You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something blows up next to the hero and the sound goes all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, at least some amount of mild brain trauma has likely happened to them.
To be certain, brain injuries aren’t the part that most action movies focus on. But that high-pitched ringing is something known as tinnitus. Normally, hearing loss is the subject of a tinnitus conversation, but traumatic brain injuries can also cause this condition.
Concussions, after all, are one of the more prevalent traumatic brain injuries that occur. And they can occur for a wide variety of reasons (for instance, falls, sports accidents, and motor vehicle accidents). It can be somewhat complicated sorting out how a concussion can lead to tinnitus. Luckily, treating and managing your conditions is typically very achievable.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a particular form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Think about it like this: your brain is situated fairly tightly inside your skull (your brain is large, and your skull is there to protect it). The brain will start moving around in your skull when something shakes your head violently. But because there’s so little extra space in there, your brain may literally smash into the inside of your skull.
This harms your brain! Multiple sides of your skull can be impacted by your brain. And this is what leads to a concussion. When you visualize this, it makes it simple to understand how a concussion is quite literally brain damage. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- Loss of memory and confusion
- Ringing in the ears
- Vomiting and nausea
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Headaches
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Slurred speech
This list isn’t exhaustive, but you get the point. A few weeks to a few months is the normal duration of concussion symptoms. Brain injury from one concussion is typically not permanent, most individuals will end up making a complete recovery. But recurring concussions can result in permanent brain damage.
How is tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Can a concussion interfere with your hearing? Really?
The matter of concussions and tinnitus is an interesting one. Because it’s more accurate to say that traumatic brain injuries (even minor ones) can result in tinnitus, It isn’t only concussions. That ringing in your ears can be activated by even mild brain injuries. That may occur in a couple of ways:
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The development of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be caused by a TBI. When pressure builds up in the inner ear this condition can happen. Significant hearing loss and tinnitus can become a problem over time as a result of Menier’s disease.
- Nerve damage: A concussion might also trigger damage to the nerve that is responsible for transmitting the sounds you hear to your brain.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: This type of concussion takes place when the inner ear is injured as a result of your TBI. This damage can create inflammation and lead to both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Damage to your hearing: Experiencing an explosion at close distance is the cause of concussions and TBIs for many members of the military. Irreversible hearing loss can be caused when the stereocilia in your ears are injured by the tremendously noisy shock wave of an explosion. Tinnitus isn’t always caused by a concussion, but they definitely do share some common causes.
- Interruption of the Ossicular Chain: The relaying of sound to your brain is aided by three bones in your ear. A major impact (the kind that can trigger a concussion, for instance) can push these bones out of place. Tinnitus can be caused by this and it can also interrupt your hearing.
- Disruption of communication: In some instances, the portion of your brain that controls hearing can become harmed by a concussion. Consequently, the signals sent from the ear to your brain can’t be properly digested and tinnitus can be the outcome.
It’s significant to emphasize that every traumatic brain injury and concussion is a little different. Personalized care and instructions, from us, will be provided to every patient. Indeed, if you think you have experienced a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, you need to call us for an assessment right away.
How do you manage tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Typically, it will be a temporary challenge if tinnitus is the consequence of a concussion. After a concussion, how long can I anticipate my tinnitus to linger? Well, it may last weeks or months. However, if your tinnitus has lasted for more than a year, it’s likely to be permanent. Over time, in these circumstances, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the best strategy.
This can be accomplished by:
- Masking device: This device goes in your ear a lot like a hearing aid, but it produces specific noises instead of amplifying things. Your distinct tinnitus symptoms dictate what sound the device will generate helping you ignore the tinnitus sounds and be better able to pay attention to voices and other external sounds.
- Hearing aid: In a similar way to when you’re dealing with hearing loss not caused by a TBI, tinnitus symptoms seem louder because everything else is quieter. A hearing aid can help raise the volume of everything else, assuring that your tinnitus fades into the background.
- Therapy: Sometimes, patients can learn to disregard the sound by undertaking cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You accept that the noise is there, and then ignore it. This technique takes therapy and practice.
In some cases, further therapies may be necessary to obtain the desired result. Treatment of the underlying concussion might be necessary in order to make the tinnitus go away. Depending on the nature of your concussion, there may be a number of possible courses of action. In this regard, an accurate diagnosis is key.
Talk to us about what the right treatment plan may look like for you.
TBI-triggered tinnitus can be controlled
Your life can be traumatically affected by a concussion. It’s never a good day when you get a concussion! And if you’ve been in a car crash and your ears are ringing, you might wonder why.
Tinnitus could surface instantly or in the days that follow. But you can successfully manage tinnitus after a crash and that’s significant to keep in mind. Give us a call today to make an appointment.
