You Know when you’re watching an action movie and the hero has a loud explosion close by and their ears begin to ring? Well, at least some level of minor brain trauma has likely happened to them.
To be certain, brain injuries aren’t the bit that most action movies focus on. But that ringing in our hero’s ears signifies a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is most frequently talked about from the perspective of hearing loss, but actually, traumatic brain injuries such as concussions can also trigger this particular ringing in the ears.
Concussions, after all, are one of the more prevalent traumatic brain injuries that happen. And they can occur for numerous reasons (for example, falls, sporting accidents, and motor vehicle crashes). It can be somewhat complicated sorting out how a concussion can lead to tinnitus. Fortunately, treating and managing your conditions is usually very attainable.
Concussions, exactly what are they?
A concussion is a particular type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Think about it like this: your brain is situated fairly tightly into your skull (your brain is big, and your skull is there to protect it). When anything comes along and shakes the head violently enough, your brain begins moving around in your skull. But because there’s so little additional space in there, your brain may literally smash into the inside of your skull.
This harms your brain! The brain can hit one or more sides of your skull. And this is what leads to a concussion. This example makes it quite evident that a concussion is literally damage to the brain. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- Nausea and vomiting
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Confusion and loss of memory
- Slurred speech
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Headaches
Although this list makes the point, it’s by no means exhaustive. Several weeks to several months is the normal duration of concussion symptoms. When someone gets a single concussion, they will usually make a complete recovery. But, repeated or multiple concussions are a bigger problem (generally, it’s the best idea to avoid these).
How is tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Is it actually possible that a concussion could impact your hearing?
The question of concussions and tinnitus is an intriguing one. Because it’s more correct to say that traumatic brain injuries (even mild ones) can bring about tinnitus, It isn’t just concussions. Even minor brain injuries can result in that ringing in your ears. That may happen in a few ways:
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: There are three tiny bones in your ear that help transfer sounds to your brain. A major impact (the kind that can cause a concussion, for example) can push these bones out of position. Tinnitus can be triggered by this and it can also disrupt your hearing.
- Damage to your hearing: For members of the military, TBIs and concussions are often related to distance to an explosion. Irreversible hearing loss can be caused when the stereocilia in your ears are damaged by the tremendously noisy shock wave of an explosion. Tinnitus isn’t necessarily caused by a concussion, but they definitely do share some root causes.
- Disruption of communication: In some instances, the portion of your brain that manages hearing can become harmed by a concussion. When this happens, the messages that get sent from your ear cannot be correctly dealt with, and tinnitus might happen consequently.
- Nerve damage: A concussion might also trigger damage to the nerve that is in charge of transferring the sounds you hear to your brain.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: This type of concussion happens when the inner ear is injured due to your TBI. This damage can cause inflammation and cause both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The development of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be caused by a TBI. This is a result of an accumulation of pressure within the inner ear. Sooner or later, Meniere’s syndrome can lead to significant tinnitus and hearing loss.
It’s important to stress that every traumatic brain injury and concussion is a little different. Every patient will get individualized care and instructions from us. You should definitely contact us for an assessment if you think you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
How do you manage tinnitus from a concussion?
Usually, it will be a temporary scenario if tinnitus is the result of a concussion. How long can tinnitus last after a concussion? Weeks or months, unfortunately, could be the time period. Then again, if your tinnitus has lasted for more than a year, it’s likely to be irreversible. In these cases, the treatment plan changes to controlling your symptoms over the long term.
Here are some ways to accomplish this:
- Therapy: In some cases, therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be used to help patients ignore the noise produced by their tinnitus. You disregard the sound after accepting it. It will take some therapy, practice, and time though.
- Hearing aid: In a similar way to when you’re dealing with hearing loss not caused by a TBI, tinnitus symptoms seem louder because everything else is quieter. Hearing aids help your tinnitus go into the background by turning up the volume on everything else.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, but instead of helping you hear things more loudly, it creates a distinct noise in your ear. Your particular tinnitus symptoms dictate what sound the device will generate helping you ignore the tinnitus sounds and be better able to focus on voices and other external sounds.
Obtaining the desired result will, in some cases, require additional therapies. Getting rid of the tinnitus will often require treatment to the underlying concussion. Depending on the status of your concussion, there could be several possible courses of action. In this regard, an accurate diagnosis is key.
Find out what the right plan of treatment may be for you by getting in touch with us.
You can manage tinnitus caused by a TBI
Your life can be traumatically affected by a concussion. When you get a concussion, it’s a bad day! And if you’ve been in a car crash and your ears are ringing, you might wonder why.
Tinnitus could surface instantly or in the days that follow. However, it’s essential to remember that tinnitus after a head injury can be managed effectively. Contact us today to make an appointment.