What happens when the ringing isn’t coming from your phone?
Tinnitus is often referred to as ringing in the ears, but it can sound like a whirring, beeping, whining or tweeting. Although the condition does not necessarily interfere with your ability to hear, it may be accompanied by hearing loss. It can also lower your quality of life, cause social and psychological distress and come with other long-term and short-term side effects. According to Harvard Health Publications, about 60 million Americans may suffer from tinnitus.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Although it is often caused by noise exposure it could also be a side effect of another medical condition, such as an underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, an ear infection or a neurological problem.
These health problems can damage the microscopic hairs in the inner ear. This affects the way that the sound signals are sent to your brain.
Tinnitus can also be caused by:
- Hearing loss that occurs as you age
- Repetitive or acute loud noises
- Excess earwax
- Certain medication
- Sinus infections or fluid in the ears
- Head and neck injuries
The problem can be temporary or permanent. Most people have experienced brief periods of tinnitus after hearing extremely loud noises.
Short-Term Tinnitus Effects
Some short-term effects of tinnitus are:
- Social withdrawal
- Disrupted sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased sensitivity to certain noises
Long-Term Tinnitus Effects
Long-term tinnitus sufferers need to be cautious that social isolation doesn’t turn into depression. Reading this shows that you are taking the steps to learn about tinnitus to help prevent unwanted fears that can come from a lack of understanding for many people. “The American Tinnitus Association” is a good resource for information. For some struggling with tinnitus a day listening through unwanted noise can become very tiresome and drain your energy.
As you may have learned, it is prudent to have your hearing professionally evaluated to be well informed. Contact the Doctors of Audiology at Ken-Ton Hearing to have your hearing professionally evaluated. Help could be just a phone call away.