The ringing just won’t go away. It’s been over two days and you can still hear that unpleasant ringing in your ears. You’re aware that the buzzing is tinnitus but your beginning to worry about how long it will keep going.
Tinnitus can be caused by damage to the stereocilia inside of your ears (they’re the very small hairs that sense air vibrations which your brain then transforms into intelligible sound). Normally, too much excessively loud noise is the cause. That’s why when you’re seated near a booming jet engine, eating at a loud restaurant, or attending a concert, you notice tinnitus the most.
Under Typical Scenarios, How Long Will Tinnitus Persist?
There isn’t any cure for tinnitus. But that doesn’t mean it won’t ever go away. How long your tinnitus lasts depends on a large number of factors, like the root cause of your tinnitus and your general hearing health.
But if you just returned home from a noisy day of traveling and you find your ears buzzing, you can generally expect your tinnitus to go away in a day or two. Normally, tinnitus will persist for 16 to 48 hours. But occasionally, symptoms can last as long as a couple of weeks. Further exposure to loud noises could also cause tinnitus to flare up again, essentially resetting the clock.
It’s typically suggested that you consult a specialist if your tinnitus persists and specifically if your tinnitus is impacting from your quality of life.
What Leads to Permanent Tinnitus?
In most cases, tinnitus is short-lived. But occasionally it can be long-lasting. When the root cause is not ordinary that’s particularly true When it comes to degree and origin. Here are a few examples:
- Repeated exposure: If your ears are buzzing after one rock concert, imagine how they’ll feel after several rock concerts a week or if you’re a musician who performs concerts and practices all day. Frequent exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Hearing Impairment: Typically, hearing loss and tinnitus are joined at the hip. So, whatever the cause of your hearing loss is, you might also end up developing (or noticing) irreversible tinnitus alongside it.
- Traumatic Brain Trauma (TBI): The brain is where the majority of sound is processed. When those processors start to misfire, because of traumatic brain trauma, tinnitus can be the outcome.
Temporary tinnitus is a lot more common than permanent tinnitus. But there are still millions of Americans every year who are treated for permanent, or chronic, tinnitus symptoms.
How Can You Get Your Tinnitus to go Away?
You will want to find relief sooner rather than later regardless of whether your tinnitus is permanent or short term. Although there isn’t any cure for tinnitus, there are some things you can do to lessen symptoms (however long they may last):
- Wear earplugs (or earmuffs): The next step, if you can’t avoid loud situations, is to wear ear protection. (And, really, whether you have tinnitus or not, you should use hearing protection.)
- Find a way to mask the sound: You can sometimes mask the sound and get a good nights sleep by utilizing some source of white noise like a humidifier or fan.
- Try to keep calm: perhaps it sounds a little… abstract, but increased blood pressure can result in tinnitus episodes so remaining calm can help keep your tinnitus under control.
- Steer clear of loud noises. Your symptoms could be prolonged or may become more severe if you continue to expose yourself to loud noises like rock concerts or a jet engine.
To be sure, if you have long lasting tinnitus, none of these techniques will cure your tinnitus. But diminishing and controlling your symptoms can be equally significant.
How Long Before Your Tinnitus Disappears?
In the majority of cases, though, your tinnitus will subside without you needing to do anything about it. Your hearing should go back to normal within 16 to 48 hours. However, you will want to find a solution if your tinnitus persists. Finding a workable treatment is the best way to finally get some relief. Get your hearing examined if you think you have hearing loss or tinnitus.