Tinnitus is usually described as a ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing. It may be soft or loud, high-pitched or low-pitched and you might hear it in one or both ears.
Tinnitus is not a disease; it is a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the ear, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain and the parts of the brain that process sound. Something as simple as a piece of earwax blocking the ear canal can cause tinnitus.
What causes tinnitus?
Each case is unique but the most common cause is a hearing loss, even if this hearing loss very minimal. When you have a hearing loss, your brain is deprived of the external stimulation it requires. To compensate, your brain searches for sound internally, picking up on natural internal head noises and labelling them as significant. Your brain then interprets this sound as tinnitus.
While stress does not directly cause tinnitus, it can worsen its effects. A range of factors can cause stress and significant periods of stress or stressful events have been known to trigger tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be the result of a number of health conditions, such as:
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Ear and sinus infections
- Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
- Ménière’s disease
- Brain tumours
- Hormonal changes in women
- Thyroid abnormalities
Mental and emotional anguish
Even with all of these associated conditions and causes, some people develop tinnitus for no obvious reason. Most of the time, tinnitus isn’t a sign of a serious health problem; although if it’s loud or doesn’t go away, it can cause fatigue, depression, anxiety and problems with memory and concentration. For some, tinnitus can be a source of real mental and emotional anguish.
Talk to the experts
There are many simple things that may help you to manage tinnitus – so don’t ever feel that you’re alone! Make an appointment to see one of our professionally qualified audiologists, who can help you manage this condition.
During your tinnitus hearing assessment your audiologist will help you identify the exact pitch, frequency and volume of your tinnitus. They will do this by having you listen to different sounds of varied pitch, frequency and volume until you find a sound very similar to your tinnitus. By identifying the pitch, frequency and volume of tinnitus your audiologist can see if they can cover up the sound of your tinnitus with other sounds and background noises. If successful, this can significantly reduce your tinnitus distress.
Helping yourself
Your audiologist can support you but there are also some techniques to manage to tinnitus that you can try yourself:
This may sound obvious but learn more about tinnitus – understanding what tinnitus is, what causes it, how common it is and how you can manage it can be reassuring. Research has found that if you can change the way you perceive, and relate to your tinnitus, you can significantly reduce the distress caused by your tinnitus.
When you hear tinnitus, the majority of people’s habitual and instinctive response is to get annoyed, irritated and distressed. However, by getting upset you can actually make your tinnitus worse, as these negative emotions increase stress on your brain, which in turn amplifies your tinnitus!
Background noise actually helps!
Environmental sounds and background noises can help reduce your tinnitus distress by reducing the audibility of your tinnitus. Background sounds such as pink noise, white noise, the sounds of waves crashing and the sound of rain compete with the sound of your tinnitus; making your tinnitus seem much softer.
Like when you are in a busy restaurant and it can be hard to hear people’s voices, these extra noises will make it more difficult to hear your tinnitus. When selecting environmental sounds select calm, soothing soundscapes with relatively constant pitch. This can help to take your mind off your tinnitus by making it less noticeable. It can help you to relax and fall asleep.
Smart tips to managing tinnitus
Use hearing aids if you also have hearing loss – not only will hearing aids help you hear better, hearing more environmental sounds can help to mask the sound of your tinnitus.
Learn to relax – stress can sometimes worsen tinnitus, so knowing how to reduce your stress levels can help you to manage tinnitus. Take steps to improve your general health; having a well-balanced diet and taking regular exercise will help your overall wellbeing and may help you to cope with tinnitus more easily.
Chat to others with tinnitus – sharing experiences and tips with others who have tinnitus can be really useful. Let your family and friends know how tinnitus affects you – once your family and friends know how tinnitus affects you, they’ll be better equipped to support you.
Protect your ears from loud noise – exposure to too much loud noise can damage your ears and worsen existing tinnitus.
Remember that you are not alone and Audiology Medical Services are here to help manage your condition.
Make an appointment
If you have any questions, feel free to consult one of our professional audiologists for advice at any one of our clinics nationwide. Call 1800 501 501, or see www.audiologymedicalservices.ie/
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