Tinnitus may not be a life-threatening condition, but it can still detract from your quality of life in significant ways, causing mental strain and interrupting key events. This condition involves hearing sounds that aren’t from an external cause and may include sounds like:
Sometimes tinnitus appears as a rhythmic pulsing or whooshing that matches your heartbeat or pulse. It can lead to headaches, nausea, and other physical symptoms.
For the 50 million Americans dealing with tinnitus, the question that’s top of mind is whether anything can stop the ringing in their ears. At Jacksonville ENT Surgery with offices in Lake City and Jacksonville, Florida, our board-certified ear-nose-throat (ENT) providers offer different solutions.
Take a moment to learn more about this frustrating condition and whether anything can make the ringing in your ears disappear.
Many things can trigger the tinnitus, from simple and innocuous issues, like earwax buildup, to more serious conditions, like brain tumors, making it especially important to see a specialist if you’re experiencing symptoms. Some other common causes include:
The cause and type of tinnitus are closely linked. Most people (over 99%) with tinnitus have subjective tinnitus. With subjective tinnitus, only the person with the condition perceives the sounds in their ears.
Certain risk factors increase your chances of getting subjective tinnitus, including:
A small number of people develop objective tinnitus, which is usually caused by a physical condition, like a vascular abnormality, neurological disease, or auditory dysfunction, and another person can hear it, usually with a stethoscope.
Since objective tinnitus can be a sign of a serious health problem, be sure to see a doctor as soon as possible if you hear sounds in time with your pulse or similar.
While there is no surefire cure for tinnitus, the good news is that effective treatments exist to minimize your symptoms and help restore your quality of life. But the best treatment depends on your symptoms, the degree of tinnitus you have, and the type of tinnitus.
At Jacksonville ENT Surgery, your provider talks to you about what you’re experiencing, reviews your medical history and current health, and discusses relevant lifestyle factors to create a personalized tinnitus treatment plan.
Depending on your needs, your tinnitus treatment may include one or more of the following therapies:
If you’re experiencing tinnitus, don’t wait to get the help you need. Start by scheduling an appointment online or over the phone at the Jacksonville ENT Surgery location nearest you.
