The Most Common Tinnitus Questions Answered

Tinnitus is extremely common. People often ask (or look up online) what exactly tinnitus is, how tinnitus is caused, if it’s dangerous, how to treat tinnitus, and how stress, noise, and medications can affect it.

From common questions about tinnitus symptoms and risk factors, to asking about treatment options or how to manage symptoms, we have the answers below.

What is Tinnitus

Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing, buzzing, whooshing or hissing sensation in your ears. The tricky thing though is that the perceived sound isn’t caused by an external noise.

More than 50 million Americans experience tinnitus for a number of different reasons. And for some, tinnitus can be painful and extremely distracting. Tinnitus can also be intermittent or chronic.

Do I have tinnitus or is it just my imagination?

What makes tinnitus tricky is that it describes the sensation of hearing sounds without external stimuli, which can make some people think they’re just hearing things.

This is also partly because the pitches and types of sound tinnitus presents as are different for everyone. Some people say they hear an annoying high-pitched ringing. Others say it’s a buzzing like bees. Some people even say they hear whooshing or grinding, or a mix of the above.

Only the person with tinnitus can hear the sounds (except when it is an objective tinnitus where a vascular issue is causing the sound, often pulsatile in nature).

Rule of thumb – if you think you have tinnitus, or are imagining sound, you likely do have tinnitus and it’s time to see your audiologist to talk about next steps. 

Tinnitus Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus can be cause by a number of factors, or combination of them. This includes:

• Exposure to loud noise
• Medication
• Hearing loss
• Ear infection
• Trauma to the ear
• Earwax buildup
• Meniere’s disease
• Vascular disorders

Can earwax cause tinnitus? What about high-blood pressure?

Yes! Earwax, and an ear infection, as well as high-blood pressure, can all cause tinnitus. The good news too is that tinnitus can be resolved easily if the cause is temporary, such as an infection or a buildup of earwax or by treating the high blood pressure.

Can certain medications cause tinnitus?

Unfortunately, some medications can cause tinnitus. These are known was ototoxic medications and can include some cancer drugs, diuretics, antidepressants, antimalarial drugs, some antibiotics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Tinnitus can also be caused by long-term aspirin use, so it’s important to carefully read side effects and manage medication dosage with your doctor.

Can tinnitus happen because I’m stressed out?

Sadly, yes. Various studies have found that stress-inducing events or situations can often trigger or worsen tinnitus, and people with tinnitus report higher levels of stress than those who do not have it.

Who is more at risk for tinnitus?

Anyone can experience tinnitus, but the below factors could increase your risk.

• Loud noise exposure
• Age (as you age, the nerve fibers in the ears decrease in number which often causes hearing loss and other problems associated with tinnitus)
• Gender (men are more likely to have tinnitus due to traditionally higher occupational risks)
• Alcohol and tobacco use (smokers and alcohol drinkers have a higher change of developing tinnitus)
• Existing health conditions (people with heart problems, high blood pressure, or who are overweight, are at a higher risk for tinnitus)

Am I at risk for developing tinnitus if I already have hearing loss?

Data has found that up to 90 percent of people with tinnitus also have a hearing loss. This high percentage is often due to the damage to the auditory system that has caused both conditions. Here is a great article from Healthy Hearing on the connection between tinnitus and hearing loss.

Is  tinnitus permanent or temporary?

It’s hard to answer this because tinnitus is experienced on such as subjective and individual level. In some cases, like an ear infection or stress, the tinnitus may be temporary. In other cases, it could be permanent – especially if there’s been long-term nose exposure or damage to the inner ear. And to make things even more complex, tinnitus can come-and-go, become more or less noticeable under specific conditions (example – higher stress or a sinus infection), and can be influenced by your overall health. This is why it’s important to work with an audiologist if you are dealing with tinnitus, because they can help adjust your management plan over time.

Tinnitus Treatment and Management

The good news – there are options for managing tinnitus symptoms. The bad news – there is no cure.

How can I reduce tinnitus?

Depending on the cause of your tinnitus, there are a number of different treatment methods available to help you find relief.

1. Address and resolve the underlying issue if it’s earwax, stress, an ear infection, or medication side effect.
2. White noise machines
3. Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
4. Hearing aids

Learn more here about tinnitus treatment options.

Do hearing aids help with tinnitus?

Yes, they do! Even if you do not have a hearing loss, hearing aids can be incredibly helpful in treating tinnitus. Hearing aids can be equipped with tinnitus-masking features that helps cover the tinnitus. This can offer relief from the unwanted noise.

Is tinnitus curable?

There is currently no cure, but tinnitus relief is possible, and tinnitus can be managed. Explore various tinnitus treatment options here.

If you are suffering from tinnitus schedule an appointment with us today to be evaluated. We will work to identify the cause behind your tinnitus and recommend the appropriate treatment.