You have a buzzing in your ears and it’s not getting any better, if anything it’s getting worse. It started off quietly enough, one of those “is it really there” kind of situations. But you’ve noticed how loud and persistent the tinnitus noises have become after an entire day on the job at a construction site. Sometimes, it sounds like ringing or other noises. You’re considering coming in to see us, but you’re wondering: how is ringing in the ears managed?
The management of tinnitus (that’s what that ringing is called) will differ from person to person and depend significantly on the source of your hearing problems. But your own tinnitus therapy will share some common threads with others that can help you get ready.
There are a couple of different kinds of tinnitus
Tinnitus is not unusual. The buzzing or ringing (or any number of sounds) in your ear can be caused by a variety of underlying problems. So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is normally divided into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Some tinnitus symptoms are caused by an inherent medical issue, such as an ear infection, excessive earwax, or a growth, among other ailments. Medical professionals will typically try to treat the root problem as their primary priority.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: “Non-medical” nomenclature is generally saved for tinnitus caused by hearing damage or hearing impairment. As time passes, exposure to damaging noise (such as the noise at your construction site) can cause constant, significant, and chronic tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus is usually more challenging to treat.
The kind of tinnitus you have, and the root cause of the hearing affliction, will determine the best ways to treat those symptoms.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
Your medical tinnitus symptoms will typically improve when the underlying medical problem is addressed. Here are some treatments for medical tinnitus:
- Surgery: Doctors may decide to do surgery to eliminate any tumor or growth that could be causing your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hydrocortisone: Not all infections can be addressed with antibiotics. Viral infections, for example, never respond to antibiotic treatments. Hydrocortisone might be prescribed in these cases to treat other symptoms.
- Antibiotics: If your tinnitus is a result of an ear infection (that is, a bacterial ear infection), your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. Your tinnitus symptoms will probably disappear when the infection clears up.
If your tinnitus is a result of a medical issue, you’ll want to see us to get personalized treatment options.
Treatments for non-medical tinnitus
The causes of non-medical tinnitus are often much harder to diagnose and manage than is typically the case with medical tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus has no cure particularly if it’s related to hearing impairment. Instead, treatment to improve quality of life by alleviating symptoms is the normal course of action.
- Noise-masking devices: These devices hide your tinnitus noises by producing enough white noise to allow the buzzing or ringing to fade into the background. Specific sounds can be tuned into these devices depending on what noises your tinnitus is generating.
- Hearing aids: If your tinnitus turns out to be more dominant as your hearing wanes, a hearing aid could help you control the symptoms of both ailments. When you have hearing loss everything externally becomes quieter and that can make your tinnitus sounds seem louder. When you utilize a hearing aid it boosts the volume of the outside world making your tinnitus sounds seem quieter.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some instances, you can be trained to disregard the sounds of your tinnitus. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a commonly utilized strategy created to help you achieve just that.
- Medications: Tinnitus is in some cases treated with experimental medication. For instance, steroids and anti-anxiety medication combinations can sometimes help reduce tinnitus symptoms. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to talk to us.
Find what works
For the majority of us, it won’t be completely clear what’s triggering our tinnitus, so it’s likely you’ll need to attempt multiple strategies in order to effectively treat your own hearing issues. In most situations, tinnitus can’t be cured. But there are various treatments available. Finding the best one for you is the trick.
