Why Do I Hear White Noise? It May Be Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a complex and multi-faceted topic, as well as an issue that affects a lot of people, whether it’s only for a short period of time or even for years at a time. Some people experience the effects of tinnitus for their entire life.

If you are hearing white noise, such as a ringing, buzzing or hissing noise in your ears that no one else can hear, then you may be experiencing tinnitus. The vast majority of people have experienced short-term bouts of tinnitus at some point in their life. If you’re starting to experience a longer-term version of tinnitus, however, then you may want to learn more about it, as well as what you can do to treat it and reduce its impact on your life.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is defined as the experience of noises that can’t be ascribed to the outside environment and can’t be heard by others. Rather than being a condition in and of itself, tinnitus is a range of symptoms. As such, one person’s experience of it can be vastly different from another’s.

The specific mechanisms of how and why tinnitus occurs aren’t fully known and there is no guaranteed cure to stop the symptom from affecting a person. In some people, it will eventually go away, while others might experience it for a longer period of time. Similarly, it can be persistent for people, but others might only experience it occasionally. It might sound like a buzzing to some, like a ringing bell to others or even like an individual’s heartbeat.

There are some underlying causes of some forms of tinnitus that can be treated but, in a lot of cases, treatment is mostly about acclimating to or canceling out the noise, which is where a hearing health professional may be able to help you.

The Symptoms of Tinnitus

You may not find that your experience of tinnitus matches the experiences that others have shared, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have it. The primary symptom of tinnitus is hearing any noise that others can’t hear whether it’s in your ear or in your head.

This can sound like ringing, clicking, buzzing, hissing, humming or any number of noises. It can be intermittent or much more frequent, it can sound like it’s in one ear, both ears and even in your head. Hearing loss can also be linked to tinnitus but is a symptom well worth checking out on its own.

The Risk Factors of Tinnitus

When treating tinnitus, it’s a good idea to know what risk factors might be affecting you. Here are some of the factors commonly associated with the experience of tinnitus symptoms:

• Using ototoxic medications
• Ear infections
• Meniere’s disease
• Earwax buildup
• High blood pressure
• Head and neck injuries
• Hearing loss
• Stress, anxiety or depression
• Hyperacusis

If any of the risk factors above apply to you and you are also experiencing the symptoms of tinnitus, then it’s likely that it’s affecting you and you might want to get in touch with your hearing health professional.

The Impacts of Tinnitus

As soon as you have any concerns that tinnitus is affecting you and it’s not going away within a day or two, you should seek help from a hearing health professional. Tinnitus can have a wide range of impacts on your quality of life. For instance, many find that it gets in the way of sleep. It can increase stress levels and make it harder to relax.

It can make people more irritable. Some even find that it affects their relationships with others. Treating tinnitus can be vital for ensuring the right care for your mental health, so don’t leave it untreated for too long.

Talk to Your Hearing Health Professional About Tinnitus

Your hearing health professional can help you if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of tinnitus, have any of the risk factors or are experiencing the effects mentioned above. One of the keyways in which they can help is by recommending devices that can provide a certain level of white noise that can help to tune out your tinnitus. They can also help you choose the right hearing aid to address any linked hearing loss.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, get in touch with your hearing health professional. Your hearing health professional will help you find the right treatment options for you. You can get call the team at Hearing Solutions Inc. at (701) 566-7280.