Does Tinnitus Go Away?

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of buzzing, pulsing, clicking, or ringing sound in the ears that has no external source, does not exist for other people, but is constantly heard in the ears.

Although not every other person gets tinnitus, it is fairly common with around 30 million people in the USA to develop this condition at some point in their lives. It is also one of the most disturbing disorders that affects the normal routine of your life adversely. 

Hearing weird sounds constantly or repeatedly in your ears puts pressure on your mental, social, and emotional health. However, in many cases, tinnitus is temporary and goes away. So, if you are wondering “Does tinnitus go away”, let us discuss the details. 

Why do I get Tinnitus?

Tinnitus often signifies some underlying health disorder related to the ears. Below are the most common causes of tinnitus. 

Common Causes of Tinnitus 

Let us first talk about the 6 most common causes of tinnitus.

Exposure to Loud Noises

Our inner ear contains sensory cells which can be damaged by exposure to noise resulting in the transmission of nonexistent sounds to the brain. The damage could be because of, 

• Exposure to high-decibel noise for a short period of time. For example, bomb blast
• Exposure to any intensity of noise for a long period of time. For example, listening to music with high volume

Hearing Loss

One of the common symptoms of hearing loss is tinnitus. The hearing loss whether acquired due to aging and noise exposure or ear blockage can cause tinnitus. 

Also, it is important to know that tinnitus associated with hearing loss is common in people above 60 years of age. 

Ear Wax

Ear wax can induce tinnitus in two ways,

• Blockage of the ear canal resulting in reduced hearing
• Creation of pressure by excessive wax on the tympanic membrane 

Pressure on tympanic membranes causes abnormal vibration of the eardrum and hearing of ringing sounds. 

Ear Infection

Just like excessive ear wax, ear infections can also cause tinnitus. This is because most ear infections are associated with increased discharge in the ear and this discharge interferes with the normal physiology and pressure on the eardrum. 

It is less common than tinnitus caused by a buildup of the ear wax. 

Drugs

Tinnitus is the side effect of many drugs including, 

• Anti-malarial agents like quinine and hydroxychloroquine
• Antibiotics like tobramycin and gentamycin
• NSAIDS like ibuprofen
• Anti-cancer drugs like cisplatin and carboplatin 
• Rarely antidepressants 

Trauma to the Head or Ear

Trauma to the head might result in damage to the auditory or auricle nerve or even the auricular center of the brain. Thus, you perceive clicking sounds in your ears.

Similarly, trauma to the ear can cause perforation of the ear drum and damage to nerves lying nearby. Not to mention that it also increases the risk of hearing loss and ear infections. 

Rare Causes of Tinnitus 

In addition to the conditions mentioned above, some uncommon yet serious conditions can cause tinnitus as well. These are given as,

Meniere’s Disease

Meniener’s disease is defined as the development of tinnitus, dizziness, and impaired hearing caused by disorders of the inner ear. These disorders include,

• Allergies
• Infections 
• Autoimmune reactions 
• Abnormality of blood vessels supplying the temporal area 

Thus, it is a unilateral condition that can trigger tinnitus. 

Tumors

Tumors that affect the ear, auditory nerve, or a part of the brain also result in tinnitus. Some of such tumors include,

• Acoustic neuroma 
• Any tumor in the cerebellopontine angle
• Any tumor in the ear putting pressure on the eardrum

Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor of the vestibular nerve and the most common tumor-causing tinnitus. 

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders 

The temporomandibular joint connects your skull with the jaw and is located near the ear. Any disorder of the temporomandibular joint that initiates tinnitus in the ear by damaging the area near the inner ear or ear drum.

Systemic Conditions

Lastly, some systemic conditions can cause tinnitus if they are uncontrolled. These include, 

• Hypertension 
• Diabetes 
• Migraine 
• Thyroid disorders 

Does tinnitus go away?

Yes, tinnitus can go away once the causes of the tinnitus are treated. So, here are some of the ways to treat your tinnitus. 

Ear Wax Removal

The buildup of ear wax is one of the easily treatable causes of tinnitus. Although it seems like no big deal, it is essential to remove your excessive earwax with proper techniques.

You can get a professional ear wax removal treatment or simply use the Bebird Note5 Pro Ear Camera to make your ear free of wax and tinnitus.

Treatment of Sinus Infections

Sinus infections or chronic ear infections come with tinnitus as an associated symptom. Complete treatment of such infections reduces the fluid buildup and thus the pressure on the eardrum. 

Consequently, your tinnitus goes away. However, it might take a few years. 

Avoidance of Loud Noises

Avoiding loud noises can prevent and even reverse the damage done to your inner ear and help you treat tinnitus. You can do so by,

• Using earbuds while going in a noisy environment
• Using masking devices during the day
• Using a white noise machine at night 

Treatment of Other Causes

Lastly, here are some other treatments for tinnitus.

• Quit the use of drugs causing tinnitus
• Keep your systemic disorders well-controlled
• Counseling with CBT and TRT can also help

Tinnitus That Persists

Although tinnitus can go away, there are a few cases where it does not. Such conditions are given below. 

Irreversible Hearing Loss

Tinnitus persists in any condition that causes irreversible hearing loss. For example, Meniere’s disease. It is a slowly developing and progressing disease with no known treatment to reverse the hearing.

Furthermore, tinnitus caused by aging-related hearing loss does not go away as well.

Idiopathic Chronic Tinnitus

At times, there is no known cause of tinnitus. When you do not see the cause, you cannot treat it. As a result, tinnitus persists throughout the life.

Moreover, if any disease causes tinnitus for 3 or more months, there is a rare chance of such tinnitus going away. 

Factors that Worsen Tinnitus

There are some factors that worsen tinnitus without you knowing. So, even treatable tinnitus is prolonged if you have these risk factors. These include, 

• Continuous exposure to noises
• Mental stress, depression, and anxiety
• Removal of earwax with Q-tips
• Allergies
• Insomnia
• Alcohol and smoking
• Excessive intake of caffeine 

If you avoid these risk factors, the chances of tinnitus going away increases. 

Conclusion 

The chances of tinnitus going away mainly depend upon the causes behind it. For example, ear wax can be treated by a Bebird ear wax removal camera; infections can be treated; and exposure to loud noise can be avoided.

In such cases, tinnitus goes away. However, when the cause of tinnitus is unclear or hearing loss is untreatable, tinnitus persists for an indefinite period of time. For persistent tinnitus, counseling, hearing aids, and therapy is the treatment of choice.