Tinnitus is an incredibly common condition of the ear. Some estimates suggest that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one time or another, making it one of the most common health conditions in the world. The condition manifests as a sound in the ear that isn’t really there, normally, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can manifest as other sounds also.
Unfortunately, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as evident as the symptoms. Some of the wide array of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more long term.
This is why environmental factors can Have a major impact on tinnitus symptoms. If the background sound of your particular setting is very loud, you may be harming your hearing. If your tinnitus is caused by damage, it could end up being permanent.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so common)?
When you hear noises that aren’t actually there, that’s tinnitus. For most people, tinnitus manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but it may also present as thumping, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. Usually, the sounds are steady or rhythmic. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus will occur over a short period of time before resolving itself and vanishing. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. Firstly, environmental factors that can contribute to tinnitus are quite prevalent. Root conditions and injuries can bring about tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. And there are a wide variety of conditions and injuries that can trigger tinnitus. As a result, tinnitus tends to be quite common.
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. However, when the majority of people talk about “environment” when it comes to tinnitus, they actually mean the noise. For example, some neighborhoods are louder than others (traffic noise in some areas can get exceptionally high). Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment exacerbating their tinnitus.
When evaluating the state of your health, these environmental factors are very significant.
Noise related damage, as with hearing loss, can activate tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is due to noise damage, it’s typically chronic and frequently permanent. Some of the most common noise and environment-related causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short intervals, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. For example, going to a concert or using firearms can both result in tinnitus if the volumes get to a high enough level.
- Traffic: Traffic in densely populated places can be a lot louder than you might expect it to be. And you may not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you might expect. Long commutes or regular driving in these noisy settings can eventually result in hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Noise in the workplace: It may come as a surprise that lots of workplaces, sometimes even offices, are fairly loud. Whether it’s industrial equipment or chatty office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around constant workplace noise can eventually result in tinnitus.
- Music: Listening to music at loud volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will often be the result if you do this frequently.
Hearing damage can occur at a much lower volume than people usually expect. As a result, it’s essential to use hearing protection before you think you may need it. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
What should I do if I have tinnitus?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Well, in some instances it may. But your symptoms may be irreversible in some cases. At first, 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 probable.
Individuals often underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins 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 happened. This means that there are several things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more irreparable damage.
Here are some tips you can try:
- Wearing hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to prevent damage. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- If possible, try to decrease environmental volume. For example, you could shut the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that isn’t in use.
- If you’re in a loud environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
How to manage your symptoms
Lots of people who experience chronic tinnitus find the symptoms to be extremely distracting and uncomfortable. Because of this, they frequently ask: how do you quiet tinnitus?
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s essential to make an appointment, particularly if the sound won’t go away. We can help you determine the best way to address your particular situation. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Here are a number of ways to manage the symptoms:
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the help of a specialist, which will progressively retrain the way you process sound.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your house can help you tune out your tinnitus in some instances.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, but instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. The precise calibration of your device will depend on your particular symptoms.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been associated with an increase in the severity of tinnitus symptoms. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be eased by using relaxation techniques like meditation, for instance.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why controlling your environment to protect your hearing is a practical first step.
But tinnitus can be managed and managed. We’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many people, might be all that’s necessary. In other situations, a more extensive approach may be needed.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!
