Did you know these facts and myths of tinnitus?
Realizing that you’re suddenly experiencing ringing or buzzing in your ears can be a startling moment for many. But you should know that you’re not alone, as millions of Americans from all walks of life experience this symptom known as “tinnitus.” While tinnitus may be scary, it’s important to know that you can manage and treat it. Knowing the difference between tinnitus facts and myths can also help you manage the issue properly. Here’s the breakdown of the most common tinnitus facts and myths.
Myth: Tinnitus is a disease or disorder.
The Facts: While tinnitus is a symptom, it’s not a disease or disorder in itself. There are a variety of health conditions that might cause it, though it’s usually a sign that something’s going awry within your auditory system. Some tinnitus triggers include noise or age-related hearing loss, earwax blockage, ear infections, nasal congestion, and ototoxic medications (which are drugs that can cause damage to our inner ear cells).
Most tinnitus–and hearing loss more generally–come about as the result of damage to the inner ear. That can be caused by a number of things like exposure to loud noise, ear infections, or ototoxic medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.
Myth: Tinnitus always causes constant ringing.
The Facts: Tinnitus can manifest itself in a number of different ways, causing people to hear different sounds. While ringing is the most common sound people hear, tinnitus explains any sound that isn’t present—buzzing, clicking, whooshing, whistling, and hissing can all be other kinds of sounds that indicate tinnitus. We’ve even seen rare cases where people hear music!
Myth: Tinnitus is chronic and/or permanent.
The Facts: It can go either way, really. It’s not always a long-term symptom because it’s normal for people to experience temporary tinnitus after they’re exposed to a loud noise, like what you might hear after leaving a loud concert. Likewise, something like earwax buildup or sinus infections can cause temporary tinnitus, which will go away as soon as the blockage is removed or the infection is over. On the other hand, something like age-related hearing loss is much more likely to cause chronic tinnitus.
Myth: There are no treatments for tinnitus.
The Facts: Even if there’s no cure, there are still ways you can manage your tinnitus and make it more bearable for you. Depending on the severity of the sound, something like hearing aids can be quite helpful and utilize sound therapy to help prevent any distraction or discomfort that would come about because of your tinnitus.
Learn More Tinnitus Facts and Myths at Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions
Need help with your hearing? Clarity Hearing can help. Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions is an independently owned and operated clinic that focuses on quality of care and personalized, friendly service to the surrounding areas of Ellicott City, Catonsville, Columbia. Our Doctors of Audiology are highly trained with advanced degrees and take the time to provide the personalized care and attention that you need and deserve. We provide advanced hearing aid options that are personally calibrated with cutting-edge digital technology to fit your hearing loss, your unique ear anatomy, and your individual listening needs.
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