The ringing just won’t go away. It’s been over two days and you can still hear that irritating buzzing in your ears. You acknowledge the sound is tinnitus, but you’re beginning to wonder exactly how permanent tinnitus normally is.
Tinnitus can be brought about by injury to the stereocilia in your ears (the air oscillations that your ears turn into sound, are sensed by these little hairs). Usually, too much excessively loud sound is the cause. That’s why when you’re seated next to a booming jet engine, eating at a noisy restaurant, or going to a concert, you notice tinnitus the most.
How Long Does Tinnitus Last on Average?
There isn’t any cure for tinnitus. But that doesn’t mean it’ll never subside. How long your tinnitus lasts will depend on a large number of factors, such as the underlying cause of your tinnitus and your overall hearing health.
But if you notice your ears buzzing after a noisy day of traveling, a couple of days should be sufficient for you to observe your tinnitus going away. Usually, tinnitus will last 16 to 48 hours. But it’s also not abnormal for symptoms to linger, often for as long as two weeks. And tinnitus will return if you are exposed to loud sound again.
It’s typically recommended that you see a specialist if your tinnitus continues and specifically if your tinnitus is impacting from your quality of life.
Why is Tinnitus Sometimes Irreversible?
Normally, tinnitus is short-lived. But in some cases it can be long-lasting. Specifically when the cause of tinnitus is something out of the ordinary either in terms of origin or in terms of intensity. Some illustrations are as follows:
- Repeated exposure: If your ears are ringing after attending one rock concert, think of how they’ll feel after several rock concerts a week or if you’re a musician who performs concerts and practices all day. Repeated exposure to loud noises can cause permanent hearing damage, including tinnitus.
- Traumatic Brain Trauma (TBI): The brain is where the majority of sound is processed. When those processors begin to misfire, because of traumatic brain trauma, tinnitus can be the result.
- Hearing loss: Tinnitus and hearing loss typically go together. So you could end up with permanent tinnitus regardless of the cause of your hearing loss.
Permanent tinnitus is considerably less common than its more temporary counterpart. But there are still millions of Us citizens each year who are treated for permanent, or chronic, tinnitus symptoms.
How do You Get Your Tinnitus to Subside?
You will want to find relief as soon as possible regardless of whether your tinnitus is long term or temporary. Even though there’s no cure for tinnitus, there are a few things you can do to decrease symptoms (though they will probably last only so long):
- Avoid loud noises. Your symptoms might be extended or might become more severe if you continue to expose yourself to loud noises like rock concerts or a jet engine.
- Find a way to cover up the sound: Sometimes, utilizing a white noise machine (such as a humidifier or fan) can help you mask the sound of tinnitus and, thus, overlook the symptoms (and, you know, get a good night’s sleep in the process).
- Wear earplugs (or earmuffs): If you can’t steer clear of loud situations, then protecting your hearing is the next best step. (And, really, you need to be protecting your hearing even if you don’t have tinnitus.)
- Try to remain calm: Maybe it sounds somewhat… abstract, but keeping calm can really help keep your tinnitus in check, mostly because increased blood pressure can stimulate tinnitus flare-ups.
Regrettably, none of these practices will get rid of long term tinnitus. But it can be just as significant to control and diminish your symptoms.
When Will Your Tinnitus Disappear?
In the majority of scenarios, though, your tinnitus will go away without you having to do anything about it. Your hearing should go back to normal within 16 to 48 hours. Nevertheless, if your tinnitus persists, you’ll want to look for a solution. Discovering a workable treatment is the best way to finally get some relief. Get your hearing checked if you think you have tinnitus or hearing loss.