It’s not uncommon for individuals to have ringing in their ears, also known as tinnitus. Some estimates indicate that 10 percent of people have tinnitus at one point or another, making it one of the most common health conditions in the world. The condition manifests as a sound in the ear that isn’t actually there, typically, it’s a buzzing or ringing, but tinnitus can manifest as other sounds as well.
While the preponderance of tinnitus may be evident, the causes are often more opaque. 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 permanent.
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 loud, you could be doing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus may sometimes be long lasting or it might sometimes react to changes to make your environment quieter.
What is tinnitus (and why is it so prevalent)?
Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a noise that isn’t actually there. For most people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it could also present as thumping, humming, screeching, or other noises as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. Tinnitus will normally clear itself up after a short time period. In less common cases, tinnitus may become effectively permanent, a condition known as chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is so prevalent for a couple of reasons. The first is that the environmental factors that play a role in tinnitus are also fairly common (more on that in a bit). Root conditions and injuries can contribute to tinnitus symptoms and that accounts for the second reason. Put simply, there are many such injuries or conditions that can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is quite common for these reasons.
How can the environment impact tinnitus?
There are a wide variety of factors that can bring about tinnitus symptoms, including ototoxic chemicals and medications. However, when the majority of individuals discuss “environment” when it comes to tinnitus, they really mean the noise. Some locations, such as noisy city streets, can get really loud. Likewise, anybody who works around industrial equipment all day would be at risk of their environment exacerbating their tinnitus.
When evaluating the state of your health, these environmental factors are extremely significant.
As with hearing loss, noise-induced damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is a result of noise damage, it’s usually chronic and often permanent. Here are a few of the most prevalent noise-related causes of tinnitus:
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a pretty common practice. Doing this on a regular basis can often trigger tinnitus symptoms.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short stretches, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are examples of this kind of noise.
- Traffic: Traffic in densely populated places can be much louder than you may expect it to be. And you may not even realize that your ears can be damaged at lower volumes than you might expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these loud settings can eventually lead to hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Noise in the workplace: Lots of workplaces, including offices, are frequently the source of loud noises. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these settings for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of lots of people talking in an office.
People often wrongly believe damage to their ears will only occur at extreme volume levels. For this reason, hearing protection should be utilized at lower volumes than you may expect. Hearing protection can help prevent tinnitus symptoms from developing in the first place.
If I’m experiencing tinnitus, what should I do?
Will tinnitus go away by itself? Well, in some instances it may. In other cases, your symptoms may be irreversible. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. If you have tinnitus caused by noise damage, even if your tinnitus does clear up, your chance of having your tinnitus return and become chronic is much more probable.
One of the most main contributing factors to the advancement of tinnitus is that people tend to underestimate the volume at which damage happens to their ears. Damage has likely already occurred if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are a number of things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more permanent damage.
For example, you could try:
- If you’re in a loud setting, limit the amount of exposure time and give your ears rests.
- Reducing the volume of your environment when possible. For instance, you could close the windows if you live in a noisy area or turn off industrial equipment that is not in use.
- Stop damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some degree of protection from noise canceling headphones.
Dealing with symptoms
The symptoms of tinnitus are often a big distraction and are quite uncomfortable for most individuals who deal with them. This prompts them to attempt to find a way to ease the intensity of their symptoms.
If you hear a ringing or buzzing sound, it’s important to schedule an appointment, particularly if the sound doesn’t go away. We can help you figure out the best way to handle your particular situation. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Symptom management might include the following:
- Retraining therapy: In some cases, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, gradually modifying the way you process sound.
- White noise devices: Using a white noise device around your home can help you tune out your tinnitus in some instances.
- Masking device: This device is a lot like a hearing aid, only instead of amplifying sounds, it masks them. Your device will be specially calibrated to mask your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing aid: The ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus can be drowned out by amplifying the volume of outside sounds with hearing aids.
- Relaxation techniques: High blood pressure has sometimes been connected to an increase in the severity of tinnitus symptoms. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for example) can sometimes help decrease your tinnitus symptoms.
Tinnitus is not curable. That’s why controlling your environment to safeguard your hearing is a great 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, may be all that’s necessary. For other people, management might be more intense.
Make an appointment to learn how to address your tinnitus symptoms.
