The ringing just won’t subside. That high pitched buzz in your ear has been irritating you ever since yesterday morning and it still hasn’t gone away. you realize that the ringing is tinnitus but your beginning to be concerned about how long it will continue.
Tinnitus can be caused by injury to the stereocilia in your ears (they’re the small hairs that sense air vibrations which your brain then turns into intelligible sound). That injury is usually the outcome of overly loud noise. That’s why when you’re seated next to a booming jet engine, or out at a noisy restaurant, or going to a concert, you notice tinnitus the most.
Under Typical Scenarios, How Long Does Tinnitus Persist?
Tinnitus can’t be cured. But tinnitus normally doesn’t last forever. How long your tinnitus lasts will depend on a wide variety of factors, including the root cause of your tinnitus and your overall hearing health.
But if you just returned home from a noisy day of traveling and you notice your ears buzzing, you can normally expect your tinnitus to fade away in a day or two. Typically, tinnitus will last 16 to 48 hours. But often, symptoms can last as long as a couple of weeks. Further exposure to loud noises could also cause tinnitus to flare up again, effectively resetting the clock.
It’s generally suggested that you consult a specialist if your tinnitus continues and specifically if your tinnitus is detracting from your quality of life.
What Leads to Long Term Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is usually impermanent. But sometimes it can be permanent. When the cause is not mundane that’s particularly true When it comes to severity and origin. Here are a few examples:
- Repeated exposure: After one rock concert, your ears will ring for a couple of days but frequent subjection will result in far more serious consequences. Frequent exposure to loud noises can result in permanent hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): The brain is where the majority of sound is processed. In some cases, a serious brain injury (such as a concussion) could lead to tinnitus because those processors begin to misfire.
- Hearing loss: Often, hearing loss and tinnitus are joined at the hip. So, whatever the cause of your hearing loss is, you may also wind up developing (or noticing) irreversible tinnitus alongside it.
Temporary tinnitus is far more common than lasting tinnitus. But permanent or chronic tinnitus still impacts millions of Us citizens each year.
How do You Get Your Tinnitus to Subside?
Whether your tinnitus is short term or long lived, you may want to get relief as soon as possible. There is no cure for tinnitus but you can do a few things to minimize the symptoms (however long they may endure):
- Find a way to cover up the sound: You can sometimes mask the sound and get a good nights sleep by utilizing some source of white noise such as a humidifier or fan.
- Use earplugs (or earmuffs): If you cannot steer clear of loud situations, then safeguarding your hearing is the next best option. (And, really, whether you have tinnitus or not, you need to wear hearing protection.)
- Try to keep calm: Maybe it sounds a little… abstract, but increased blood pressure can result in tinnitus flare ups so remaining calm can help keep your tinnitus under control.
- Avoid loud noises. Going to another concert, hopping on another plane, or turning the volume on your television up another notch could prolong your symptoms or double down on their severity.
To be certain, if you have long lasting tinnitus, none of these strategies will get rid of your tinnitus. But decreasing and controlling your symptoms can be equally significant.
When Will Your Tinnitus go Away?
In the majority of cases, though, your tinnitus will go away without you having to do anything about it. Just wait the 16-48 hours and your hearing should go back to normal. However, you will want to look for a solution if your tinnitus lingers. Discovering a workable treatment is the best way to ultimately get some relief. If you think you have hearing loss (which is frequently associated with tinnitus) you should get your hearing tested.