4 Things to Know About Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition that many people have heard of, but aren’t entirely sure what it entails. The idea of hearing persistent sounds that aren’t actually real might not sound like much to be concerned with, but as any hearing health professional can tell you, tinnitus can cause real damage to the quality of life of those who suffer from it.

To better identify tinnitus and the available treatments for this condition, it’s crucial to understand these four facts.

There are multiple causes of tinnitus

Tinnitus is most often associated with long exposure to extremely high noises; the condition is common among construction workers and musicians. However, it’s not just consistent loud noise that can cause problems with tinnitus; that’s definitely a factor, but it’s not the only factor.

Ear infections, excess earwax, certain medications, neck and shoulder problems can all cause tinnitus symptoms. So if you do experience any signs of tinnitus, you’re going to want to visit a hearing care provider to help establish the underlying cause.

Tinnitus and hearing loss are not mutually exclusive

It seems sensible to assume that tinnitus and hearing loss must be mutually exclusive; after all, if hearing loss is present, then it’s natural to presume the same person won’t be able to hear their tinnitus. This, however, is not the case; in fact, hearing loss and tinnitus are often caused by the same set of individual circumstances.

People with hearing loss can experience tinnitus. The problem is usually best rectified with the use of a hearing aid which also combines white noise “distracting” technology in the same device; this is designed to allow a person to more effectively ignore the tinnitus they are experiencing. Those who use these combination hearing aids find them very effective.

Tinnitus is treatable

Tinnitus is as much of a symptom as it is an illness in and of itself. It can be cured if an underlying condition that causes tinnitus is cured, but this is not always possible. For most people, tinnitus treatment from a hearing health provider is about employing successful management techniques, such as the hearing aid combination devices as mentioned above.

Tinnitus is more than just ringing noises

While some tinnitus sufferers do hear ringing, they also hear a whole host of other sounds too. Popping, clicking, hissing, whistling and beeping are all are commonly used terms that any hearing specialist will recognize as tinnitus signs.

If you hear any sounds that don’t have a genuine source, then you still need to take action – don’t dismiss what you’re hearing just because you’re not specifically hearing ringing sounds.

If you have any further questions about the condition or think you might be suffering from tinnitus, your hearing care provider will provide more detailed information specific to your case.