Tinnitus is an exceptionally common condition of the ear. Some estimates suggest that 10 percent of people experience tinnitus at one time or another, making it one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world. 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 as well.
While the preponderance of tinnitus may be evident, the causes are often more opaque. Some of the wide array of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more permanent.
That’s why your environment can be very important. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you might be causing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be long lasting or it may sometimes respond to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many individuals experience tinnitus?
When you hear sounds that aren’t really present, that’s tinnitus. Tinnitus normally manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other noises, like screeching, thumping, or humming. Usually, the sounds are steady or rhythmic. For most people, tinnitus will happen over a short period of time before resolving itself and going away. In less common cases, tinnitus may become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. Firstly, environmental factors that can play a role in tinnitus are rather common. The second reason is that tinnitus is frequently a symptom of an underlying condition or injury. Put simply, there are many such injuries or conditions that can trigger tinnitus. Tinnitus is rather prevalent for these reasons.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
Other things can also produce tinnitus, including ototoxic medicines and chemicals. But when it comes to “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite 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 incredibly important when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-associated damage can eventually cause tinnitus symptoms. In these circumstances, the resulting tinnitus is often chronic in nature. Some of the most common noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Music: Many people will often listen to their music at loud volumes. Doing this on a consistent basis can frequently result in tinnitus symptoms.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short stretches, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Shooting a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this kind of noise.
- Traffic: You might not even realize how loud traffic can be in densely populated locations. And noise damage can occur at a lower volume than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the outcome of long commutes in these noisy locations.
- Noise in the workplace: Many workplaces, including offices, are frequently the source of loud noises. Whether it’s industrial equipment or chatty office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around constant workplace noise can eventually result in tinnitus.
Damage to the ears can happen at a much lower volume than people usually expect. Consequently, it’s crucial to use hearing protection before you think you might need it. Noise induced tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
Will tinnitus clear up on its own? Well, in some instances it could. In other cases, your symptoms could be permanent. There’s no way to know which is which at the beginning. Likewise, just because your tinnitus has gone away for now doesn’t mean that noise damage hasn’t happened, resulting in an increased risk of chronic tinnitus down the road.
People often underestimate the minimum volume that damage starts 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 a number of things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
Here are some tips you can try:
- Limiting the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
- Stop damage by using hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. Noise canceling headphones can also be a benefit in this regard.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment when possible. For instance, you could close the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that isn’t in use.
How to deal with your symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are often a huge distraction and are really unpleasant for the majority of individuals who deal with them. This prompts them to try and find a way to ease the severity of their symptoms.
You should contact us for an appointment if you are hearing a persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears. We can help you determine the best way to handle your particular situation. There’s no cure for most forms of chronic tinnitus. Here are a few ways to manage the symptoms:
- White noise devices: In some cases, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by using a white noise generator around your home.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the assistance of a specialist, which will slowly retrain the way you process sound.
- Masking device: This device is a lot like a hearing aid, but instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specially calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be exacerbated by high blood pressure. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by utilizing relaxation techniques like meditation, for instance.
Tinnitus has no cure. That’s why managing your environment to safeguard your hearing is a practical first step.
But tinnitus can be managed and managed. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan for you. For some people, managing your tinnitus may simply mean making use of a white noise machine. In other cases, a more intensive approach may be needed.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!
