When you first notice that ringing in your ears you could have a very typical reaction: pretend everything’s fine. You go through your day the same way you always do: you do your grocery shopping, you cook dinner, you attempt to have a conversation with your partner. While you simultaneously try your hardest to dismiss that ringing. Because there is one thing you feel sure about: your tinnitus will fade away on its own.
You begin to get concerned, though, when after a couple of days the ringing and buzzing is unrelenting.
You’re not the only person to ever find yourself in this position. sometimes tinnitus will go away by itself, and at other times it will linger on and that’s the reason why it’s a tricky little condition.
The Condition of Temporary Tinnitus
Tinnitus is extremely common everywhere, almost everyone’s had a bout here and there. Tinnitus is a non-permanent condition, in most instances, and will ultimately vanish by itself. A rock concert is a good example: you go to your local arena to see your favorite band and you discover, when you get back home, that your ears are ringing.
Within a couple of days the kind of tinnitus associated with injury from loud noise will normally disappear (but you realize that it’s just part of going to a loud concert).
Naturally, it’s exactly this type of noise injury that, over time, can cause loss of hearing to move from temporary (or acute, as they say) to chronic. Too many of those kinds of concerts and you may wind up with permanent tinnitus.
Often Times, Tinnitus Doesn’t Just go Away
If your tinnitus persists for over three months it’s then referred to as chronic tinnitus (but you should get it examined by an expert long before that).
Around 5-15% of individuals globally have documented indications of chronic tinnitus. While there are some recognized close connections (like hearing loss, as an example), the causes of tinnitus aren’t yet very well understood.
Normally, a quick cure for tinnitus will be elusive if the triggers aren’t evident. 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 cases, there are treatment possibilities available (such as cognitive behavioral therapy or noise-canceling devices) that can help you deal with symptoms and protect your quality of life.
The Reason For Your Tinnitus is Important
It becomes much simpler to mitigate the symptoms of tinnitus when you are able to recognize the fundamental causes. For instance, if your tinnitus is created by a stubborn, bacterial ear infection, treatment with an antibiotic will usually solve both problems, bringing about a healthy ear and crystal-clear hearing.
Here are some likely causes of acute tinnitus:
- A blockage in the ear or ear canal
- Meniere’s disease (this usually has no cure and is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Chronic ear infections
- Hearing loss (again, this is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Damage to the eardrum (such as a perforated eardrum)
The Big Question…Will my Tinnitus Ever Subside?
The bottom line is that in almost all cases, yes, your tinnitus will recede by itself. But the longer it lingers, the longer you hear tinnitus noises, the more likely it becomes that you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.
You can persuade yourself there’s nothing wrong and hope that the ringing will simply go away. But at some point, your tinnitus may become uncomfortable and it may become hard to focus on anything else. In those situations, wishful thinking may not be the extensive treatment plan you require.
Most of the time tinnitus is just the body’s reaction to loud noise that could be damaging over time and will go away on its own. Whether that’s acute or chronic tinnitus, well, only time will tell.