Tinnitus is an incredibly common condition of the ear. It’s one of the most common health conditions in the world with some estimates indicating that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one time or another. Although the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds as well.
While the preponderance of tinnitus might be obvious, the causes are frequently more cloudy. Some of the wide range of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more long term.
This is why environmental factors can Have a major impact on tinnitus symptoms. After all, every environment has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is noisy, you could be causing damage to your ears. If your tinnitus is due to damage, it may end up being permanent.
Why do so many individuals experience tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition that causes you to hear a sound that isn’t really there. For the majority of people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it may also present as rumbling, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. Typically, the sounds are constant or rhythmic. For the majority of people, tinnitus will occur over a short period of time before resolving itself and going away. In less common cases, tinnitus might become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. Firstly, environmental factors that can contribute to tinnitus are fairly prevalent. The second reason is that tinnitus is often a symptom of a root condition or injury. In other words, there are lots of such injuries or conditions that can trigger tinnitus. Consequently, tinnitus tends to be very common.
How can the environment affect tinnitus?
There are a wide variety of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medicines. But when it involves “environmental” triggers, noise is the biggest offender. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get quite loud. Likewise, anybody who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment exacerbating their tinnitus.
When assessing the state of your health, these environmental factors are really important.
Noise related damage, as with hearing loss, can trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is a result of noise damage, it’s typically chronic and frequently permanent. Some of the most prevalent noise and environment-related causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Traffic: Traffic in heavily populated locations can be a lot louder than you may expect it to be. And noise damage can happen at a lower volume than you may expect. Tinnitus and hearing damage can be the result of long commutes in these loud settings.
- Events: Tinnitus can sometimes be caused by loud noises, even if they aren’t experienced over a long time-frame. For example, attending a concert or using firearms can both result in tinnitus if the volumes get to a loud enough level.
- Music: Listening to music at loud volumes is a pretty common practice. Tinnitus will often be the outcome if you do this regularly.
- Noise in the workplace: Lots of workplaces, including offices, are frequently 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 lead to tinnitus.
People often mistakenly believe hearing damage will only occur at extreme volume levels. As a result, it’s essential to wear hearing protection before you think you might need it. Noise related tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
If I’m experiencing tinnitus, what should I do?
Will tinnitus clear up by itself? Well, in some instances it may. But your symptoms may be irreversible in some cases. There’s no way to tell which is which at the beginning. If you have tinnitus due to noise damage, even if your tinnitus does go away, your risk of having your tinnitus come back and become chronic is much more likely.
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 probably happened. This means that there are several things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more irreparable damage.
For example, you could try:
- Decreasing the volume of your environment when possible. If you have any machinery that’s not in use, turn it off, and close the windows if it’s noisy outside, for instance.
- If you’re in a loud setting, limit the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
- Wearing hearing protection (either earplugs or earmuffs) in order to counter damage. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
Dealing with symptoms
Lots of people who experience chronic tinnitus find the symptoms to be tremendously disruptive and unpleasant. Because of this, they frequently ask: how do you calm tinnitus?
If you hear a ringing or buzzing sound, it’s important to set up an appointment, particularly if the sound won’t go away. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms and identify how to best manage them. There’s no cure for most forms of chronic tinnitus. Here are a number of ways to manage the symptoms:
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits similarly to a hearing aid and plays sounds to mask your symptoms. The precise calibration of your device will depend on your specific symptoms.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be worsened by high blood pressure. Your tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be alleviated by utilizing relaxation techniques like meditation, for example.
- White noise devices: In some instances, you can tune out some of your tinnitus symptoms by using a white noise generator around your home.
- Retraining therapy: In some cases, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually changing the way you process sound.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. A good first step would be to safeguard your hearing by managing your environment.
But treating and controlling tinnitus is possible. Depending on your lifestyle, your hearing, and your tinnitus, we’ll be able to develop a specific treatment plan for you. For some, managing your tinnitus may simply mean making use of a white noise machine. For others, management might be more intense.
Learn how to best manage your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!
