When you first notice that ringing in your ears you may have a very typical response: pretend that it’s no big thing. You go about your regular habits: you have a conversation with friends, go to the store, and cook lunch. While at the same time you try your best to dismiss that ringing. Because you feel sure of one thing: 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 aren’t the only one to ever find yourself in this situation. sometimes tinnitus stop on its own, and other times it will linger on and that’s why it’s a tricky little condition.
When Tinnitus is Likely to Subside on Its Own
Around the world, almost everybody has had a bout of tinnitus because it’s quite common. Tinnitus is a non-permanent condition, in most instances, and will eventually go away on its own. A rock concert is a good illustration: you go to your local arena to see your favorite band and you discover, when you get home, that your ears are ringing.
The type of tinnitus that is linked to temporary damage from loud noise will usually subside within a few days (but you realize that it’s simply part of going to a loud show).
Of course, it’s exactly this type of noise injury that, over time, can cause hearing loss to go from temporary (or acute, as they say) to chronic. One concert too many and you might be waiting quite a while for your tinnitus to subside on its own.
When Tinnitus Doesn’t Seem to be Going Away by Itself
If your tinnitus persists for over three months it’s then referred to as chronic tinnitus (but you should get it examined by a specialist long before that).
Around 5-15% of individuals globally have recorded symptoms of chronic tinnitus. While there are some known close connections (like hearing loss, as an example), the causes of tinnitus aren’t yet well understood.
Usually, a fast cure for tinnitus will be elusive if the triggers aren’t clear. If your ears have been ringing for more than three months and there’s no discernible cause, there’s a strong chance that the sound will not go away on its own. In those situations, there are treatment options available (like cognitive behavioral therapy or noise-canceling devices) that can help you control symptoms and protect your quality of life.
The Cause of Your Tinnitus is Significant
When you can recognize the root cause of your tinnitus, dealing with the condition suddenly becomes much simpler. If a bacterial ear infection is, for example, the reason for your tinnitus, you can restore a healthy ear and clear hearing by treating it with antibiotics.
Some causes of acute tinnitus may consist of:
- A blockage in the ear or ear canal
- Meniere’s disease (this usually has no cure and is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Hearing loss (again, this is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Chronic ear infections
- Eardrum damage (such as a perforated eardrum)
The Big Question…Will my Tinnitus Ever go Away?
The truth is that in almost all cases, yes, your tinnitus will go away on its own. But the longer it lingers, the longer you hear reverberations or humming or whatever the sound happens to be, the more likely it becomes that you’re experiencing chronic tinnitus.
You think that if you simply forget it should disappear on its own. But sooner or later, your tinnitus might become distressing and it might become hard to focus on anything else. In those situations, wishful thinking might not be the complete treatment plan you need.
In most cases, however, in fact, throughout most of your life, your tinnitus will usually subside by itself, a typical response to a loud environment (and your body’s method of letting you know to stay away from that situation from now on). Whether that’s chronic or acute tinnitus, well, only time will tell.