The buzzing in your ear keeps getting worse. At first, you could barely notice it. But you’ve observed how loud and persistent the tinnitus noises have become after a full day on the job at a construction site. These sounds can take many forms, such as ringing, buzzing, or any number of sounds. You don’t know if you should contact us or how ringing in your ears could even be addressed.
The source of your tinnitus symptoms will greatly establish what treatment will be most suitable for you. But your own tinnitus therapy will share some common threads with others that can help you get ready.
There are a couple of different types of tinnitus
Tinnitus is extremely common. There can be a number of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus noises you’re hearing). So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is normally divided into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Some tinnitus symptoms are caused by an inherent medical problem, like an ear infection, too much earwax, or a growth, among other conditions. Medical professionals will usually try to treat the root problem as their main priority.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: “Non-medical” nomenclature is generally reserved for tinnitus caused by hearing damage or hearing loss. Over time, exposure to damaging noise (such as the noise at your construction site) can cause persistent, severe, and chronic tinnitus. It’s normally very difficult to manage non-medical tinnitus.
The best way to treat your symptoms will be determined by the root cause of your hearing problem and the type of tinnitus you’re experiencing.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
If your tinnitus is a result of a root medical ailment, it’s likely that treating your initial illness or disorder will relieve the ringing in your ears. Treatments for medical tinnitus may include:
- Hydrocortisone: Some types of infections will not react to antibiotics. For instance, antibiotics never work on viral infections. Hydrocortisone may be prescribed in these cases to treat other symptoms.
- Antibiotics: Your doctor might prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is related to a bacterial ear infection. Once the infection goes away, it’s likely that your hearing will return to normal.
- Surgery: When your tinnitus is a result of a tumor or other growth, doctors could do surgery to remove the mass that is causing your tinnitus, particularly if your symptoms are decreasing your quality of life.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to come see us so we customize a tinnitus treatment plan, especially if you’re coping with medical tinnitus.
Treatments for non-medical tinnitus
The causes of non-medical tinnitus are frequently a lot harder to diagnose and treat than is typically the case with medical tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus has no cure especially if it’s related to hearing loss. Treatments, instead center around relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life.
- Medications: Tinnitus is in some cases managed with experimental medication. For instance, steroids and anti-anxiety medication mixtures can sometimes help minimize tinnitus symptoms. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to talk to us.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some situations, you can be trained to disregard the sounds of your tinnitus. This widely used strategy has helped lots of people do just that.
- Noise-masking devices: Sometimes called “white noise machines,” these devices are designed to supply enough sound to minimize your ability to hear the ringing or buzzing brought on by your tinnitus. These devices can be attenuated to generate certain sounds created to balance out your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hearing aids: If your tinnitus becomes more prominent as your hearing wanes, a hearing aid could help you control the symptoms of both conditions. The tinnitus symptoms will likely seem louder because everything else gets quieter (because of hearing impairment). When you utilize a hearing aid it boosts the volume of the external world making your tinnitus noises seem quieter.
Find what works
For most of us, it won’t be immediately clear what’s triggering our tinnitus, so it’s likely you’ll need to attempt numerous approaches in order to successfully treat your own hearing problems. In most cases, tinnitus can’t be cured. But there are numerous treatments available. The trick is discovering the one that works for you.
