When you first hear that ringing in your ears you could have a very common reaction: pretend that it’s no big thing. You go through your day the same as usual: you do your shopping, you cook dinner, you attempt to have a conversation with your friends. While you simultaneously try your hardest to ignore that ringing. Because you feel sure of one thing: your tinnitus will go away on its own.
After a few more days of unremitting ringing and buzzing, however, you start to have doubts.
This scenario happens to others as well. Tinnitus can be a challenging little affliction, at times it will go away by itself and in some cases, it will stick around for a longer period of time.
The Condition of Temporary Tinnitus
Around the globe, nearly everyone has had a bout of tinnitus because it’s very common. Tinnitus is a non-permanent condition, in most situations, and will ultimately go away on its own. The most common example is the rock concert: you go see Bruce Springsteen at your local stadium (it’s a good show) and when you get home, you realize that your ears are ringing.
Within a couple of days the kind of tinnitus connected to damage from loud noise will commonly disappear (and you chalk it up to the price of seeing your favorite band on stage).
After a while hearing loss can go from temporary or “acute” to permanent or “chronic” because of this exact type of injury. Too many of those kinds of concerts and you might wind up with permanent tinnitus.
When Tinnitus Doesn’t Seem to be Going Away by Itself
If your tinnitus doesn’t diminish (either on its own or with help) within the period of three months or so, the condition is then classified chronic tinnitus (this does not, however, mean that you should wait that long to speak to a specialist about lingering ringing, buzzing, or thumping in your ears).
Around 5-15% of individuals around the world have reported signs of chronic tinnitus. While there are some understood close connections (like hearing loss, as an example), the causes of tinnitus aren’t yet really understood.
When the triggers of your tinnitus aren’t obvious, it normally means that a quick “cure” will be elusive. There is a good possibility that your tinnitus won’t go away by itself if you have been hearing the ringing for over three months. In those instances, there are treatment options available (like cognitive behavioral therapy or noise-canceling devices) that can help you deal with symptoms and maintain your quality of life.
It’s Important to Know What The Cause of Your Tinnitus is
When you can determine the root cause of your tinnitus, dealing with the condition quickly becomes a lot easier. For example, if your tinnitus is produced by a stubborn, bacterial ear infection, treatment with an antibiotic will tend to solve both problems, resulting in a healthy ear and crystal-clear hearing.
Some causes of acute tinnitus could consist of:
- Chronic ear infections
- Meniere’s disease (this is often associated with chronic tinnitus, as Meniere’s has no cure)
- Loss of hearing (again, this is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Damage to the eardrum (such as a perforated eardrum)
- A blockage in the ear or ear canal
The Big Question…Will my Tinnitus Ever go Away?
The bottom line is that in almost all cases, yes, your tinnitus will subside by itself. But the longer it hangs around, the longer you hear tinnitus noises, the more likely it becomes that you’re experiencing chronic tinnitus.
You believe that if you simply ignore it should disappear on its own. But there may come a point where your tinnitus begins to become distressing, where it’s tough to concentrate because the sound is too disruptive. And in those situations, you might want a treatment strategy more comprehensive than crossing your fingers.
In most cases, however, as a matter of fact, throughout most of your life, your tinnitus will often subside on its own, a normal reaction to a loud environment (and your body’s method of telling you to stay away from that situation in the future). Whether that’s chronic or acute tinnitus, well, only time will tell.