4 FAQs About Tinnitus

You might have heard of tinnitus or you may even be worried that you are suffering from it. There are various signs that you may have developed an issue like tinnitus and if that’s the case you may want to book an appointment with a hearing health professional. They will be able to advise you on how to proceed and the best way to treat or manage your tinnitus. They may also answer some questions about the condition that you probably have. Here are some of the common questions people often have about tinnitus before they see a hearing specialist.

1. What is the cause?

You might be worried about what caused your tinnitus and a hearing specialist will certainly be able to answer this question. A lot of people think that tinnitus is caused by exposing your ears to loud noises. This is often the case but the noise does need to be over 80 decibels which includes the sound of a jet engine taking off as well as various heavy machinery. You can prevent damage to your hearing by wearing the correct pieces of equipment including ear muffs or earplugs. It really depends on the environment and the type of situation you are in. Be aware that tinnitus can have a range of other causes as well. It can be a sign that your ears are clogged up with wax or it could be caused by a growth in your ear. This is why you should always get it checked out by a hearing health provider, even if you are not irritated by it at all.

2. Can it be cured?

To answer this question, it’s important to understand that there are various different forms of tinnitus. The main two are objective and subjective tinnitus. One can be heard by the individual alone while the other can be heard by a hearing professional using a listening device. The first has no cure but there are treatment options available such as therapy. With cognitive therapy, you will be able to make sure that you can ignore the sounds you hear and this can help with everything from sleep to stress levels. If you have objective tinnitus, this usually has a physical cause such as a growth in your ear or potentially ear wax. The good news is that you can quickly get this issue fixed. You might even be able to get the issue resolved the same day.

3. Is tinnitus serious?

Tinnitus is not a serious condition in the sense that it isn’t life threatening. But it can have a severe impact on your quality of life. You might find that there are changes to your social behaviour or mood and people won’t always link the two issues together. However, often tinnitus can be the root cause because it puts pressure on your life and may even stop you from getting the rest you need.

4. Will hearing aids help?

Hearing aids can help because tinnitus can be accompanied by a loss of hearing but this isn’t always the case. You’ll need a hearing test to determine just how much your condition is impacting your ability to hear and whether or not hearing aids could benefit you.