What is Acute Tinnitus?

When a problem occurs with your hearing, it can be worrying. However, some problems are temporary and can be treated or might even go away on their own. This is the case with acute tinnitus, which is tinnitus that lasts for up to three months. While tinnitus can continue for longer, some bouts of tinnitus are temporary. Understanding acute tinnitus helps you to care for your ears and hearing. At Audiology Associates, we can help you if you experience the symptoms of tinnitus and help you to determine what the cause might be.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is when you experience noises in your ear that aren't coming from an external source. These noises can vary and might include ringing, buzzing, humming, whistling, crackling, rustling or a variety of other noises. People describe their tinnitus noises as a variety of different things. While we don't know the exact reason tinnitus occurs, it is linked to a number of conditions and circumstances. It could be related to anything from earwax and ear infections to aging and hearing loss. It can also be caused by some health problems, both relating directly to the ear and not and some medications. Tinnitus might last a few days, weeks or months, or it could be longer lasting.

What is acute tinnitus?

Acute tinnitus is the term used to describe tinnitus that lasts for up to three months. It could be the result of an underlying condition that is easily treated, such as an ear infection or might be caused by exposure to loud noise. Sometimes tinnitus might last only a day or two or it could take a number of weeks for the symptoms to be relieved. If you develop tinnitus symptoms, addressing them as quickly as possible can help to prevent what could be a short-term problem turning into a long-term problem.

What is chronic tinnitus?

If the symptoms of tinnitus last longer than three months, that's when it becomes chronic tinnitus. Acute tinnitus can often go away on its own or will go away with the right treatment. However, the longer it lasts, the more chance there is that it will become a more permanent and chronic problem. However, even chronic tinnitus can be treated, whether it is caused by an underlying problem or there are appropriate treatments such as hearing aids and tinnitus retraining therapy.

Treatments for tinnitus

There are several treatments for tinnitus that can help anyone suffering from the symptoms. Acute tinnitus might be linked to an illness or damage to the ear, which you could treat and heal. The appropriate treatment will vary, from hearing aids to sound therapy. However, when tinnitus occurs, there is no telling whether it's going to be an acute episode or whether it could turn into a chronic condition. If you experience the symptoms of tinnitus, it's important to get your ears checked out as soon as you can.

If an underlying condition or cause has been ruled out, there are a few different treatments that help to mask or relieve tinnitus. Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss and hearing aids are one of the things used to help address both conditions. As well as being a solution for hearing loss, hearing aids can also feature tinnitus masking features. These include tones that help to cover tinnitus noises or help the wearer to get used to them or even ignore them. You might also use sound machines at home or have tinnitus retraining therapy, which involves both the use of sound devices and psychological therapy.

How to choose an audiologist

Choosing the right audiologist is important if you need someone to help you with your tinnitus symptoms. Location is probably going to be one of your first priorities, as you want somewhere that you can easily get to without taking up too much of your time. However, there are other factors to consider to find an audiologist that will work for you. You should also look at the services they offer to make sure that they can help you in the way you need.

When you're choosing an audiologist, you might start by asking for a referral from a medical professional. You could also ask for recommendations from family and friends. Look for a business that has some history and a proven reputation for good service. To confirm whether an audiologist will deliver high standards of service, check their testimonials and reviews.

If you’re ready to address your tinnitus, call Audiology Associates in Cape Girardeau or Poplar Bluff at (573) 332-7000.