It isn’t unusual for individuals to have ringing in their ears, also called tinnitus. It’s one of the most common health conditions in the world with some estimates suggesting that up to 10 percent of the population experiences it at one point or another. Although the most common manifestation of tinnitus is a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ear, it can also present as other sounds as well.
Sadly, the causes of tinnitus aren’t as evident as the symptoms. Some of the wide array of tinnitus causes are temporary, while others can be more permanent.
This is why environmental factors can Have a major impact on tinnitus symptoms. After all, every setting has a soundscape, and when that soundscape is loud, you may be doing damage to your ears. This environmental tinnitus might sometimes be long lasting or it may sometimes react to changes to make your environment quieter.
Why do so many people experience tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition in which you hear a noise that isn’t really there. For most people, tinnitus manifests as a buzzing or ringing, but it might also present as thumping, humming, screeching, or other sounds as well. The sounds are usually rhythmic in nature. For most individuals, tinnitus will happen over a short period of time before resolving itself and vanishing. In less common cases, tinnitus might become effectively permanent, a condition referred to as chronic tinnitus.
There are a couple of reasons why tinnitus is so prevalent. Firstly, environmental factors that can play a role in tinnitus are quite prevalent. The second reason is that tinnitus is frequently a symptom of a root condition or injury. In other words, there are lots of such injuries or conditions that can result in tinnitus. As a result, tinnitus tends to be very common.
How can the environment affect tinnitus?
Other things can also produce tinnitus, including ototoxic medications and chemicals. However, when the majority of individuals talk about “environment” in terms of tinnitus, they actually mean the noise. Some settings, such as noisy city streets, can get really loud. Somebody would be at risk of environmental tinnitus, for instance, if they worked around loud industrial equipment.
When evaluating the state of your health, these environmental factors are extremely significant.
As with hearing loss, noise-related damage can eventually trigger tinnitus symptoms. When tinnitus is a result of noise damage, it’s typically chronic and frequently permanent. Some of the most prevalent noise and environment-induced causes of tinnitus include the following:
- Noise in the workplace: It might come as a surprise that lots of workplaces, sometimes even offices, are fairly loud. Tinnitus can eventually result from being in these places for eight hours a day, whether it’s industrial equipment or the din of a lot of people talking in an office.
- Traffic: Traffic in heavily populated locations can be a lot 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 may expect. Long commutes or consistent driving in these noisy environments can eventually result in hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Events: If noise is loud enough, even over short periods, tinnitus can sometimes be the outcome. Firing a gun or going to a rock concert are instances of this type of noise.
- Music: Listening to music at high volumes is a pretty common practice. Doing this on a consistent basis can frequently result in tinnitus symptoms.
People often mistakenly believe hearing damage will only happen at extreme volume levels. As a result, it’s essential to use hearing protection before you think you might need it. Noise induced tinnitus symptoms can often be avoided altogether by doing this.
If I’m experiencing tinnitus, what should I do?
So, does tinnitus resolve? Perhaps, in some instances. But your symptoms may be permanent in some instances. Initially, it’s basically impossible to tell which is which. Likewise, just because your tinnitus has reseeded doesn’t mean that noise damage hasn’t happened, leading to an increased risk of chronic tinnitus in the future.
People often underestimate the minimum volume that damage begins to occur, which is the most significant contributing factor to its development. Damage has probably already occurred if you’re experiencing tinnitus. This means that there are several things that you should do to change your environment so as to prevent more irreparable damage.
For example, you could try:
- Stop damage by utilizing hearing protection like earplugs or earmuffs. You can also get some amount of protection from noise canceling headphones.
- Decreasing the volume of your environment when possible. For instance, you could shut the windows if you live in a loud area or turn off industrial equipment that is not in use.
- Reducing the amount of time you spend in loud environments without giving your ears a chance to recuperate.
Managing symptoms
Lots of individuals who experience persistent tinnitus find the symptoms to be enormously distracting and uncomfortable. This prompts them to try and find a way to ease the intensity of their symptoms.
If you hear a buzzing or ringing sound, it’s essential to schedule an appointment, especially if the sound won’t go away. We can help you determine the best way to handle your particular situation. For the majority of cases of chronic tinnitus, there’s no cure. Here are a few ways to manage the symptoms:
- Retraining therapy: In some situations, you can work with a specialist to retrain your ears, slowly modifying the way you process sound.
- Hearing aid: This can help amplify outside sounds and, as a result, drown out the ringing or buzzing created by tinnitus.
- White noise devices: Utilizing a white noise device around your house can help you tune out your tinnitus in some cases.
- Relaxation techniques: Tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be worsened by high blood pressure. So taking a little time to relax (with meditation, for instance) can sometimes help reduce your tinnitus symptoms.
- Masking device: This is a device that fits like a hearing aid and plays sounds to mask your symptoms. The precise calibration of your device will depend on your specific symptoms.
There’s no cure for tinnitus. A great first step would be to safeguard your hearing by controlling your environment.
But tinnitus can be managed and managed. 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, might be all that’s needed. In other cases, a more intensive approach might be necessary.
Learn how to best control your tinnitus by making an appointment right away!