You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something blows up near the hero and the sound gets all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, guess what: that likely means our hero sustained at least a minor traumatic brain injury!
To be certain, brain injuries aren’t the bit that most action movies focus on. But that ringing in our hero’s ears signifies a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is most often talked about in the context of hearing loss, but actually, traumatic brain injuries such as concussions can also trigger this particular ringing in the ears.
After all, one of the most common traumatic brain injuries is a concussion. And there are a number of reasons concussions can happen (car accidents, sports accidents, and falls, for instance). It can be a bit complex sorting out how a concussion can lead to tinnitus. Luckily, treating and managing your conditions is usually very attainable.
Concussions, exactly what are they?
A concussion is a particular form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Think about it this way: your brain is nestled pretty tightly into your skull (your brain is big, and your skull is there to protect it). When something comes along and shakes the head violently enough, your brain begins moving around in your skull. But because there’s so little additional space in there, your brain may literally smash into the inside of your skull.
This causes damage to your brain! Multiple sides of your skull can be hit by your brain. And when this happens, you get a concussion. This example makes it quite evident that a concussion is literally damage to the brain. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Ringing in the ears
- Slurred speech
- Loss of memory and confusion
- Headaches
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Vomiting and nausea
This list is not exhaustive, but you get the idea. Symptoms from a concussion can last anywhere between a few weeks and a few months. Brain damage from a single concussion is generally not permanent, most individuals will end up making a complete recovery. But recurring concussions can cause permanent brain damage.
How is tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Is it really possible that a concussion could impact your hearing?
It’s an interesting question: what is the connection between tinnitus and concussions? Because it’s more correct to say that traumatic brain injuries (even minor ones) can bring about tinnitus, It isn’t only concussions. That ringing in your ears can be triggered by even mild brain injuries. Here are a few ways that may occur:
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The onset of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be a consequence of a TBI. This is a result of an accumulation of pressure inside of the inner ear. Eventually, Meniere’s syndrome can result in significant tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Damage to your hearing: Experiencing an explosion at close range is the cause of concussions and TBIs for lots of members of the armed forces. Permanent hearing loss can be caused when the stereocilia in your ears are injured by the incredibly noisy shock wave of an explosion. Tinnitus isn’t inevitably caused by a concussion, but they definitely do share some root causes.
- Disruption of communication: Concussion can, in some instances, harm the portions of the brain that control hearing. When this occurs, the messages that get transmitted from your ear cannot be properly dealt with, and tinnitus might occur as a result.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: The transmission of sound to your brain is aided by three tiny bones in your ear. These bones can be knocked out of place by a significant concussive, impactive event. Tinnitus can be caused by this and it can also interrupt your hearing.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: When your TBI injures the inner ear this kind of concussion happens. This damage can create inflammation and cause both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Nerve damage: A concussion might also cause damage to the nerve that is in charge of transmitting the sounds you hear to your brain.
Of course it’s significant to keep in mind that no two brain injuries are precisely the same. Every patient will receive personalized care and instructions from us. Indeed, if you think you have experienced a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, you need to call us for an assessment right away.
How do you manage tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Most often, tinnitus triggered by a concussion or traumatic brain damage will be temporary. After a concussion, how long can I expect my tinnitus to linger? Well, it might last weeks or months. Then again, if your tinnitus has lingered for more than a year, it’s likely to be long lasting. Over time, in these circumstances, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the optimal plan.
Here are some ways to accomplish this:
- Hearing aid: In a similar way to when you’re dealing with hearing loss not triggered by a TBI, tinnitus symptoms seem louder because everything else is quieter. A hearing aid can help raise the volume of everything else, assuring that your tinnitus fades into the background.
- Masking device: This device goes in your ear a lot like a hearing aid, but it creates specific noises instead of making things louder. Your specific tinnitus symptoms determine what sound the device will generate helping you disregard the tinnitus sounds and be better able to pay attention to voices and other external sounds.
- Therapy: Sometimes, patients can learn to disregard the sound by undertaking cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You disregard the sound after accepting it. It will take some therapy, practice, and time though.
Achieving the desired result will, in some situations, require added therapies. Management of the underlying concussion may be required in order to make the tinnitus go away. Depending on the status of your concussion, there may be a number of possible courses of action. As a result, a precise diagnosis is extremely important in this regard.
Find out what the right plan of treatment may be for you by giving us a call.
TBI-caused tinnitus can be managed
A concussion can be a significant and traumatic situation in your life. When you get concussed, it’s a bad day! And if you have ringing in your ears, you might ask yourself, why do I have ringing in my ears after a car accident?
It may be days later or instantly after the accident that tinnitus symptoms emerge. But you can effectively control tinnitus after an accident and that’s important to keep in mind. Schedule a consultation with us today.
