Audiologist Lists 4 Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a hard thing to define in many cases. It is a symptom in itself, as opposed to a strictly-defined condition. What’s more, it can present in a variety of ways. However, understanding that you suffer from tinnitus can help you begin to look at the variety of ways to treat it. For that reason, here are some signs you have tinnitus and should do something about it.

The common kinds of tinnitus

Tinnitus appears in many different forms, but they are all equally recognized as tinnitus. If you hear any kind of persistent ringing, humming, whistling or buzzing noises, it may be a sign. The sound can feel like it’s coming from your ears or from your head, and it can be intermittent, or it can be ever-present. The rhythm can also match your pulse, which is known as pulsatile tinnitus. The noise can seem more prominent when you’re stressed, tired or trying to sleep.

The sound of music

A slightly more uncommon form of tinnitus is the experience of musical hallucinations. This tends to be more prevalent in those who have had tinnitus for a long-time or have suffered extensive hearing loss. Rather than the more consistent sounds heard in other cases of tinnitus, you may experience snippets or songs and melodies on a regular basis. They may not be songs you recognize or know, but simply follow the conventions of rhythm and note changes.

Sensitivity to sound

One of the most common side-effects of tinnitus is that it will make you all the more sensitive to other noises. Normal volumes of television and radio might suddenly seem unbearably loud to you. This is particularly common at night, as well, when the lower level of surrounding noise means that you can hear even the slightest sound all the more clearly. The drip of water from another room might become a frequent annoyance and the sound of someone opening and closing a door down the hall, even quietly, can interrupt your sleep.

The emotional impact

Tinnitus should be taken seriously not only by its own merits but because it can have serious psychological impacts on those suffering from it. Higher levels of stress and anxiety are very common in those with tinnitus. This may be in part due to a lack of sleep caused by sound sensitivity or the inability to ignore the noises only you can hear. Often, your audiologist may recommend therapy that not only tackles the emotional impact, but can help you learn how to habituate and block out or ignore those sounds.

If you are concerned you suffer from tinnitus, you should visit your audiologist. Examinations can highlight some of the potential causes as well as pointing the direction in which you can begin trying treatments. There is a range of different techniques, the effectiveness of which can be very different from patient to patient. The sooner you start looking at these treatments, the better your chances of finding one that works for you.