It’s not unusual for people to have ringing in their ears, also known as tinnitus. 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. The condition manifests 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 permanent.
That’s why your environment can be critically important. If the background sound of your particular setting is very loud, you may be harming your hearing. This environmental tinnitus may sometimes be long lasting or it may sometimes respond to changes to make your environment quieter.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so prevalent)?
When you hear noises that aren’t actually there, that’s tinnitus. Tinnitus typically manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other noises, like screeching, thumping, or humming. The sounds are normally rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short time period. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so common. Firstly, environmental factors that can play a role in tinnitus are quite prevalent. Root conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. Put simply, there are many such injuries or conditions that can result in tinnitus. Tinnitus is rather prevalent for these reasons.
How is tinnitus impacted by environmental factors?
Other things can also trigger tinnitus, including ototoxic medications and chemicals. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest offender. 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 exacerbating their tinnitus.
These environmental factors can be exceptionally significant when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-related damage can eventually cause tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is caused by noise damage, it’s typically chronic and frequently permanent. Some of the most prevalent noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Noise in the workplace: Lots of workplaces, including offices, are often the source of loud noises. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Traffic: You might not even realize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated locations. And you might not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you may expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these noisy settings can eventually lead to hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short intervals, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Shooting a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this type of noise.
- Music: Listening to music at loud volumes is a pretty common practice. Doing this on a consistent basis can often cause tinnitus symptoms.
People frequently mistakenly believe hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. As a result, it’s crucial to wear hearing protection before you think you may need it. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
If I’m experiencing tinnitus, what should I do?
Will tinnitus go away on its own? Maybe, in some cases. In other cases, your symptoms may be irreversible. Initially, it’s basically impossible to know which is which. If you have tinnitus caused by noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your risk of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is much more likely.
People tend to underestimate the minimum volume that damage starts to occur, which is the most significant contributing factor to its development. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already likely occurred. If this is the situation, identifying and changing the source of the noise damage is essential to prevent further damage.
For example, you could try:
- Prevent damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Decreasing the amount of time you spend in noisy environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
- Reducing the volume of your environment when possible. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and close the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
How to handle your symptoms
Many people who experience persistent tinnitus find the symptoms to be extremely distracting and uncomfortable. Because of this, they often ask: how do you calm tinnitus?
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s important to schedule an appointment, particularly if the sound won’t go away. We can help you figure out the best way to manage your specific situation. There’s no cure for most types of chronic tinnitus. Here are a number of ways to manage the symptoms:
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by amplifying the volume of external sounds with hearing aids.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- Masking device: This device is a lot like a hearing aid, only instead of boosting sounds, it masks them. The exact calibration of your device will depend on your specific symptoms.
- 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: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be aggravated by high blood pressure. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by using relaxation techniques like meditation, for example.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why managing your environment to protect your hearing is a great first step.
But tinnitus can be managed and managed. We’ll be able to establish a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. For some, dealing with your tinnitus might simply mean making use of a white noise machine. In other cases, a more extensive approach may be necessary.
Make an appointment to find out how to regulate your tinnitus symptoms.