When left untreated, tinnitus can make it difficult to tell whether you also have hearing loss. Many people don’t seek treatment for their tinnitus since they have been told that they can’t cure it, so they don’t get their hearing tested by a professional like an audiologist.
However, tinnitus often occurs in association with hearing loss. As research has shown, the loss of sound input can cause tinnitus as a natural consequence. As a result, if your hearing is damaged, then your brain compensates by tuning into the ever-present sound of tinnitus to compensate for the lack of sound it receives from outside sources.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus may appear when someone suffers from hearing loss due to age or loud noise. Tinnitus is believed to be caused by damage to hair cells in the inner ear. According to research, damaged inner ear hair cells transmit phantom signals to the brain that cause tinnitus sounds to be perceived.
Other medical conditions besides hearing loss can also cause tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be caused by:
- Infections
- Tumors
- Circulation disorders
- Meniere’s disease
- Over-the-counter or prescription medications
- Underlying issues such as earwax, earwax blockage, or ear infections
Resolving these conditions may alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus in some cases.
What are the Effects of Tinnitus?
Untreated tinnitus can lead to various health problems. Among them are:
- Inability to hear clearly, possibly affecting your work and social life
- Increased stress levels
- Insomnia
- Depression and anxiety
Tinnitus is processed in part by the amygdala, an area of the brain believed to be involved in fight or flight, resulting in heightened levels of anxiety and stress in your brain. Because of its inescapable sound, anxiety and depression are especially common. In addition to these mental health issues, hearing tinnitus is also linked to other mood disorders.
In a cycle, the more stressed you are, the more you experience tinnitus. A number of health complications can be caused by stress, such as cardiovascular issues.
As you are usually in complete silence when experiencing tinnitus at its loudest at night, this can make sleeping difficult. The result is fatigue that lasts throughout the day, causing brain fog and lethargy.
How is your Quality of Life Affected?
The quality of life of someone with either tinnitus or hearing loss may be adversely affected if left untreated. Those with untreated hearing loss have a lower income (due to communication and productivity issues), more hospitalizations and falls (due to challenges balancing and orienting themselves to sound), and are at a greater risk for dementia, depression, and anxiety than their peers who have normal hearing.
Additionally, tinnitus may cause sleep deprivation, concentration problems, and increased stress and anxiety. Especially for people suffering from chronic tinnitus, tinnitus can be a life-changing experience.
It is unsurprising that tinnitus also causes memory issues due to sleep issues, high stress, and possible anxiety and depression. Even if we ignore the fatigue caused by tinnitus, it can be difficult to maintain concentration when engaging in other tasks that require close listening.
How to Treat Tinnitus
If you treat your tinnitus, you can avoid many health problems caused by untreated tinnitus. Those with tinnitus can still find highly effective treatments and management methods, even is there is no cure for the condition.
Moreover, since tinnitus often occurs in association with hearing loss, using a hearing aid to mask or reduce the sound is the most reliable method of treating tinnitus. Tinnitus therapy has been incorporated into many major hearing aids.
As a result of these features, hearing aids will simultaneously enhance hearing, reduce background noise, enable better speech recognition, and mask the distressing and distracting sounds associated with tinnitus.
Tinnitus therapy is generally built into hearing aids to provide comfort and relief to tinnitus sufferers. With these features, your brain is distracted from the sounds of tinnitus with a synthetic sound stimulus you can customize.
To determine how much tinnitus interferes with your ability to hear, and to ensure that you do not also have hearing loss, you should undergo a diagnostic hearing exam.
If you live in the Las Vegas area, consider using Hearing Associates of Las Vegas for your hearing exam needs. Locally trusted, we can help you address any problems you might be having and get back on track towards healthy hearing.
info@hearingassociateslv.com
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