About 50 million Americans hear it: a ringing, buzzing, humming, or hissing that no one else in the room can hear. For some it is a mild annoyance. For others it is a constant presence that interferes with sleep, concentration, and peace of mind.
If that describes you, you deserve more than “just try to ignore it.”
Where Tinnitus Comes From
Tinnitus is not a disease itself — it is a symptom, and it can have several causes. The most common is noise-induced hearing loss. Years of exposure to loud sounds, whether from machinery, music, firearms, or any number of occupational sources, can damage the tiny hair cells inside the inner ear that convert sound into electrical signals sent to the brain.
When those hair cells are damaged, they sometimes send abnormal signals. The brain, trying to make sense of incomplete input, generates its own sound. That phantom signal is what you hear as tinnitus.
Other causes include age-related hearing loss, ear infections, certain medications (including some antibiotics and high doses of aspirin), high blood pressure, and rarely, problems with the jaw joint. A hearing evaluation and a conversation with your audiologist can help identify what is most likely driving your symptoms.
When Tinnitus Gets Worse
Many people notice their tinnitus is louder in quiet environments — at night when trying to sleep is a common time. This is because the brain is not receiving competing external sound, so the internal signal becomes more prominent.
Stress and anxiety can also amplify perceived tinnitus. The brain’s threat-detection systems appear to heighten awareness of the ringing, creating a cycle where worry about the tinnitus makes it more noticeable, which creates more worry.
What You Can Do
Getting a hearing evaluation is the right first step, even if you are not sure your hearing has changed. The evaluation will tell your audiologist whether hearing loss is present (and if so, treating it often reduces tinnitus as a side benefit), and it creates a foundation for any further tinnitus assessment.
From there, options include sound therapy, hearing aids for those who also have hearing loss, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, and for qualifying patients, Lenire — an FDA-cleared bimodal neuromodulation device that clinical studies show significantly improves tinnitus symptoms in most users after 12 weeks of home treatment.
No single approach works for everyone. But there are more options available today than there were even five years ago, and you do not have to keep tolerating tinnitus as an irreversible fact of your life.
Ask about tinnitus treatment options at your next visit to Revolution Hearing in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, or New York.
