Whether you hear it occasionally or it’s with you all of the time, the ringing of tinnitus can be annoying. There might be a more suitable word than annoying. How about frustrating or makes-you-want-to-bash-your-head-against-the-desk irritating? That noise that you can’t turn off is an issue however you decide to describe it. So what can be done? Can that ringing really be prevented?
Why do You Have Tinnitus And What Exactly is it?
Begin by finding out more about the condition that is responsible for the ringing, clicking, buzzing, or roaring you hear. It’s estimated as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from tinnitus, which is the medical term for that ringing. But why?
Tinnitus itself is not a condition but a sign of something else. That something else is hearing loss for many. Tinnitus is a result of hearing decline. It’s not really evident why tinnitus occurs when there is a change in a person’s hearing. That the brain is generating the noise to fill the void is the present theory.
Each and every day you encounter thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of sounds. There are the obvious sounds like a motor running or someone yelling, and then there are sounds you don’t even notice. The sound of air coming through a vent or the rotating blades of a ceiling fan are not as noticeable. These sorts of sound are not typically heard because the brain decides you don’t need to hear them.
The main point is, hearing these sounds is “normal” for your brain. If half of those sounds are turned off, what happens then? The portion of your brain responsible for hearing gets confounded. It might be possible that the phantom sounds that come with tinnitus are its way of creating noise for it to interpret because it knows it should be there.
Hearing loss isn’t the only possible cause of tinnitus, however. It can be connected to severe health problems like:
- Acoustic neuroma, a tumor that grows on the cranial nerve
- Atherosclerosis
- A reaction to medication
- Temporomandibular disorders (TMJ)
- Poor circulation
- Head or neck trauma
- Meniere’s disease
- Head or neck tumors
- High blood pressure
- Turbulent blood flow
Tinnitus can be caused by any of these things. After an injury or accident, even though you can hear fine, you could experience this ringing. Before looking for other methods of dealing with it, you should schedule an appointment with a hearing professional like Tim Harmon at Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah.
At Purchase Ear Technology, you are more than a patient. YOU ARE FAMILY. We are conveniently located at 2008 Broadway St in Paducah, KY. Give us a call at (270) 558-3996 to schedule an appointment today!
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