The buzzing in your ear keeps getting worse. It started off quietly enough, one of those “is it really there” sort of situations. But you’ve noticed how loud and constant the tinnitus noises have become after an entire day on the job at a construction site. These sounds can take many forms, such as ringing, buzzing, or any number of noises. You’re thinking about coming in to see us, but you’re wondering: how is ringing in the ears treated?
The source of your tinnitus symptoms will significantly determine what approach will be most appropriate for you. But your own tinnitus treatment will share some common threads with others that can help you get ready.
There are a couple of different types of tinnitus
Tinnitus is not uncommon. There can be a variety of causes for the ringing (or whatever tinnitus noises you’re hearing). So when it comes to treatment, tinnitus is normally split into one of two categories:
- Medical Tinnitus: Inherent medical problems, including ear infections, excessive earwax, a growth, or other medical issues, can be the cause of tinnitus. Managing the root medical problem will normally be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: Tinnitus that is related to hearing damage or hearing impairment is usually known as “non-medical” tinnitus. Significant, persistent, and chronic tinnitus can be the outcome of hearing damage caused by long term exposure to loud noise (like at your construction site). It’s normally very difficult to treat non-medical tinnitus.
The type of tinnitus you have, and the root cause of the hearing condition, will determine the best ways to treat those symptoms.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
Your medical tinnitus symptoms will usually improve when the root medical issue is treated. Here are a few treatments for medical tinnitus:
- Surgery: Doctors may decide to perform surgery to eliminate any tumor or growth that could be causing your tinnitus symptoms.
- Hydrocortisone: Some kinds of infections will not respond to antibiotics. Viral infections, for instance, never respond to antibiotic treatments. Hydrocortisone might be prescribed in these cases to manage other symptoms.
- Antibiotics: Your doctor may prescribe you with antibiotics if your tinnitus is caused by a bacterial ear infection. Your tinnitus symptoms will probably go-away when the infection clears up.
If your tinnitus is caused by a medical issue, you’ll want to see us to get personalized treatment options.
Treatments for non-medical tinnitus
Typically, medical tinnitus is a lot easier to diagnose and manage than non-medical tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus has no cure particularly if it’s caused by hearing loss. Instead, treatment to enhance quality of life by alleviating symptoms is the normal course of action.
- Medications: Tinnitus is sometimes managed with experimental medication. For example, steroids and anti-anxiety medication mixtures can sometimes help reduce tinnitus symptoms. Still, you’ll want to talk to us before making any decisions about medications.
- Noise-masking devices: These devices mask your tinnitus noises by producing enough white noise to allow the buzzing or ringing to fade into the background. Certain sounds can be tuned into these devices depending on what noises your tinnitus is producing.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some instances, you can be trained to ignore the sounds of your tinnitus. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a widely utilized method designed to help you reach just that.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is getting worse as your hearing gets worse. When you have hearing loss everything outside becomes 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 sounds seem quieter.
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 probably won’t be obvious. In most situations, tinnitus can’t be cured. But numerous different treatment options are available that could lessen the symptoms. Finding the right one for you is the trick.