Tinnitus is an extremely common condition of the ear. Some estimates indicate that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one point 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 actually there, normally, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds too.
While the prevalence of tinnitus may be evident, the causes are often more opaque. In part, that’s because tinnitus may result from a wide variety of causes, some of which are temporary and others that can be more permanent.
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 might be causing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is a result of damage, it may end up being permanent.
Why do so many people experience tinnitus?
When you hear noises that aren’t really there, that’s tinnitus. For the majority of people, tinnitus manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but it may also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. The sounds are normally rhythmic in nature. For most people, tinnitus will occur 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.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. Firstly, environmental factors that can contribute to tinnitus are fairly common. The second reason is that tinnitus is frequently a symptom of a root condition or injury. And there are a wide variety of conditions and injuries that can trigger tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite prevalent for these reasons.
How can the environment affect tinnitus?
There are a large number of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. However, when the majority of people discuss “environment” in terms of tinnitus, they really mean the noise. Some settings, such as noisy city streets, can get really loud. Somebody would be at risk of environmental tinnitus, for example, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
When assessing the state of your health, these environmental factors are extremely significant.
As with hearing loss, noise-associated damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. In these situations, the resulting tinnitus tends to be chronic in nature. Some of the most common noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Traffic: Traffic in densely populated places can be much louder than you might expect it to be. And you might 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 cause hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Noise in the workplace: It might come as a surprise that lots of workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty noisy. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of lots of people talking in an office.
- Music: Many individuals will frequently listen to their music at loud volumes. Tinnitus will often be the outcome if you do this frequently.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short periods, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. For instance, going to a concert or using firearms can both lead to tinnitus if the volumes reach a loud enough level.
Hearing damage can happen at a much lower volume than people usually expect. Because of this, hearing protection should be utilized at lower volumes than you might expect. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
What should I do if I’m experiencing tinnitus?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Perhaps, in some instances. In other cases, your symptoms could be irreversible. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is much more likely.
One of the most significant contributing factors to the advancement of tinnitus is that people tend to underestimate the volume at which damage happens to their ears. Damage has probably already happened if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to alter your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- If possible, try to lower environmental volume. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and shut the windows if it’s noisy outside, for example.
- If you’re in a noisy setting, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
- Prevent damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. Noise canceling headphones can also be a benefit in this regard.
Managing symptoms
Many people who experience chronic tinnitus find the symptoms to be enormously distracting and unpleasant. As a result, they frequently ask: how do you quiet tinnitus?
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s important to set up an appointment, especially if the sound doesn’t go away. We can help you figure out the best way to regulate your specific situation. There’s no cure for the majority of types of chronic tinnitus. Symptom management might include the following:
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify other sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- White noise devices: In some instances, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by utilizing a white noise generator around your house.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits like a hearing aid and plays sounds to mask your symptoms. Your device will be specially calibrated to mask your symptoms of tinnitus.
- 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.
- Retraining therapy: In some instances, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually modifying the way you process sound.
Tinnitus is not curable. A good first step would be to safeguard your hearing by managing your environment.
But treating and controlling tinnitus is possible. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan according to your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many, might be all that’s necessary. In other cases, a more intensive approach might be needed.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!