It’s not unusual for individuals to have ringing in their ears, also called tinnitus. Some estimates suggest that 10 percent of people experience 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 actually there, usually, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can manifest as other sounds too.
Sadly, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as obvious as the symptoms. In part, that’s because tinnitus could be caused by a wide range of causes, some of which are temporary and others that can be more long lasting.
That’s why your environment can be very important. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you may be doing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be permanent or it may sometimes react to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many individuals experience tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a noise that isn’t actually there. Tinnitus normally manifests as a ringing or buzzing, but can also manifest as other sounds, like screeching, thumping, or humming. Usually, the sounds are consistent or rhythmic. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short period of time. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
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 a root condition or injury. And there are quite a few conditions and injuries that can result in tinnitus. Consequently, tinnitus tends to be rather common.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
There are a wide variety of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. However, when most people discuss “environment” when it comes to tinnitus, they actually mean the noise. For example, some neighborhoods are noisier than others (traffic noise in some areas can get exceptionally high). Somebody would be at risk of environmental tinnitus, for example, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
These environmental factors can be exceptionally important when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-related damage can eventually cause tinnitus symptoms. In these cases, the resulting tinnitus tends to be chronic in nature. Here are some of the most common noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Traffic: You might not even realize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated places. And noise damage can happen at a lower volume than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the result of long commutes in these noisy locations.
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a fairly common practice. Tinnitus will frequently be the result if you do this frequently.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes result from loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-period. For example, going to a concert or using firearms can both trigger tinnitus if the volumes reach a loud enough level.
- 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.
Hearing damage can occur at a much lower volume than people generally expect. Because of this, hearing protection should be used at lower volumes than you might expect. Noise associated 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 cases it may. In other situations, your symptoms may be irreversible. At first, it’s basically impossible to know which is which. Moreover, just because your tinnitus has reseeded doesn’t mean that noise damage hasn’t happened, leading to an increased chance of chronic tinnitus in the future.
One of the most main contributing factors to the development of tinnitus is that people tend to underestimate the volume at which damage occurs to their ears. Damage has likely already happened if you’re experiencing tinnitus. If this is the case, finding and changing the source of the noise damage is essential to prevent additional damage.
Here are a few tips you can try:
- Reducing the amount of time you spend in loud environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
- Using hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to prevent damage. Noise canceling headphones can also be a benefit in this regard.
- If possible, try to decrease environmental volume. For instance, you could close the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that isn’t in use.
Dealing with symptoms
Lots of individuals who experience chronic tinnitus find the symptoms to be tremendously distracting and unpleasant. This prompts them to try and find a way to ease the intensity 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 regulate your particular situation. There’s no cure for most types of chronic tinnitus. Symptom management might include the following:
- Retraining therapy: In some instances, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually changing the way you process sound.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- 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 example.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by raising the volume of outside sounds with hearing aids.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, only instead of boosting sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specially calibrated to mask your symptoms of tinnitus.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. That’s why controlling your environment to safeguard your hearing is a great first step.
But treating and controlling tinnitus is possible. We’ll be able to formulate a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. A white noise machine, for many people, may be all that’s necessary. In other cases, a more intensive approach might be necessary.
Schedule an appointment to find out how to address your tinnitus symptoms.
