Although troublesome, tinnitus usually isn’t a sign of something serious and can be triggered by several causes. It varies from person to person. Common causes include hearing loss, wax buildup, stress, exposure to loud noises, certain disorders, and certain medications.

People suffering from acute tinnitus may struggle to sleep, focus at work, or communicate with others. In these cases, treatment plays a crucial part in helping these individuals regain control of their lives.

Tinnitus therapy was designed to quiet the noise in your ears. At Apple Speech and Hearing Clinic, we will work with you to establish a treatment plan that is right for you. Contact us today.

Tinnitus Symptoms

Most commonly, when someone is experiencing signs of tinnitus, they notice ringing, buzzing, or humming in one or both ears. These sounds may vary in frequency and pitch from a low roar to a high squeal.

There are two main types of tinnitus; subjective, which is the most common, and objective, which is a more rare form:

Subjective tinnitus only you can hear.
This is the most common form of tinnitus. It can be caused by ear problems in your outer, middle, or inner ear. It can also be caused by problems with the hearing (auditory) nerves or the part of your brain that interprets nerve signals as sound (auditory pathways).

Objective tinnitus
is heard not only by the person experiencing it but can also be detected by someone else. It is commonly heard as a regular pulsing noise, in rhythm with the person’s blood flow or pulse near the ear tissue.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Typical causes can include:

Age-Related Hearing Loss—
For many, hearing worsens with age, typically starting around age 60. Hearing loss can cause tinnitus. This type of hearing loss is known as presbycusis.

Exposure to Loud Noises—
Hair cells can be damaged by exposure to loud noise, which could lead to tinnitus. This can occur gradually over time with exposure to loud noises over prolonged periods.

Medication—
Tinnitus is a potential side-effect of many prescription medications. However, in most cases and for most drugs, tinnitus is an acute, short-lived side-effect; if the patient stops taking the medication, the symptoms typically dissipate.

Other Potential Causes—
Allergies, ear wax buildup, tumors, problems in the heart and blood vessels, jaw, and neck trauma can all cause tinnitus.

Take Control of Your Tinnitus Today

Take the first step by calling and scheduling a visit with one of our audiologists for an evaluation. During your consultation, we will work with you to determine the level of severity of your tinnitus and what treatment options may be suitable for you, we may refer to local specialty providers such as Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Doctors to enrich the treatment process for our patients.