What is tinnitus, and is it permanent? Tinnitus is a persistent ringing, buzzing, roaring, chirping or clicking in the ears that can be permanent, although it is often temporary as well. Tinnitus symptoms can vary, and they are not always permanent. If you suffer from tinnitus, it can be slight enough that you don’t hear it unless you’re otherwise not distracted, or it can be loud and continual enough that it becomes truly disturbing.
The American Tinnitus Association says that over 50 million Americans have had tinnitus at least to some degree, with the most commonly accepted cause being continual exposure to loud noises, such as if you work in the construction industry or have listened to loud music for long periods of time or play in a rock band. However, no one really knows what causes tinnitus, and most people suffer from at least some tinnitus, sometimes occasionally, as they get older. Tinnitus is also much more common in older people than it is in younger people.
Can you get tinnitus if you snore?
Some are now saying that if you are a chronic, habitual snorer, you may also experience tinnitus. No one really knows why, but it may simply be because the snoring itself is loud and chronic, such that you are exposing yourself to loud noises continually when you sleep — as you are. Therefore, in some cases, a simple tinnitus remedy may very well be, “Stop snoring, and cure your tinnitus.” Of course, even if your snoring does not cause tinnitus, you should address it as an underlying health concern, since snoring can cause sleep apnea, can lead to high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, sleep deprivation, and more.
Causes of tinnitus
Tinnitus can be caused by a number of things; some of them can be remedied, and some of them cannot be, such that if you ask your doctor, “Is tinnitus permanent?”, the answer in your case would depend on the cause.
Medications can sometimes cause damage to the ear that’s either permanent or reversible. Before your doctor prescribes a medication to you, make sure your doctor knows about tinnitus if you have it, and discuss medications that won’t make it worse. If you are taking over-the-counter medications, make sure you read package information and ensure that it’s not going to make tinnitus worse, especially if you take multiple medications that interact so that symptoms can worsen.
Sinus or ear infections can also cause tinnitus, usually during the infection itself. Once the infection is cleared, the tinnitus itself will usually go away, too. If, however, the ear has been damaged as a result of the infection, tinnitus may remain.
John misalignment can cause tinnitus, too, in which case interventions like chiropractic services or orthodontic treatments like braces may help.
Head and neck trauma such as that suffered in a fall or car accident may also cause tinnitus, and may cause permanent or reversible symptoms.
Finally, those with cardiovascular disease may also experience tinnitus, specifically a type of tinnitus called pulsatile tinnitus. With this type of disorder, patients hear a rhythmic pulsing much like a heartbeat in their ears, and this can indicate a potentially serious vascular condition where blood flow is compromised in veins and arteries because of a medical condition like hardening of arteries or hypertension. In that case, medical attention should be sought immediately to correct the cardiovascular condition, with the tinnitus a secondary worry.
Treating permanent tinnitus
As for tinnitus itself, there is no treatment for tinnitus in the event “is tinnitus permanent” actually becomes true for you. If it is found that your tinnitus is permanent, there are things you can do to alleviate your symptoms.
Again, if you snore, get treatment; if you stop snoring, your tinnitus may simply go away, and you’ll certainly be healthier and feel better for doing so. If you have tinnitus and it’s not going away, though, most likely you find that your symptoms are most severe when you’re trying to sleep. If you find your tinnitus is most aggravating when you’re trying to go to sleep and can’t do so simply because of the loud noises in your ears, buying a “white noise” machine may help distract you enough so that you can go to sleep, because your ears will have something to listen to besides the noise caused by the tinnitus.
Preventing tinnitus
Of course, the best “cure” for tinnitus is not to get it at all. Everyone is probably going to experience tinnitus at some point during his or her life at least temporarily because of an illness like a sinus infection, but permanent tinnitus is most often caused by continual exposure to loud noise. So, don’t listen to loud music as a matter of course, and don’t place ear buds or earphones very close to the eardrum. If you work in an environment, such as construction, where you have to listen to loud noises all day long, wear ear protection so that you don’t acquire hearing loss or tinnitus as a result.