Julie Raney is a certified and licensed audiologist. She has a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master’s Degree in Audiology from Idaho State University. She has worked as a clinical audiologist in Colorado since 2005. She specializes in hearing amplification for adults and delivers her services in both English and Sign Language.

What is tinnitus, and how does it affect you?

The sense of sound when there is no actual external noise is known as tinnitus. Tinnitus is usually associated with ringing in the ears; however, it can appear in various ways. Tinnitus can be described as a buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, or clicking sound. Tinnitus patients have reported hearing music on a few unusual occasions. While doctors are unsure precisely what happens in our brain to cause these phantom noises, they believe it is linked to loud noise exposure and inner ear damage.

Hearing loss and tinnitus

Hearing loss manifests itself in different ways for different people. Tinnitus is frequently associated with a pattern of hearing loss. It is commonly experienced as a high-pitched static sound if you lose high-frequency tones and pitches.

Tinnitus is most commonly present in one ear if you have unilateral hearing loss (hearing loss in one ear). This is thought to be because tinnitus is caused by damage to the inner ear’s small hair-like cells. These cells are in charge of transmitting audio information from the inner ear to the brain. They are easily damaged by loud noises, resulting in irreversible hearing loss. It doesn’t happen entirely at once, and only some components of hearing are lost at first. Damage to the hair cells is thought to send misleading signals or feedback to the brain, perceived as tinnitus symptoms.

Tinnitus Research studies from 2019 looked at a “predictive coding” paradigm of perception. The concept is based on the premise that our brain, without our knowledge, tends to code particular inputs and generate predictions about whether they will occur again. Electrical firings in the auditory system that aren’t associated with natural sounds may usually be ignored by the brain. The study discovered that people with tinnitus mistake the spontaneous firings for a sound. Their brains expect to continue, causing the mistake to repeat itself.

Noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss

Have you ever walked away from a loud fireworks display, concert, or athletic event with a ringing in your ears? Most of the time, this sensation goes away the next day, but it can also indicate a hearing loss, even if we aren’t aware of it right away.

A study of amateur rock musicians found that both ears experienced transient hearing loss and tinnitus following band rehearsal. When your auditory system begins to portray a lifetime of noise exposure, your tinnitus and hearing loss may re-emerge years later.

Tinnitus can be avoided by protecting your hearing

It’s essential to recognize that loud noise can cause hearing loss, especially chronic hearing loss. It’s something you should think about, regardless of your age.

Young individuals are difficult to persuade to safeguard their hearing and avoid loud noises. The fact remains if they don’t turn down their favorite song or video game, it will cause hearing problems years later. When you believe you are being exposed to loud noise, put on hearing protection. It can help you hear better right now while also protecting your hearing in the future.

Tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss

If you have tinnitus, you have a substantial probability of hearing loss simultaneously. While there is no treatment for hearing loss, hearing aids can not only help you hear better, but they can also help you relax and reduce the appearance of tinnitus.

Make an appointment for a hearing test right now. We can assist you in determining the best treatment for your tinnitus and hearing loss.