Hearing loss and tinnitus are two distinct conditions that often share a relationship. They frequently occur together, but they can also exist on their own. Treatment may depend on your diagnosis, and even then there’s some overlap.
Visit us at Austin ENT Associates in Round Rock, Texas, for specialist care for either condition. Dr. Jeffrey Zapalac and Dr. Daniel Ratcliff are experienced ear, nose, and throat surgeons, and along with our team of audiologists, they’re ready to help you with any hearing-related health issues.
Hearing loss can have many causes, from mechanical and physical conditions that block the conduction of sound waves to sensory disorders that prevent signals from arriving in the brain. Common signs of hearing loss include:
You can lose hearing quickly or slowly over time, but once you’re aware, have a professional evaluate your condition.
Tinnitus, more commonly known as ringing in the ear, is a symptom with several causes, but it’s not a disease on its own. Best described as phantom sounds created by your brain, tinnitus can affect one ear or both, and it could be intermittent or chronic.
Though sometimes tinnitus sounds can be hard to describe, they come in a wide range of varieties. Some of the most common include:
As you can see, calling tinnitus “ringing” isn’t always accurate.
Tinnitus is sometimes, but not always, a symptom of hearing loss. As sensory (nerve) hearing loss reduces the amount of ambient sound reaching the brain, it’s thought that the brain compensates with phantom sounds.
Hearing aids are often a treatment for tinnitus, because the brain focuses on sounds by priority. Boosting the level of the actual sounds that surround you effectively turns down the level of tinnitus noise that the brain perceives, an effect called masking.
Other conditions of the ear can also allow tinnitus to cut through reduced hearing, things like earwax blockages or fluid buildup in the middle ear. Having tinnitus doesn’t mean you’ll always have measurable hearing loss, and having hearing loss doesn’t guarantee that tinnitus will be present.
The key to the right solution for your ear condition is a comprehensive ear exam and hearing test to pinpoint the causes of your symptoms. Only then can we create an effective treatment plan.
Contact us at Austin ENT Associates in Round Rock, Texas, to book your consultation. Request an appointment online or by phone today.
