You just can’t escape from that ringing in your ears. It’s been over two days and you can still hear that unpleasant buzzing in your ears. You realize the sound is tinnitus, but you’re beginning to wonder exactly how long lasting tinnitus usually is.
Tinnitus can be brought about by injury to the stereocilia inside your ears (they’re the small hairs that sense air vibrations that your brain then transforms into intelligible sound). Generally, too much excessively loud noise is the cause. That’s why you notice tinnitus most often after, as an example, going to a concert, eating at a loud restaurant, or being seated near a roaring jet engine while you’re taking a trip.
How Long Does Tinnitus Last on Average?
Tinnitus can’t be cured. But tinnitus usually doesn’t last forever. There will be a wide variety of factors that will determine how long your tinnitus will stick around, including the primary cause of your tinnitus and your general hearing health.
But if you notice your ears ringing after a noisy day of traveling, you can typically expect your tinnitus to disappear in a day or two. Typically, tinnitus will last 16 to 48 hours. But it’s also not uncommon for symptoms to stick around, sometimes for as long as two weeks. And tinnitus will return if you are exposed to loud sound again.
If tinnitus persists and is affecting your quality of life, you need to see a specialist.
Why is Tinnitus Sometimes Irreversible?
Tinnitus is normally short-lived. But sometimes it can be irreversible. When the root cause is not ordinary that’s particularly true When it comes to degree and origin. Some examples are as follows:
- Traumatic Brain Trauma (TBI): Much of the processing of sound happens in the brain. In some cases, a traumatic brain injury (like a concussion) could cause tinnitus because those processors begin to misfire.
- Hearing loss: Tinnitus and hearing loss frequently go hand in hand. So you could end up with irreversible tinnitus no matter what the cause of your hearing loss.
- Repeated exposure: If your ears are buzzing after attending one rock concert, imagine how they’ll feel after several rock concerts a week or if you’re a musician who plays live shows and practices all day. Repeated exposure to loud noises can result in irreversible hearing damage, including tinnitus.
Short term tinnitus is far more common than lasting 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 get 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 reduce symptoms (however long they may endure):
- Try to stay calm: perhaps it sounds somewhat… abstract, but increased blood pressure can bring about tinnitus episodes so remaining calm can help keep your tinnitus in check.
- Avoid loud noises. Your symptoms may be prolonged or might become more intense if you keep exposing yourself to loud noises like a jet engine or rock concerts.
- Find a way to mask the sound: In some cases, employing a white noise machine (such as a humidifier or fan) can help you drown out the sound of tinnitus and, thus, ignore the symptoms (and, you know, get a restful night’s sleep in the process).
- Wear earplugs (or earmuffs): If you can’t steer clear of loud situations, then safeguarding your hearing is the next best option. (And, really, you should be protecting your ears even if you don’t have tinnitus.)
Sadly, none of these methods will get rid of long term tinnitus. But it can be equally relevant to control and reduce your symptoms.
How Long Before Your Tinnitus Subsides?
Your tinnitus, in the majority of circumstances, will recede by itself. Just wait the 16-48 hours and your hearing should return to normal. However, you will want to find a solution if your tinnitus lingers. The sooner you find a treatment that works, the sooner you can get relief. Get your hearing examined if you think you have hearing loss or tinnitus.