It’s not unusual for people to have ringing in their ears, also called tinnitus. Some estimates suggest that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one point or another, making it one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world. Even though the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds too.
While the prevalence of tinnitus may be evident, the causes are often more cloudy. 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. If the background sound of your particular environment is very loud, you might be damaging your hearing. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be permanent or it may sometimes respond to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many people experience tinnitus?
When you hear noises that aren’t actually there, that’s tinnitus. For the majority of individuals, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it could also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. For the majority of people, tinnitus will occur over a short period of time before solving itself and going away. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
Tinnitus is so common for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also fairly common (more on that in a bit). Underlying conditions and injuries can bring about tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. Put simply, there are lots of such injuries or conditions that can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite common for these reasons.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
Other things can also trigger tinnitus, including ototoxic medicines and chemicals. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest culprit. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite loud. Likewise, anyone who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment exacerbating their tinnitus.
These environmental factors can be exceptionally important when considering your hearing health.
As with hearing loss, noise-induced damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is due to noise damage, it’s usually chronic and often permanent. Here are some of the most prevalent noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short intervals, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this type of noise.
- Traffic: You might not even recognize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated locations. And you may not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you may expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these noisy settings can eventually cause hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Noise in the workplace: Many workplaces, including offices, are often the source of loud noises. Whether it’s industrial equipment or gabby office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around constant workplace noise can eventually result in tinnitus.
- Music: Many people will frequently listen to their music at high volumes. Tinnitus will frequently be the outcome if you do this frequently.
Hearing damage can happen at a much lower volume than people generally expect. Consequently, it’s essential to wear hearing protection before you think you may need it. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
If I have tinnitus, what should I do?
So, does tinnitus go away? Perhaps, in some cases. But your symptoms may be permanent in some instances. At first, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. If you have tinnitus caused by noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is a lot more probable.
Individuals often underestimate the minimum volume that damage starts to happen, 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. If this is the situation, identifying and changing the source of the noise damage is essential to prevent additional damage.
Here are some tips you can try:
- Stop damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some amount of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Reducing the volume of your environment when possible. If you have any machinery that isn’t in use, turn it off, and close the windows if it’s noisy outside, for example.
- If you’re in a loud environment, regulate the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
Dealing with symptoms
Many individuals who experience persistent tinnitus find the symptoms to be enormously distracting and uncomfortable. Because of this, they often ask: how do you quiet tinnitus?
If you hear a ringing or buzzing sound, it’s essential to set up an appointment, particularly if the sound doesn’t go away. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms and identify how best to manage them. There’s no cure for most types of chronic tinnitus. Here are a few ways to manage the symptoms:
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing produced by tinnitus.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be aggravated by high blood pressure. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for example) can sometimes help diminish your tinnitus symptoms.
- Retraining therapy: You can sometimes retrain your ears with the assistance of a specialist, which will slowly retrain the way you process sound.
- White noise devices: In some cases, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by using a white noise generator around your house.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, but instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specifically calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. A great first step would be to protect your hearing by managing your environment.
But tinnitus can be addressed and treated. We’ll be able to establish a specific treatment plan based on your hearing, your tinnitus, and your lifestyle. For some people, managing your tinnitus might simply mean making use of a white noise machine. In other cases, a more intensive approach may be needed.
Learn how to best manage your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!
