The buzzing in your ear keeps worsening. At first, you could barely notice it. But after being at the construction site all day (for work), you’ve noticed just how loud (and how relentless) that buzzing has become. These sounds can take many forms, like ringing, buzzing, or any number of sounds. You’re thinking about coming in to see us, but you’re wondering: how is ringing in the ears addressed?
The source of your tinnitus symptoms will significantly determine what treatment will be right for you. But there are some common threads that can help you get ready for your own tinnitus therapy.
What type of tinnitus do you have?
Tinnitus is incredibly common. There can be a number of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus sounds you’re hearing). So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is often split into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Some tinnitus symptoms are caused by an inherent medical issue, such as an ear infection, too much earwax, or a growth, among other ailments. Treating the root medical problem will usually be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: “Non-medical” nomenclature is generally reserved for tinnitus caused by hearing damage or hearing loss. Over time, exposure to damaging noise (like the noise at your construction site) can cause constant, significant, and chronic tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus is often more challenging to treat.
The best way to manage your symptoms will be determined by the root cause of your hearing issue and the type of tinnitus you have.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
If your tinnitus is related to an underlying medical ailment, it’s likely that treating your initial illness or ailment will alleviate the ringing in your ears. Treatments for medical tinnitus could include:
- Surgery: When your tinnitus is related to a tumor or other growth, doctors may perform surgery to remove the mass that is causing your tinnitus, particularly if your symptoms are diminishing your quality of life.
- Hydrocortisone: Some types of infections will not react to antibiotics. For example, antibiotics never work on viral infections. Hydrocortisone may be prescribed in these situations to treat other symptoms.
- Antibiotics: Your doctor may prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is related to a bacterial ear infection. Your tinnitus symptoms will probably go-away when the infection clears up.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to get a consultation so we customize a tinnitus treatment plan, especially if you’re dealing with medical tinnitus.
Managing non-medical tinnitus
The causes of non-medical tinnitus are frequently a lot more difficult to diagnose and treat than is typically the case with medical tinnitus. There’s usually no cure for non-medical tinnitus (especially in cases where the tinnitus is caused by hearing damage). Instead, treatment to improve quality of life by relieving symptoms is the normal strategy.
- Noise-masking devices: Sometimes referred to as “white noise machines,” these devices are created to provide enough sound to decrease your ability to hear the ringing or buzzing caused by your tinnitus. Certain sounds can be tuned into these devices depending on what noises your tinnitus is generating.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: You can get training that will help you learn to disregard your tinnitus sounds. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a commonly utilized strategy designed to help you achieve just that.
- Medications: There are some experimental medications available for treating tinnitus. As an example, tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be decreased by mixtures of anti-anxiety medication and steroids. Still, you’ll want to talk to us before making any decisions about medications.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is becoming worse as your hearing worsens. When you have hearing loss everything outside gets quieter and that can make your tinnitus noises seem louder. When you utilize a hearing aid it boosts the volume of the external world making your tinnitus sounds seem quieter.
Find what works
In order to successfully treat your hearing problems you will probably need to explore several strategies as the exact cause of your tinnitus probably won’t be obvious. Depending on the source of your ringing or buzzing, there might not be a cure for your tinnitus. But there are numerous treatments available. The trick is discovering the one that works for you.
