Tinnitus is an extremely common condition of the ear. It’s one of the most common health conditions in the world with some estimates indicating that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one point or another. The condition is experienced as a sound in the ear that isn’t really there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds also.
Unfortunately, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as obvious as the symptoms. Some of the wide range of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more long term.
This is why environmental factors can play a major role in tinnitus symptoms. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you could be causing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is a result of damage, it could end up being permanent.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so common)?
Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a sound that isn’t really there. For the majority of people, tinnitus manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but it may also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short time period. In less common cases, tinnitus could become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also relatively common (more on that in a bit). The second reason is that tinnitus is usually a symptom of a root condition or injury. And there are quite a few conditions and injuries that can result in tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite prevalent for these reasons.
How is tinnitus affected by environmental factors?
There are a wide variety of factors that can contribute to tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. But when it comes to “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest offender. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get very loud. Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment worsening their tinnitus.
When assessing the state of your health, these environmental factors are extremely important.
Noise induced damage, as with hearing loss, can cause tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is caused by noise damage, it’s normally chronic and frequently permanent. Here are some of the most common noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Noise in the workplace: It could come as a surprise that lots of workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty noisy. Whether it’s industrial equipment or gabby office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around continuous workplace noise can eventually result in tinnitus.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes result from loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-period. For instance, going to a concert or using firearms can both result in tinnitus if the volumes reach a high enough level.
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will frequently be the result if you do this frequently.
- Traffic: Traffic in heavily populated places can be much louder than you might expect it to be. And noise damage can occur at a lower volume than you may expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these loud environments can eventually lead to hearing damage, including tinnitus.
People often wrongly think hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. Consequently, it’s important to wear hearing protection before you think you might need it. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
If I’m experiencing tinnitus, what should I do?
So, does tinnitus go away? Well, in some instances it might. But your symptoms might be irreversible in some cases. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. If you have tinnitus because of noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your chance of having your tinnitus come back and become chronic is much more likely.
Individuals tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to occur, which is the most significant contributing factor to its advancement. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already probably happened. If this is the situation, identifying and changing the source of the noise damage is essential to prevent further damage.
Here are some tips you can try:
- If you’re in a loud environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears breaks.
- Using hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to counter damage. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment when possible. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and shut the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
How to manage your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are frequently a big distraction and are really unpleasant for most individuals who deal with them. As a result, they frequently ask: how do you quiet tinnitus?
You should contact us for an appointment if you’re hearing a persistent ringing or buzzing in your ears. We will be able to assess your symptoms and identify how best to deal with them. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Symptom management may include the following:
- Masking device: This is a device that fits like a hearing aid and plays sounds that mask your symptoms. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by boosting the volume of external sounds with hearing aids.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the help of a specialist, which will slowly retrain the way you process sound.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been linked to an increase in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for instance) can sometimes help decrease your tinnitus symptoms.
- White noise devices: In some cases, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by utilizing a white noise generator around your home.
Tinnitus is not curable. A great first step would be to protect your hearing by managing your environment.
But addressing and managing tinnitus is possible. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan for you. A white noise machine, for many people, may be all that’s required. In other cases, a more extensive approach might be necessary.
Set up an appointment to learn how to manage your tinnitus symptoms.