Is Tinnitus A Permanent Condition or Can it Go Away in Time?

It’s usually quite easy to tell when there is something wrong with your ears. Experiencing hearing loss will be a big giveaway, but pain can also be a sign that something is wrong. Of course, though, few symptoms will be harder to live with than being able to hear a buzz or a whine all the time.

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of noise or ringing in the ears, and the problem is usually a physical one. Thanks to where this noise comes from, it can be extremely difficult to tune it out, with those who have tinnitus hearing it all the time. This can make it hard to sleep or listen to things using headphones, along with a range of other frustrating issues. More than 15% of people experience tinnitus at some point in their lives, making this condition far more common than a lot of people expect. But how long does tinnitus last?

What causes tinnitus

Before diving into figuring out how long your tinnitus might last for, it’s a good idea to explore what may have caused it. In a lot of cases, this will be something you can actively work against, giving you the chance to reduce your chances of experiencing tinnitus in the first place.

• Loud Noises: Exposing your ears to loud noises can be satisfying at the time, but will almost always have some negative impact on your ears. If you spend every day listening to loud music through headphones or like to visit every concert you can, it could be worth holding yourself back a little or looking for some ear protection.
• Stress & Anxiety: More people are living with stress and anxiety than ever before, though not a lot of people realize that these conditions can cause tinnitus. There are a lot of professionals out there who can help you with this.
• Hearing Loss: Experiencing hearing loss of other types can often cause tinnitus. This can give you two reasons to visit your audiologist, as you will need to get the hearing loss sorted out before you can solve the tinnitus problem.
• Ear Infections: Ear infections can have a major impact on the way that you hear both when they are around and when they’ve cleared up. This makes it worth seeing an audiologist when you feel pain in your ears, as this sort of condition will often get worse and worse until it is solved.
• Earwax Build Up: Some people produce more earwax than others, and this can often get to levels which block the channels inside your ears. There are a number of ways to solve this, but you should always talk to an audiologist before taking DIY action.

There are more causes for this condition out there, making it well worth doing a little bit of research when you find yourself experiencing tinnitus. People across the world hear ringing in their ears, even if the cause of this can easily be solved.

How long will tinnitus last

The amount of time your tinnitus will last can vary depending on a range of factors. The cause of the tinnitus will be a major player in this, but the way that your ears are formed can also play a role, making it tricky to predict how long your tinnitus might last for.

In a lot of cases, injury-related tinnitus will only last for a few minutes. Tinnitus which is caused by things like earwax and ear infections will usually clear up within a few weeks or months of the condition being healed. Of course, though, in more extreme cases, tinnitus can be a permanent addition to your hearing.

The type of treatment you get for your tinnitus will make all the difference when it comes to getting rid of it. Many people find themselves simply waiting for this condition to go away on its own, but this will rarely happen unless you get very lucky. Instead, it will make a lot more sense to see a professional audiologist to help you out.

This is where Hearing & Balance Centers of West Tennessee comes in. With a dedicated team of expert audiologists to help you with your tinnitus, we encourage anyone experiencing tinnitus to give us a call on one of the numbers below. We work extremely hard to get to the cause of conditions like this, and pride ourselves on providing excellent audiology support. Call one of our team members at…

• Jackson: (731) 256-5973
• Memphis: (901) 201-6761