage, it may end up being permanent.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so common)?
When you hear sounds that aren’t really there, that’s tinnitus. Tinnitus typically manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other sounds, like screeching, thumping, or humming. Typically, the sounds are steady or rhythmic. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus will happen over a short period of time before resolving itself and vanishing. In less common cases, tinnitus may become effectively permanent, a condition known as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. The first is that the environmental factors that contribute to tinnitus are also fairly common (more on that in a bit). 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 result in tinnitus. As a result, tinnitus tends to be rather common.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
Other things can also produce tinnitus, including ototoxic medicines and chemicals. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. Some settings, such as noisy city streets, can get really 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 significant when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-associated damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is due to noise damage, it’s normally chronic and frequently permanent. Here are a few of the most common noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will frequently be the result if you do this regularly.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short stretches, tinnitus can sometimes be the result. Shooting a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this kind of noise.
- Traffic: You may not even realize how loud traffic can be in densely populated places. And you might not even recognize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you might expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these noisy environments can eventually result in hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Noise in the workplace: It might come as a surprise that lots of 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 lots of people talking in an office.
Damage to the ears can happen at a much lower volume than people usually expect. As a result, it’s crucial to wear hearing protection before you think you might need it. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
So, does tinnitus go away? Well, in some instances it may. In other cases, your symptoms may be permanent. There’s no way to identify which is which at the beginning. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is much more likely.
People tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to happen, which is the most significant contributing factor to its advancement. Damage has most likely already happened if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are several things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more irreparable damage.
For example, you could try:
- Lowering the volume of your environment where possible. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and close the windows if it’s noisy outside, for example.
- If you’re in a loud environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
- Wearing hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to prevent damage. Noise canceling headphones can also be an asset in this regard.
Dealing with symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are frequently a huge distraction and are quite unpleasant for most people who deal with them. As a result, they often ask: how do you quiet tinnitus?
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s essential to schedule an appointment, particularly if the sound doesn’t go away. We will be able to assess your symptoms and determine how to best manage them. For the majority of cases of persistent tinnitus, there’s no cure. Here are a few ways to manage the symptoms:
- Masking device: This is a device that fits like a hearing aid and plays sounds that mask your symptoms. The exact calibration of your device will depend on your specific symptoms.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify other sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing produced by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be exacerbated by high blood pressure. So taking some time to relax (with meditation, for example) can sometimes help diminish your tinnitus symptoms.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the help of a specialist, which will progressively retrain the way you process sound.
- White noise devices: In some instances, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by utilizing a white noise generator around your house.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why controlling your environment to protect your hearing is a practical first step.
But tinnitus can be managed and managed. We’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many, may be all that’s required. For other people, management may be more demanding.
Set up an appointment to learn how to manage your tinnitus symptoms.
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