Tinnitus is the name for the phantom noise in your ears without a source. While there is no cure for tinnitus, it can be efficiently managed with comprehensive hearing care and innovative tinnitus treatments.
We hear a lot of differing information about tinnitus – its causes, sounds, durations, and what can make it worse are all points of contention from the patients we see each day. Tinnitus is a bit of a mystery to us as hearing care professionals, but as the information around it evolves, so do we!
Everyone experiences tinnitus differently; no two pairs of ears are the same. With that in mind, we craft tinnitus treatment plans to best suit your unique needs and requirements, no matter what you need.
What Does Tinnitus Sound Like?
Tinnitus sounds different to everyone, as we all perceive sound at different levels. Many people cite their tinnitus sounding like:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Whooshing
- Fluttering
- Crackling
- Roaring
- and more
While many believe tinnitus to be a disease on its own, the truth is that it’s often a symptom of something else going on in your body, whether that be hearing loss, side effects of stress, or issues with blood pressure.
Tinnitus is typically caused by disrupted auditory signals, linked to nerve damage that is similar to hearing loss.
How Long Does Tinnitus Last?
The duration of your hearing loss depends – there is temporary tinnitus, caused by noise exposure, that can last for a few hours or days, versus chronic tinnitus, which is persistent and linked to underlying conditions like hearing loss.
If you find that your tinnitus lasts longer than a few days and has become a cause of stress or fatigue, please don’t hesitate to reach out; we’re happy to help you.
What Can Make Tinnitus Worse?
There are a few ways that tinnitus can be significantly more distracting and feel like it gets worse, especially at night.
Several patients have asked us why tinnitus gets worse at night, and the simple answer is due to a lack of stimulus: with nothing to focus on, like music or background noise, your tinnitus becomes more noticeable and frustrating, leading to a lack of sleep or fatigue. We’d recommend a white noise machine or playing soothing sounds from your phone to help redirect your attention at night.
Some triggers that can make your tinnitus sound worse include stress, noise exposure, lack of sleep, certain medications, caffeine, and smoking.
Fatigue can lead to increased stress, which can make your tinnitus feel significantly worse when it’s all that you can focus on. Noise exposure can both cause and worsen tinnitus with further hearing damage.
While caffeine’s effect on tinnitus is conflicting (for some it helps, and for others it worsens symptoms), most stimulants like caffeine and smoking can lead to further health complications and heightened blood pressure that can lead to tinnitus.
Tinnitus Treatment with Woodard Hearing Centers
Everyone hears the world around us in different ways, but you don’t have to listen past your tinnitus forever.
Our team of professional hearing experts is ready to assist with comprehensive tinnitus treatment that puts your needs first; whether your tinnitus can be lessened with advanced technology hearing aids, sound therapies, or counseling programs, we’re here to help.
To get started on your hearing health journey and say goodbye to tinnitus, please don’t hesitate to request a callback, and we’ll get in touch as soon as we can to help.
Alternatively, you can find your closest clinic and give us a call in:
Adel: (515) 276-6122
Grinnell: (641) 236-5650
Urbandale: (515) 276-6122