Seeing an Audiologist About Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a very common hearing condition that affects people of any age; however, it will affect some people more than others, especially if they are working in a noisy environment or listening to media at high volumes. Talk to an audiologist about tinnitus and how to manage the condition to improve your life quality and protect your long-term hearing.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a form of noise-induced hearing loss. In short, tinnitus occurs when the ear is exposed to loud noise that affects the small hairs in the inner ear. Tinnitus can affect someone’s hearing in the short term, but long-term tinnitus can also occur and worsens with age.

Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel to the eardrum, where they are amplified and turned into sound vibrations. The sound vibrations are then interpreted by tiny hairs in the cochlea called cilia. If some hairs are missing, the brain fills in the gaps with noise that we call tinnitus.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is mainly caused by the damage or destruction of the hairs in the inner ear. These hairs are central to our hearing capacity, but when they disappear, they don’t grow back. One of the ways the hairs are damaged is by exposure to loud noises.

Tinnitus can be short-term or long-term. Some people experience tinnitus after going to a loud music concert without ear protection or standing beside a gun going off; this is short-term tinnitus that should resolve quickly. Other people have tinnitus from years of noise exposure.

Treatments for Tinnitus

There is no cure for tinnitus, at least not yet, but there are some effective treatments available. If a tinnitus condition is affecting your quality of life, visit an audiologist and talk to them about possible options, they might recommend a hearing aid, a sound generator or lifestyle changes.

The tinnitus treatment depends on the severity of the tinnitus. In severe life-changing scenarios, a hearing device can be very effective, but if the tinnitus is mild, an audiologist might suggest some breathing techniques to lower your blood pressure and reduce the sound of low buzzing.

When to Visit an Audiologist

If you have become aware of a low buzzing in your hearing, you might have come across tinnitus. In this case, there are many changes and techniques you try yourself to reduce the symptoms without visiting a professional, but sometimes you need to talk to an audiologist.

When the background noise of tinnitus starts to affect your quality of life, it’s time to visit an audiologist for some advice and treatment. If you need a hearing device or a sound generator fitted, an audiologist will be able to advise you on the most suitable device and help install it.

Experiencing tinnitus can be unpleasant and disconcerting, but there are many strategies for reducing the symptoms and preventing the condition from getting any worse. If you have concerns about your future hearing, talk to an audiologist for the most professional advice.