Tinnitus is the presence of a ringing or buzzing in the ear with no external source. Usually identified as a symptom of other conditions rather than a condition itself, tinnitus affects approximately 15% to 20% of people.
Determining whether your tinnitus is temporary or permanent can help set you on the right management path, whether that includes hearing aids, counseling, white noise machines or other options. Let’s look at a few causes of temporary and permanent tinnitus.
Hearing Loss
The cochlea of the inner ear is filled with fluid and lined with thousands of tiny hair cells. When you hear a bird chirping in Torrance Park, the sound vibrates the fluid in the cochlea, causing the inner ear hairs to move. When the hairs move, they generate an electrical signal. The auditory nerve carries this signal to the brain, where it is interpreted as sound.
Hearing loss occurs when the hairs in your cochlea are damaged or bent, whether from age, noise exposure or other causes. When the sound transmission process is disrupted, the ear may generate its own noise in the form of tinnitus.
Whether or not hearing loss-induced tinnitus is permanent depends on the extent of hearing damage. For instance, if your hearing is muffled and your ears are ringing following a loud concert, both will likely return to normal within a few days. However, if hearing loss is permanent and profound, tinnitus will likely be permanent.
Ototoxic Medication
Ototoxic medications are any drugs identified as having a damaging effect on the ear. Hearing loss, balance issues and tinnitus are the most common side effects of prolonged ototoxic drug use.
Ototoxic medications may cause permanent or temporary tinnitus based on the length of use and extent of damage. In some cases, tinnitus goes away once the patient stops taking the medication. In others, tinnitus is permanent. Because many ototoxic drugs cannot be avoided, such as those used to treat hypertension or cancer, it is essential to schedule regular audiology visits when taking these medications to help minimize damage where possible.
Ear Infections
Ear infections arise when a bacteria or virus infects the space behind the eardrum, leading to fluid retention and mild to severe pain. When fluid retention blocks the ear canal, tinnitus can arise. In most cases, tinnitus will go away as the ear infection clears up, so long as the patient sustains no permanent damage.
Ear infections are most common in children but may present in adults from time to time. To help prevent ear canal damage or permanent tinnitus, seek help from an ear specialist immediately and consider ear tubes where necessary to reduce the number of infections you or your child develop.
If you are experiencing temporary or permanent tinnitus, contact Torrance Audiology today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists for a consultation and symptom management plan.