The Most Common Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common but acutely annoying condition that affects most of us at some time or another. There are many reasons why we may experience this condition, from lifestyle factors like working in a noisy environment, a love of coffee or a passion to live music, to genetic conditions and aging. Fortunately, in most cases, tinnitus is fleeting and temporary and usually takes care of itself within a day or so. For some, however, tinnitus can be far more persistent and distracting. It can lead to difficulty communicating with others, mistakes at work and even a loss of sleep.

Treatment lies in identifying the cause

It’s important to remember that tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying issue. This issue needs to be addressed by a trained professional like an audiologist. If you experience tinnitus for a prolonged period of time, their intervention can prevent permanent damage to your ears or a permanent loss of hearing.

Here we’ll look at some of the most common symptoms of tinnitus. Get in touch with your audiologist today if you frequently experience.

Noise in the ears

Most cases of tinnitus are objective, meaning that only you can “hear” it. It most commonly manifests as a noise in the ears. What’s more, many people “hear” tinnitus in different ways. Most will experience a whistling or ringing noise. For others, it may sound more like a buzzing or hissing or even a clicking. More may experience the “sound” as a roaring similar to being beside the seaside. In normal surroundings, it can be distracting, but in quiet environments, it can sound deafeningly loud.

Hearing loss in one or both ears

With tinnitus, there usually comes a hearing loss in one or both ears. Don’t worry; this is usually temporary. In many cases, the use of a hearing aid can cause tinnitus to recede. Some hearing aids even come with built-in tinnitus canceling technology.

Feeling of pressure in the inner ear

Your tinnitus may be caused by a buildup of earwax in the ear canal, which can put increased pressure on the eardrum. Thus, you may find that your hearing loss and ringing in your ears are also accompanied by a feeling of increased pressure in one or both ears. Fortunately, your audiologist can help to remove wax buildup as safely and effectively as possible.

Loss of balance or vertigo

In some less common cases, tinnitus can be caused by a genetic condition like Meniere’s disease. This condition affects over 600,000 people in the US today. As well as tinnitus and gradual hearing loss, a common symptom of this condition is an intermittent loss of balance as well as temporary feelings of dizziness or vertigo.

While Meniere’s disease cannot be cured, it can be treated by prescribing an anti-vertigo medication like betahistine dihydrochloride or by reducing your intake of caffeine, alcohol and salt.

How your audiologist can help

By carrying out a system of hearing tests and ear examinations, your audiologist can help to identify the root cause of your tinnitus and find a correct course of treatment that eliminates the symptoms by fixing the cause. To learn more, call The Speech & Hearing Center at 423-551-6770 today.