A lot of people fail to pay attention to their ears and their hearing health. This is because the effects are so gradual and small that we don’t notice any deterioration until it’s too late. One of the most common hearing health conditions that we encounter is tinnitus, an internal ringing, buzzing or hissing noise that occurs within our ear. It’s often loud enough to disrupt our way of life, making it difficult for us to sleep without the right aids. However, it can also be mild and go away within a few minutes. There are also several different causes for tinnitus, some of them being completely treatable to give you relief from tinnitus.
So, to help you learn more about the condition, we’re going to talk about tinnitus and give you some pointers to help you discover if you have tinnitus.
Do you hear a high-pitched whine, ringing, buzzing or hissing?
This is the most common symptom of tinnitus. Most people will hear this noise for a short amount of time before it gradually fades away. However, if your case of tinnitus is extreme, then you might find that it lasts for several hours, enough to make you lose sleep or focus. The volume of the tinnitus is also a factor that might affect how severe it is and it can also affect both ears and just one of them.
There are countless different variations of tinnitus, ranging from the noise it makes to the volume and even the ear it affects. As a result, it can often be hard to determine if you have tinnitus that occurs on a regular basis, or if you’ve just experienced something recently that has caused temporary tinnitus. This could be exposure to a loud noise or a physical injury to the head which affects the ear.
In most cases, tinnitus isn’t something that needs to be treated unless it’s having a severe effect on your life. For some people, tinnitus may be severe enough to make them lose sleep, or it can disrupt and distract them while they’re working. Everyone’s sensitivity to tinnitus is different, but if you’re concerned then it’s best to diagnose your tinnitus professionally in order to find a suitable solution.
Diagnosing tinnitus
The best way to assess if you have tinnitus is to speak with an audiologist. As an expert in hearing health, an audiologist can help you determine if you’re experiencing tinnitus and offer you remedies to help you mask the sound. If the tinnitus is being caused by something that can be treated, such as impacted earwax or a temporary injury to the head, then it’s often best to seek a remedy for that condition first. In the case of impacted earwax, an audiologist can help you clean your ear and remove the blockage.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us to book an appointment with a trained audiologist that can help you diagnose your tinnitus and find suitable solutions to help you remedy it.
