Tinnitus is an incredibly prevalent medical condition. Tinnitus can become so extreme that it becomes a burden to live with for around 20 million individuals around the world. And there are also more prevalent presentations of tinnitus which are much more mild and sporadic and are also easier to deal with.
When you hear sounds in your ears that don’t have an outside source and nobody else can hear them, that’s tinnitus. This might be a ringing in the ears or a buzzing sound you can’t get rid of. Although hearing loss is frequently associated with tinnitus, there isn’t necessarily a cause-and-effect connection between the two.
As a matter of fact, there are a considerable variety of types of tinnitus. And each one will call for a different treatment approach.
Tinnitus – exactly what is it?
Exactly what is tinnitus and what are its causes? Well, it’s essential to mention that not all types of tinnitus are the same. The assorted causes of tinnitus will manifest with similar symptoms. But identifying the cause can be essential to finding the right treatment strategy.
For some people, tinnitus is the result of a neurological problem, including a traumatic brain injury or a concussion. Hearing loss due to age can be another aspect that can trigger tinnitus. Here are a few of the most prevalent types of tinnitus:
- Neurological tinnitus: Tinnitus is not always caused by ear issues. In some cases, the root cause lies within the brain. If your baseline neurological functions are weakened by injury it can activate neurological tinnitus. This means that the standard communication between your brain and ears isn’t working correctly. As a result, a phantom sound is heard which isn’t really there. Neurological tinnitus can be due to concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more. In some instances, neurological tinnitus might go away as the brain heals. It might be permanent in other instances.
- Subjective tinnitus: When only you can hear the sound of your tinnitus, which is quite common, hearing specialists will refer to your condition as a subjective tinnitus. Lots of other types of tinnitus also fall into this category. For example, neurological tinnitus can also be subjective tinnitus. There are a large number of sounds that can manifest with subjective tinnitus, including buzzing, ringing, screeching, roaring, thumping, and lots of others.
- Objective tinnitus: When you have objective tinnitus, you’re hearing a real, verifiable, objective sound. Objective tinnitus isn’t quite as common as subjective tinnitus, but it still happens. Typically, this means you’re experiencing something called pulsatile tinnitus, which occurs when you’re hearing your pulse or circulatory system. For people with objective tinnitus, that pulsing sound typically seems louder than it ought to.
- Somatic tinnitus: For many people, the sound they hear with tinnitus is relatively constant. Both objective and subjective tinnitus have this characteristic. With somatic tinnitus though, things are a bit different. This is tinnitus that grows worse with movement. Usually, somatic tinnitus is most susceptible to movement of the head or neck areas.
Often, individuals will have more than one type of tinnitus simultaneously. You might have subjective tinnitus and neurological tinnitus together, for instance. Figuring out the cause of your symptoms can help your hearing specialist choose the best tinnitus treatment options for your symptoms.
Finding tinnitus support
If your tinnitus is here one minute and gone the next, you probably don’t have to do anything about it. But your quality of life can be seriously impacted if your tinnitus symptoms are fairly constant or keep returning. That’s when it’s especially important to speak with a hearing specialist to get specialized care and find some relief from your tinnitus.
We have several different tinnitus management methods we may try depending on the root cause of your symptoms. Several therapies can make the sounds you’re hearing less noticeable. Other treatment options can mask the sound you’re hearing.
Tinnitus can’t generally be cured, but it can be effectively managed. We will work with you to create treatments that work for your symptoms. This will help you enjoy life again by moving your symptoms into the background where they can be more easily disregarded.