(Newswire.net — November 30, 2020) — Do you find yourself frustrated by that slight ringing or buzzing in your ears? If so, you may be one of the millions of individuals suffering from tinnitus. This common hearing disorder affects roughly 15 percent of the United States population and ranges in severity. While some may find their tinnitus to just be a minor annoyance, more severe symptoms can make daily life a struggle.
However, since only you can hear that buzzing in your ears, it’s often challenging to know if you have tinnitus. If no one else can hear it, how can you be sure? Understanding and diagnosing your tinnitus can be tricky, but it’s essential to working toward a treatment plan that may help alleviate your stress and anxiety brought on by tinnitus. Here, we look at some of the common symptoms and common complications of tinnitus. We then walk through common procedures used by audiologists to diagnose this hearing condition.
SYMPTOMS OF TINNITUS
At its core, tinnitus is a hearing disorder that causes one to hear particular sounds when no external noise is present. Depending on the cause of your tinnitus, this hearing condition may manifest as a variety of sounds. The most common sounds of tinnitus include:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Clicking
- Roaring
- Hissing
- Humming
- Pulsing (like a heartbeat)
It’s important to note that tinnitus may be temporary or permanent. If you’ve ever gone to a live concert and left with a slight ringing in your ears—that’s tinnitus. Luckily, this form of tinnitus is temporary for most people and will fade over time. However, for example, following repeated exposure to loud noises, the noise in your ears may become permanent. This is one reason why it’s so critical to wear ear protection whenever you’re in a loud environment.
COMMON COMPLICATIONS OF TINNITUS
Depending on the severity of your tinnitus symptoms, you may also suffer from additional complications. Intermittent tinnitus may just be an annoyance, but when the symptoms become more severe (and at times, even permanent), your ability to communicate, form relationships, and enjoy your daily life can be adversely impacted. In some cases, individuals have even been driven to suicide.
Tinnitus affects everyone differently, but for many, stress and anxiety are common complications connected to this hearing condition. Even worse, tinnitus is often aggravated by stress and anxiety, and thus, creates a vicious cycle as both symptoms elevate the other. This can make it very difficult for individuals to find relief.
Fatigue and sleeplessness are also common complications. Imagine trying to fall asleep with a constant noise buzzing in your ears? This is a reality for many tinnitus patients. For many, additional stress and anxiety also make it more difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
HEARING TEST AND EVALUATION
One of the most effective ways to determine if you’re experiencing tinnitus (or any other hearing condition) is by scheduling a hearing test and evaluation with a professional audiologist. These specialized medical professionals can diagnose the cause of your tinnitus, which can then set you on the path to determining the best treatment plan. Since no two experiences of tinnitus are the exact same, treatment plans must be personalized for each individual to help them cope with their symptoms.
During a hearing evaluation, your doctor or audiologist will examine your ears, in addition to your head and neck, to look for possible causes of your tinnitus. While you may expect a thorough ear examination, it’s also important for an audiologist to inspect your neck, jaw, and head, as issues in these parts of the body may develop tinnitus. For example, disorders of the jaw, known as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, can cause tinnitus.
An audiological exam is essential for diagnosing tinnitus. In this type of test, the patient will wear special headphones that play specific sounds in one ear and then the next. The patient will indicate which sounds they are able to hear, which can serve as a basis for their tinnitus diagnosis. This can also rule out various causes.
A physical inspection of the ear canal itself is also important because blockage is a common cause of tinnitus and other hearing issues. Cerumen, or more commonly known as earwax, can build up in the ear canal and lead to various hearing issues, including tinnitus. If this is the case, a doctor or audiologist can actually perform a procedure that flushes out the excess ear wax. For many, this actually resolves the tinnitus symptoms.
SOUNDS OF TINNITUS
As previously stated, tinnitus can be experienced as many different sounds, from a ringing, clicking, to even a slight roaring sound. While there isn’t always a direct correlation between the sound and the cause, it can be a useful starting point for diagnosing your tinnitus.
If your tinnitus sounds like the steady thump of a heartbeat, it may be caused by blood vessel problems or a blockage in the ear canal. A minor humming or rushing sound can also point toward a vascular issue. If your tinnitus sounds like clicking in the ears, it may be caused by involuntary muscle contractions. If you mostly hear a low-pitched ringing, it could be caused by exposure to loud noises, age-related hearing loss, or even Meniere’s disease (which generally only affects one ear). A higher pitched ringing is generally related to loud noises or could be acoustic neuroma.
CONCLUSION – HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE TINNITUS?
It may not always be obvious that you have this common hearing condition. While millions of people all over the world are affected by tinnitus, it can be hard to verify or confirm because you’re the only person who can hear these phantom noises. This can make tinnitus an even more frustrating condition to live with.
To help the millions in need, doctors and audiologists have developed a variety of treatment options that may be beneficial depending on the cause and severity of your symptoms. There are even certain companies, such as Phytage labs Tinnitus 911, that specialize in all-natural supplements to help relieve the symptoms of tinnitus.