One of the most common hearing problems in the world, tinnitus affects millions of individuals and can make hearing and communication a challenge. Living with tinnitus over time can even strain your relationships or lead to mental health problems, like anxiety or depression. While there is no cure for tinnitus, there are methods, like tinnitus health supplements including Tinnitus 911, that can help people better manage their tinnitus symptoms so that eventually they may not even notice that slight ringing in their ears.
Here, we’re taking a closer look at this common hearing problem to learn more about it and how it affects individuals. We also look at common causes of tinnitus and work to answer one of the most common questions those living with tinnitus are bound to have—will my tinnitus symptoms ever go away?
What is Tinnitus?
According to the Mayo Clinic, tinnitus is classified as the experience of ringing (or other sounds like buzzing or hissing) in one or both of your ears. What’s the unique aspect here? Well, there is no external sound present. This means that these “phantom sounds” are only heard by the person experiencing tinnitus. This makes this hearing problem a very frustrating and infuriating condition to live with and many people are surprised to learn how common this hearing problem is. While more common in older adults, studies reveal that tinnitus symptoms affect around15 to 20 percent of all adults.
An important thing to note, however, tinnitus itself is not a disease or illness. Rather, tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying health issue, such as age-related hearing loss, blood vessel disorders, ear wax blockage, or certain medications. By first identifying and diagnosing the source of your hearing problem, the doctor or audiologist can then begin to develop a specific treatment plan that works best for your healthcare needs and condition.
What are the Causes of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be a challenging problem to identify because it has so many different causes. Tinnitus may be caused by injuries (especially to the head or neck), illnesses, certain medications, or repeated exposure to loud noises. For the majority of cases, tinnitus is simply another of many symptoms of growing old and accompanies age-related hearing loss. If you believe you’re experiencing tinnitus, schedule a visit with your audiologist for a hearing test and comprehensive examination.
Many of the most common causes of tinnitus are:
- Age-related hearing loss (the most common cause)
- Exposure to loud noises
- Ear wax blockage
- Meniere’s disease
- Lyme disease
- Muscles stiffening in the inner ear
- Ear bone changes
- Blood vessel disorders
- Certain medications
- Acoustic neuroma
Can Tinnitus Be Cured?
Sadly, there is no current medical cure for tinnitus. But the resolution to tinnitus symptoms is also largely based on the cause of your tinnitus. For example, if your tinnitus is caused by ear wax buildup, then an audiologist can perform a simple ear wax removal procedure that flushes the excess wax from your ear canal. In most cases, this will immediately quiet the sounds of tinnitus for these patients. However, in most cases, such as if tinnitus is caused by old age or repeated exposure to loud noises, the resolution is not so simple.
Will My Tinnitus Symptoms Ever Go Away?
In most cases, tinnitus symptoms do not simply go away. However, the specific cause of your tinnitus is what primarily determines whether or not your tinnitus symptoms will resolve themselves or if you need to pursue other treatment options to help you lie with that slight buzzing sound.
In some cases, tinnitus symptoms actually will go away. Think back to the last time you left a concert. Walking out, did you have a slight ringing in your ears that faded after thirty or so minutes? If so, then you experienced a mild form of tinnitus. Tinnitus can be caused by exposure to loud noises. If this only happens occasionally, the buzzing phantom noise will go away with time, but if this happens a lot (such as due to the nature of your work) the tinnitus symptoms may actually become permanent.
However, in the majority of tinnitus cases, symptoms do not fade away so easily. For most tinnitus patients, the buzzing or ringing sound does not go away, even over a period of long time. This, in part, is because tinnitus is not a disease itself, but rather, a symptom of an underlying health issue. Thus, unless that health issue is addressed or treated, the sound of tinnitus will not go away.
But there is hope. Doctors have developed a variety of treatment options that may not cure tinnitus, but they do help people live better lives by managing their tinnitus symptoms. Some of the effective treatments for managing tinnitus include white noise machines, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), talk therapy, or even just strategies for helping you relax—as stress and anxiety can make tinnitus even worse. Speak with your doctor or audiologist to explore which treatment option could be right for your particular needs.
Do you experience a mild to intense buzzing or ringing sound in your ears that simply won’t go away? If the answer is yes, then you could be one of millions who currently lives with tinnitus, one of the most common hearing problems. Living daily with tinnitus can be frustrating and make communication feel almost impossible. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, this hearing problem can even lead to anxiety, depression, or insomnia.
While there is no medical cure for tinnitus, there are methods to help individuals manage their tinnitus symptoms so that they can once again lead happy, productive lives. Speak with your audiologist or doctor if you believe you’re experiencing this hearing problem. They can diagnose your hearing health, and if needed, work to develop a treatment plan that can help you manage your symptoms and finally take back control of your hearing health.