When to See an Audiologist About Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a very common hearing condition that affects people of all ages. Those most at risk of developing tinnitus are people over 50 years of age and people working in loud environments such as construction sites and warehouses. It can be hard to know when to seek advice.

What is Tinnitus?

When you lay in bed at night or sit in a quiet room, you might hear a low-frequency humming, buzzing or fuzzy sound; this is an example of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying condition that can short term or long-term; it can also be mild or severe, depending on the cause of the condition.

Generally speaking, tinnitus is caused by loud and persistent noises. When someone attends a loud music event, they might experience tinnitus the next day, but it disappears in a short time. Conversely, someone working in a noisy environment might develop the condition long-term.

Causes of Tinnitus

Broadly speaking, tinnitus is caused by loud noises in the environment; more technically, it is caused by the damage and disappearance of tiny hairs in the inner ear called cilia. The cilia in the inner ear don’t grow back like other hair on the body; when they disappear, it affects hearing.

Loud and persistent environmental noise harms the cilia in the inner ear and causes tinnitus. The cilia are responsible for sending electrical signals to the brain to interpret the outside noise, but when there are gaps, it compensates with the kind of fuzzy noise you associate with tinnitus.

Tinnitus Treatments

Unfortunately, tinnitus has no cure; instead, it has some effective tinnitus treatments. Tinnitus treatments include things like breathing exercises and mindfulness, hearing aids and sound generators. Some of the techniques you can try to see if they work; for others, you need an audiologist.

Mindfulness and breathing techniques are very helpful for reducing blood pressure and changing attention to take your mind off unwelcome sounds. Hearing aids and sound generators are installed in the ear canal and create another low-frequency sound to cancel the tinnitus.

Visiting an Audiologist

There are different forms of tinnitus that typically range from mild to severe. Mild tinnitus is very slight; you might not notice it unless you are in an extremely quiet environment. Severe tinnitus will be there all the time and will seriously affect your life quality. That said, speaking to an audiologist about any form of tinnitus can be helpful. Obtain a device from an audiologist for your severe tinnitus.

It can be hard to know when to seek advice or treatment for tinnitus; if it’s mild, it might seem unnecessary, but unless you look after your hearing, the symptom is likely to worsen over time. There is no bad time to visit an audiologist and seek some advice about tinnitus, especially if it is affecting your life quality. In severe cases, an audiologist is the best person to consult.