Is Tinnitus an Early Sign of Hearing Loss?

Hearing is a fundamental element to our perception of the world through communicating with others, learning about our environment, and being warned about dangers around us. We accomplish this by processing sound waves that travel through the air, letting them travel through the outer, middle, and inner ear, and converting them to signals our brain recognizes.

Hearing problems are a frequent problem, and tinnitus is one of the most common, affecting 10% of the American population (about 25 million people) and the effects of it can range from annoying to debilitating. Tinnitus is considered to be a symptom rather than a condition, but does that mean it’s a sign you’re losing your hearing? 

If you’re experiencing tinnitus or other ear problems and live in the Lake Oswego, Oregon, area, the team of specialists at Lake Grove ENT is here to help.

Facts about tinnitus

Commonly referred to as a ringing in your ears, tinnitus is actually a problem that can present with ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other noises. Whichever noise you’re dealing with can be persistent, occasional, and happen in one or both ears. Noise pollution is the most common cause of tinnitus, with a variety of loud sounds leading to issues with your hearing, but other causes include ear blockages, aging affecting the nerve fibers in your ears, some medications, and head injuries. 

Various medical conditions can also cause tinnitus, such as otosclerosis, Meniere’s disease, migraines, tumors on the auditory nerves, hypertension, traumatic brain injury, anemia, allergies, hormonal changes, depression, anxiety, diabetes, and fibromyalgia. It’s a problem anyone can deal with, but it most often happens to people between the ages of 40 and 80.

Possible complications

Mild tinnitus is generally a minor problem with the sounds happening periodically, but severe problems can lead to other problems, such as irritability, sleeping problems, depression, anxiety, problems with communication and concentration, and cognitive decline. If the severe tinnitus is also accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, and hearing loss, you should get medical help as soon as possible.

Connection to hearing loss

While having tinnitus does not automatically mean you suffer hearing loss, the overlap between the two issues is pretty strong. As many as 90% of people with tinnitus also have some hearing loss, and often they don’t they don’t know they’re dealing with both. They also exhibit similar patterns, especially since people with hearing loss tend to have tinnitus as a symptom.

However, ringing in the ears can also be due to issues unrelated to hearing loss, such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, migraines, and the medications that can have it as a side effect.

Tinnitus and hearing loss are certainly connected, as one can be a symptom of the other, but having the ringing or other sounds doesn’t always indicate early signs of hearing damage. If you’re experiencing tinnitus and want to know what it means for your hearing, make an appointment with the staff at Lake Grove ENT today.