Top Facts and Findings You Need to Know About Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a hearing condition which is often associated with hearing loss. Tinnitus is a ringing, whooshing or other constant sound in your ears that nobody else around you can hear. It is often found with other symptoms of hearing loss such as things sounding quieter than before, and needing people to repeat themselves. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some top facts and findings that you need to know about tinnitus, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

It can Impact More People Than the Elderly

One of the common misconceptions about tinnitus is that it only impacts the elderly. This is not the case at all. Tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss and it impacts around 15% of people in the united states. It is true to say that most of them are over the age of 60, with around five percent accounting for 20–30-year-olds, and the rest between 30 and 60.

There are very few reports of tinnitus being a problem in children, with most cases starting in the teenage years. When this does occur, it’s likely due to exposure to loud noises for prolonged periods.

There are Different Types of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a blanket term for a range of ringing, buzzing, whooshing and thumping in the ears. There are a number of types of tinnitus, with the most common being subjective. This is where only the person can hear the noise in their ears, and it cannot be heard by the outside world.

However, there have been some cases of objective tinnitus, where the audiologist can actually hear what the person is experiencing. The former is usually caused by damage to the inner ear, whereas the latter can be caused by a burst blood vessel or something like this.

It’s Not Always Permanent

A lot of people believe that once you experience it, that is it, it’s permanent now. This is not the case at all, as a lot of people experience temporary tinnitus without even realizing it. For example, when you have been to a concert for example, your hearing goes a little funny, right?

At first it probably sounds like your ears are being muffled right when the music stops before the applause, and again when you’re walking around or waiting for the next act. Once the concert is over though, a lot of people will experience ringing in their ears due to the lack of sound that they are now experiencing.

Tinnitus is most prevalent when there is no competing noise, and the ringing that you experience in the quiet after a show is temporary tinnitus. This can also happen if you stand next to a washing machine for too long, if you insert a cotton swab too far into your ear when cleaning and under so many other circumstances. Your ears are sensitive, and if you are experiencing temporary tinnitus, be careful because you don’t want it to become permanent.

Tinnitus can also be due to a buildup of earwax inside your ears. This can be quickly treated with a professional ear cleaning out to remove any compacted earwax that could be blocking your ear canals. An audiologist can arrange this for you.

It’s Increasingly Common

Tinnitus is now becoming increasingly common as the years go on. People are not looking after their hearing health or seeing their audiologist frequently enough to take care of themselves properly. As such, it’s becoming an increasing problem. You have got to make sure that you are taking care of your ears, and those people who aren’t are going to be the ones who have tinnitus from not taking the right precautions.

Treatment is Available

Tinnitus is not curable, but it is treatable and manageable. Once you have permanent tinnitus, there is nothing that can be done to fix it. However, there are things that can be done to treat it such as using masking hearing aids. These emit a low-level sound at all times to mask the sound of the tinnitus which some people find extremely helpful. Or, if the tinnitus is temporary at the moment, lifestyle changes can be the way to go.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now understand a little more about tinnitus. If you are interested in learning more, or if you feel as though you may be experiencing tinnitus, then get in touch with Affordable Audiology & Hearing Service at (920) 267-5220. Help is always available and a friendly member of the team is ready and waiting to assist you in any way possible.