When you were younger, people would always tell you that the ringing in your ears meant someone somewhere was talking about you. They could even tell you if it was good or bad depending on which ear the ringing was in. While temporary or occasional ringing or noise in your ear is quite normal, a constant ringing also known as tinnitus, is not. It usually comes with a hearing loss condition or is the result of something going wrong. Although most people will tell you that it is not serious to your health, those with a constant noise in their ears will tell you that is certainly affects their quality of life and can be very annoying to live with. In many cases, working with an audiologist can help lessen the tinnitus or mask the noise while also helping to treat the hearing condition causing it. Either way, early diagnosis and treatment can have you living a happier and healthier life physically and mentally.
Tinnitus is medically defined as noise or ringing in the ears. It is actually more common than most think, affecting about 1 in 5 people. While not a condition itself, it usually comes with a hearing condition such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system condition. There are actually two types of tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus is often caused by sounds created by muscle movements near the ear, changes in the ear canal, or blood flow problems in the face or neck. You may hear sounds such as your own pulse or the contractions of your muscles. The second is nonpulsatile tinnitus and is caused by problems in the nerves involved with hearing. You may hear sounds in one or both ears. Sometimes this type of tinnitus is described as coming from inside the head.
More common in people over the age of 40, tinnitus can worsen with age. There are so many causes and many can be treated or eliminated with the help of a trained audiologist on our staff. We work to improve your hearing health and bring you back to the quality of life you once knew or imagined. Through ear wax removal services or other hearing treatments, we can help you live with a weakened version of ringing in your ears or mask the noise itself. If the tinnitus comes and goes, usually you do not need the help of a doctor or audiologist. If the symptoms continue or last for long period of time or worsen, be sure to contact us for a hearing test. There may not be a specific cure, but we will certainly find the best treatment and assist you in living your best life with the problem. Healthy ears make a healthier you!
