You have a buzzing in your ears and it’s not getting any better, if anything it’s getting worse. It began quietly enough, one of those “is it really there” kind of situations. But you’ve observed how loud and constant the tinnitus noises have become after a full day on the job at a construction site. Sometimes, it sounds like ringing or other sounds. You don’t know if you should contact us or how ringing in your ears could even be managed.
The treatment of tinnitus (that’s what that buzzing is called) will differ from person to person and depend significantly on the origin of your hearing issues. But there are some common threads that can help you get ready for your own tinnitus therapy.
What type of tinnitus do you have?
Tinnitus is not unusual. There can be a number of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus noises you’re hearing). That’s why tinnitus is normally split into two categories when it comes to treatment:
- Medical Tinnitus: Underlying medical problems, including ear infections, too much earwax, a growth, or other medical problems, can be the cause of tinnitus. Managing the underlying medical problem will usually be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: “Non-medical” nomenclature is generally saved for tinnitus caused by hearing damage or hearing impairment. Over time, exposure to harmful noise (such as the noise at your construction site) can cause constant, significant, and chronic tinnitus. It’s usually very challenging to treat non-medical tinnitus.
The kind of tinnitus you have, and the underlying cause of the hearing ailment, will determine the best ways to manage those symptoms.
Treating medical tinnitus
If your tinnitus is a result of an underlying medical ailment, it’s likely that managing your original illness or disorder will alleviate the ringing in your ears. Here are a few treatments for medical tinnitus:
- Hydrocortisone: Not all infections can be addressed with antibiotics. For instance, antibiotics never work on viral infections. In these situations, your doctor might prescribe hydrocortisone to help you control other symptoms.
- Surgery: When your tinnitus is related to a tumor or other growth, doctors could perform surgery to remove the mass that is causing your tinnitus, particularly if your symptoms are diminishing your quality of life.
- Antibiotics: Your doctor might prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is related to a bacterial ear infection. Your tinnitus symptoms will probably go away when the infection clears up.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to get a consultation so we personalize a tinnitus treatment plan, particularly if you’re coping with medical tinnitus.
Treatments for non-medical tinnitus
Typically, medical tinnitus is a lot easier to diagnose and treat than non-medical tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus has no cure especially if it’s related to hearing impairment. Treatments, instead highlight alleviating symptoms and improving the quality of life.
- Medications: Tinnitus is in some cases treated with experimental medication. As an example, tinnitus symptoms can sometimes be decreased by combinations of anti-anxiety medication and steroids. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to speak with us.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some cases, you can be trained to disregard the sounds of your tinnitus. This commonly used strategy has helped lots of people do just that.
- Hearing aids: If your tinnitus turns out to be more prominent as your hearing wanes, a hearing aid could help you manage the symptoms of both ailments. When you have hearing impairment everything outside gets quieter and that can make your tinnitus sounds seem louder. When you use a hearing aid it raises the volume of the outside world making your tinnitus noises seem quieter.
- Noise-masking devices: Often called “white noise machines,” these devices are made to supply enough sound to minimize your ability to hear the buzzing or ringing caused by your tinnitus. Certain sounds can be programmed into these devices depending on what noises your tinnitus is generating.
Find what works
In order to successfully treat your hearing problems you will probably need to explore several approaches as the exact cause of your tinnitus most likely won’t be obvious. Depending on the source of your buzzing or ringing, there might not be a cure for your tinnitus. But many different treatment options are available that could reduce the symptoms. Finding the right one for you is the trick.
