The ringing in your ear keeps worsening. At first, you could hardly notice it. But after spending all day at the construction site (for work), you’ve realized just how loud (and how persistent) that buzzing has become. These noises 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 managed.
The management of tinnitus (that’s what that ringing is called) will vary from person to person and depend substantially on the source of your hearing issues. But your own tinnitus treatment will share some common threads with others that can help you get prepared.
What type of tinnitus are you experiencing?
Tinnitus is not unusual. There can be a number of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus sounds you’re hearing). That’s why tinnitus is often split into two categories in terms of treatment:
- 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. Treating the root medical issue will normally be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: Tinnitus that is triggered by hearing damage or hearing loss is typically known as “non-medical” tinnitus. Significant, constant, and chronic tinnitus can be the outcome of hearing damage related to long term exposure to loud noise (like at your construction site). Non-medical tinnitus is often more difficult to manage.
The best way to manage your symptoms will be determined by the underlying cause of your hearing problem and the kind of tinnitus you’re experiencing.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
If your tinnitus is related to an underlying medical condition, it’s likely that managing your original illness or ailment will alleviate the ringing in your ears. Here are some treatments for medical tinnitus:
- Surgery: Doctors might decide to perform surgery to get rid of any tumor or growth that could be causing your tinnitus symptoms.
- Antibiotics: If your tinnitus is caused by an ear infection (that is, a bacterial ear infection), your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. Once the infection goes away, it’s likely that your hearing will return to normal.
- Hydrocortisone: Some types of infections will not react to antibiotics. Viral infections, for instance, never respond to antibiotic solutions. Hydrocortisone might be prescribed in these cases to manage other symptoms.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to get a consultation so we customize a tinnitus treatment plan, especially if you’re coping with medical tinnitus.
Non-medical tinnitus treatment options
In general, medical tinnitus is much easier to diagnose and treat than non-medical tinnitus. There is normally no cure for non-medical tinnitus (especially in cases where the tinnitus is caused by hearing damage). Treatments, instead focus on treating symptoms and improving the quality of life.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is becoming worse as your hearing gets worse. When you are dealing with hearing loss everything outside becomes quieter and that can make your tinnitus noises seem louder. When you use a hearing aid it boosts the volume of the external world making your tinnitus noises seem quieter.
- Medications: There are some experimental medications available for dealing with tinnitus. As an example, tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be decreased by mixtures of anti-anxiety medication and steroids. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to talk to us.
- Noise-masking devices: These devices hide your tinnitus sounds by producing enough white noise to allow the buzzing or ringing to fade into the background. These devices can be attenuated to generate certain sounds created to offset your tinnitus symptoms.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: You can obtain training that will help you learn to disregard your tinnitus sounds. This frequently used method has helped lots of individuals do just that.
Find what works
In order to successfully treat your hearing problems you will probably need to explore several strategies as the exact cause of your tinnitus most likely won’t be clear. Depending on the source of your ringing or buzzing, there might not be a cure for your tinnitus. But numerous different treatments are available that could decrease the symptoms. The trick is finding the one that works for you.