It’s not uncommon for people to have ringing in their ears, also known as tinnitus. It’s one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world with some estimates indicating that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one point or another. The condition manifests as a sound in the ear that isn’t really there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can take the form of other sounds as well.
Unfortunately, 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.
This is why environmental factors can play a major role in tinnitus symptoms. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is noisy, you may be causing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be long lasting or it may sometimes respond to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many people experience tinnitus?
When you hear sounds that aren’t really present, that’s tinnitus. For most people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it may perhaps also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. Normally, the sounds are constant or rhythmic. Tinnitus will usually clear itself up after a short time period. Though not as common, chronic tinnitus is effectively permanent.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that contribute to tinnitus are also quite common (more on that in a bit). Root conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. And there are lots of conditions and injuries that can result in tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite prevalent for these reasons.
How is tinnitus affected by environmental factors?
Other things can also trigger tinnitus, including ototoxic medicines and chemicals. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest offender. 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 worsening their tinnitus.
When evaluating the state of your health, these environmental factors are really important.
As with hearing loss, noise-induced damage can eventually cause tinnitus symptoms. In these circumstances, the resulting tinnitus is often chronic in nature. Some of the most common noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Traffic: You might not even recognize how loud traffic can be in heavily populated places. And noise damage can occur at a lower volume than you might expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the result of long commutes in these noisy settings.
- Noise in the workplace: It might come as a surprise that many workplaces, sometimes even offices, are pretty noisy. Whether it’s industrial equipment or gabby office neighbors, spending eight hours a day around constant workplace noise can eventually lead to tinnitus.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes be caused by loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-period. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this type of noise.
- Music: Listening to music at loud volumes is a pretty common practice. Tinnitus will frequently be the outcome if you do this regularly.
Damage to the ears can occur at a much lower volume than people usually expect. Consequently, it’s essential to wear hearing protection before you think you might need it. Hearing protection can help you avoid tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
If I have tinnitus, what should I do?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Well, in some cases it might. But your symptoms may be irreversible in some instances. There’s no way to tell which is which at the beginning. If you have tinnitus because of noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your risk of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is a lot more probable.
One of the most significant contributing factors to the development of tinnitus is that individuals tend to underestimate the volume at which damage occurs to their ears. If you experience tinnitus, your body is telling you that damage has already probably occurred. If this is the situation, finding and changing the source of the noise damage is essential to prevent further damage.
For example, you could try:
- If possible, try to decrease environmental volume. For example, you could shut the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial machinery that isn’t in use.
- Using hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to counter damage. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- If you’re in a noisy setting, limit the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
Managing symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are frequently a big distraction and are quite uncomfortable for the majority of people who deal with them. This prompts them to attempt to find a way to ease the severity of their symptoms.
If you hear a ringing or buzzing sound, it’s essential to schedule an appointment, particularly if the sound doesn’t go away. We will be able to assess your symptoms and determine how best to address them. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Here are a number of ways to manage the symptoms:
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been linked to an increase in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be alleviated by utilizing relaxation techniques like meditation, for instance.
- White noise devices: Utilizing a white noise device around your house can help you tune out your tinnitus in some instances.
- Retraining therapy: In some situations, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually modifying the way you process sound.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing produced by tinnitus can be drowned out by amplifying the volume of outside sounds with hearing aids.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits similarly to a hearing aid and plays sounds to mask your symptoms. 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 protect your hearing is a practical first step.
But tinnitus can be addressed and treated. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan for you. A white noise machine, for many people, may be all that’s necessary. For other people, management might be more intense.
Learn how to best manage your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!