The ringing in your ear keeps worsening. It began quietly enough, one of those “is it really there” sort of things. But after being at the construction site all day (for work), you’ve noticed just how noisy (and how relentless) that buzzing has become. These noises can take many forms, like ringing, buzzing, or any number of sounds. You’re considering coming in to see us, but you’re not sure: how is buzzing in the ears treated?
The origin of your tinnitus symptoms will substantially establish what approach will be most appropriate for you. But there are some common threads that can help you get ready for your own tinnitus treatment.
There are a couple of different types of tinnitus
Tinnitus is incredibly common. 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 usually divided 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 underlying medical problem will normally be the priority of your medical professional.
- Non-Medical Tinnitus: “Non-medical” nomenclature is generally reserved for tinnitus caused by damaged hearing or hearing loss. As time passes, exposure to damaging noise (like the noise at your construction site) can cause constant, severe, and chronic tinnitus. Non-medical tinnitus is usually more challenging to manage.
The kind of tinnitus you have, and the root cause of the hearing affliction, will establish the best ways to treat those symptoms.
Treatments for medical tinnitus
Your medical tinnitus symptoms will typically clear up when the underlying medical issue is addressed. Here are a few treatments for medical tinnitus:
- Hydrocortisone: Certain types of infections will not react to antibiotics. Viral infections, for example, never respond to antibiotic solutions. In these cases, your doctor might prescribe hydrocortisone to help you control other symptoms.
- Antibiotics: If your tinnitus is related to an ear infection (that is, a bacterial ear infection), your doctor might prescribe antibiotics. Your tinnitus symptoms will probably go away when the infection clears up.
- Surgery: When your tinnitus is related to a tumor or other growth, doctors may perform surgery to remove the mass that’s causing your tinnitus, particularly if your symptoms are decreasing your quality of life.
You’ll want to schedule an appointment to come see us so we personalize a tinnitus treatment plan, particularly if you’re dealing 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 particularly if it’s caused by hearing loss. Instead, treatment to enhance quality of life by relieving symptoms is the normal strategy.
- Noise-masking devices: Sometimes called “white noise machines,” these devices are designed to provide enough sound to minimize your ability to hear the ringing or buzzing caused by your tinnitus. These devices can be attenuated to produce certain sounds designed to balance out your tinnitus symptoms.
- Medications: There are some experimental medications available for dealing with tinnitus. For instance, steroids and anti-anxiety medication combinations can sometimes help decrease tinnitus symptoms. But before you make any decisions, you’ll want to talk to us.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: In some circumstances, you can be trained to ignore the sounds of your tinnitus. This frequently used method has helped lots of people do just that.
- Hearing aids: A hearing aid can help if your tinnitus is becoming worse as your hearing gets worse. When you have hearing impairment everything outside becomes quieter and that can make your tinnitus noises seem louder. When you utilize a hearing aid it boosts the volume of the outside world making your tinnitus noises seem quieter.
Find what works
In order to successfully treat your hearing issues you will most likely need to explore several strategies as the exact cause of your tinnitus most likely won’t be clear. Depending on the source of your buzzing or ringing, there might not be a cure for your tinnitus. But there are various treatments available. Finding the right one for you is the trick.