Hearing Loss and Tinnitus: Understanding the Connection

Tinnitus isn't just an annoying ringing in the ears. About 15% of the population experiences tinnitus. Of that number, approximately 17% suffer from depression -- which is suspiciously close to the 18% with depression who have general hearing loss.

Tinnitus has a real impact on one's health, but it's a confusing topic since it often seems both directly and tangentially related to hearing loss. It's made more confusing by the fact that tinnitus can be the result of hearing damage or a phenomenon from birth. How are hearing loss and tinnitus related, and does this hearing impairment have cause for deeper concern?

Today, we'll look at tinnitus and hearing loss in the broader scope of auditory health for seniors in Burlington, IA.

What Exactly Is Tinnitus?

According to Harvard Health, tinnitus is a hearing impairment where you hear a noise that doesn't exist in the real world, most often a ringing. For many people, this is a high-frequency whine that happens in brief spurts or long stretches. It can also manifest as a buzzing or chirping, and may only happen in a single ear.

Most tinnitus is temporary, lasting for around six months or less. Once it extends beyond that into years and decades, it's called chronic tinnitus. Approximately 60 million in the U.S. struggle with this particular condition.

Effects of Tinnitus

Needless to say, tinnitus is annoying at best and debilitating at worst. People with tinnitus may have difficulty focusing or even falling asleep. It can make them irritable and, as mentioned above, contribute to depression.

There's even a saying among those who have it: "Don't talk about tinnitus." The reasoning is that when you bring it up, that draws attention to it. Forgetting about tinnitus makes it a lot easier to avoid focusing on it, and therefore suffering.

What Causes Tinnitus?

The exact cause of tinnitus is difficult to pin down, although it's understood to be neurological. Many people get it after hearing damage from excessively loud sounds. Loud sounds could include noisy concerts, or U.S. Armed Forces veterans who fired weapons without hearing protection.

Some, however, experience it from their youth into adulthood. It does at the very least seem to be closely tied to hearing loss. Further, many recent studies are discovering that tinnitus is heritable to some degree.

Can You Treat It?

The treatments for tinnitus are, on the whole, only temporary. For example, certain non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (like aspirin) can make it go away for a time. Otherwise, at least in the case of non-chronic tinnitus, it goes away on its own.

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus: What's the Link?

There are three variables that seem to be closely related: hearing loss, tinnitus, and age. Most people with tinnitus are above the age of 55 and are highly likely to have some degree of hearing loss. So someone with hearing loss in their twilight years, living in a Burlington neighborhood community, has a high likelihood of also experiencing tinnitus.

A genetic factor may come into play here between hearing loss and tinnitus. Tinnitus is clearly its own neurological dysfunction, make no mistake. But it does overlap somewhat with hearing loss, according to a 2024 study.

Chronic tinnitus is the main concern here. Many people with hearing loss suffer from tinnitus for the rest of their natural lives.

Why Does It Matter?

So, the big question is this: Why does tinnitus in tandem with hearing loss bear discussing? First, tinnitus causes great discomfort in and of itself. Having tinnitus on top of hearing loss adds an extra burden to seniors who may already be struggling with their hearing-related issues.

Second, seniors may falsely believe that there's nothing they can do about it. Many who have tinnitus assume it's just a fact of life, not a condition that can be alleviated when at its most severe.

Finally, the information can help you better understand your senior and what they're going through. Perhaps they stopped going to activities on the community calendar because the noise is provoking tinnitus. Knowing that, you can suggest life changes that may make the condition more bearable.

Ways to Treat Tinnitus

Hearing loss treatment is a more concrete science, but remember, tinnitus is a condition we still don't fully understand. It pays to keep on top of current research. However, there are some things that will make it easier to deal with, or in some cases, get rid of it entirely for a time.

Use Hearing Protection

Tinnitus is often provoked by loud noises. Going to a noisy concert can cause a bad spell of it. So, bring earplugs everywhere, since loud noises can happen anywhere, at any time.

Without hearing protection, tinnitus and hearing loss can become a vicious feedback loop. Exposure to loud sounds causes more hearing loss, and more hearing loss may cause tinnitus. Wearing those earplugs may keep the condition stable rather than letting it worsen.

Listen to Music or White Noise

Oftentimes the best cure for tinnitus is a distraction from it. Listening to music (or anything auditory and stimulating) can make it difficult or impossible to notice tinnitus. When music isn't ideal, those with the condition can try a white noise machine or an in-ear masking device.

Get a Doctor's Opinion

Sometimes the cure for tinnitus may be just a doctor's examination away. It could be as simple as removing built-up earwax, changing the medication you're on, or getting treatment for certain blood vessel conditions.

Tinnitus may be a side effect of these rare situations and completely unrelated to general hearing damage. So rule it out before assuming it's a consequence of hearing loss.

Find Your Community in Burlington, IA

Hearing loss and tinnitus form a Venn diagram, and the overlap is worth examining. The primary link between them is age and hearing loss, with the latter most likely to induce it. Tinnitus can make hearing loss more debilitating, so those with the condition should know that there are means of temporary relief.

Addington Place of Burlington is where seniors find community and peace in Iowa. Our home-like accommodations and beautiful outdoor pathways make for a quiet location, perfect for those looking for escape from the noise. Reach out to us and get a tour of Addington for your senior.