You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something explodes near the hero and the sound gets all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, at least some degree of minor brain trauma has likely happened to them.
Naturally, action movies don’t emphasize the brain injury part. But that ringing in our hero’s ears signifies a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is most frequently discussed in the context of hearing loss, but it turns out that traumatic brain injuries such as concussions can also cause this particular ringing in the ears.
Concussions, after all, are one of the most prevalent traumatic brain injuries that happen. And they can occur for many reasons (for instance, falls, sporting accidents, and motor vehicle crashes). It can be a bit complex sorting out how a concussion can trigger tinnitus. But here’s the good news: even if you suffer a brain injury that causes tinnitus, you can normally treat and manage your condition.
Concussions, exactly what are they?
A concussion is a specific kind of traumatic brain injury (TBI). One way to think about it is that your brain is protected by sitting tightly in your skull. When something occurs and shakes the head violently enough, your brain begins moving around in your skull. But your brain could wind up crashing into the inside of your skull because of the small amount of additional space in there.
This harms your brain! Multiple sides of your skull can be impacted by your brain. And this is what results in a concussion. This illustration makes it quite clear that a concussion is literally damage to the brain. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- Blurry vision or dizziness
- Vomiting and nausea
- Slurred speech
- Loss of memory and confusion
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Headaches
- Ringing in the ears
This list isn’t exhaustive, but you get the point. Symptoms from a concussion can last anywhere between a few weeks and a few months. When someone gets one concussion, they will usually make a complete recovery. But repeated concussions can lead to permanent brain damage.
How is tinnitus triggered by a concussion?
Can a concussion interfere with your hearing? Really?
It’s an interesting question: what is the link between tinnitus and concussions? After all, concussions are not the only brain traumas that can cause tinnitus symptoms. That ringing in your ears can be activated by even minor brain injuries. That may happen in a couple of ways:
- Nerve damage: A concussion might also cause injury to the nerve that is in charge of transferring the sounds you hear to your brain.
- Damage to your hearing: Experiencing an explosion at close distance is the cause of concussions and TBIs for lots of members of the military. Permanent hearing loss can be caused when the stereocilia in your ears are damaged by the tremendously loud shock wave of an explosion. Tinnitus isn’t always caused by a concussion, but they definitely do share some root causes.
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The development of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be caused by a TBI. When pressure accumulates in the inner ear this condition can happen. Eventually, Meniere’s syndrome can lead to noticeable tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Disruption of communication: Concussion can, in some cases, damage the parts of the brain that control hearing. When this happens, the messages that get sent from your ear cannot be properly processed, and tinnitus might happen as a result.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: This form of concussion happens when the inner ear is injured as a result of your TBI. Tinnitus and hearing loss, as a result of inflammation, can be the result of this damage.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: There are three tiny bones in your ear that help send sounds to your brain. A major impact (the type that can cause a concussion, for instance) can jostle these bones out of position. This can disrupt your ability to hear and result in tinnitus.
It’s significant to emphasize that every traumatic brain injury and concussion is a little different. Personalized care and instructions, from us, will be provided to every patient. Certainly, if you think you have experienced a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, you need to call us for an evaluation as soon as possible.
When you get a concussion and tinnitus is the result, how can it be addressed?
Typically, it will be a temporary challenge if tinnitus is the consequence of a concussion. How long can tinnitus linger after a concussion? Weeks or possibly months, sadly, could be the time frame. But, it’s likely that your tinnitus is permanent if it lasts more than a year. In these circumstances, the treatment approach transitions to managing your symptoms over the long run.
This can be achieved by:
- 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. Hearing aids help your tinnitus fade into the background by turning the volume up on everything else.
- Masking device: This device is similar to a hearing aid, only instead of helping you hear things louder, it produces a distinct noise in your ear. Your distinct tinnitus symptoms dictate what sound the device will generate helping you disregard the tinnitus sounds and be better able to focus on voices and other outside sounds.
- Therapy: In some cases, therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be utilized to help patients ignore the noise caused by their tinnitus. You disregard the sound after accepting it. This technique takes therapy and practice.
Achieving the expected result will, in some situations, require additional therapies. Treatment of the root concussion may be required in order to get rid of the tinnitus. The right course of action will depend on the status of your concussion and your TBI. In this regard, a precise diagnosis is key.
Consult us about what the ideal treatment plan might look like for you.
You can control tinnitus caused by a TBI
A concussion can be a substantial and traumatic event in your life. It’s never a good day when you get a concussion! And if you have ringing in your ears, you may ask yourself, why are my ears ringing after a car accident?
It could be days later or immediately after the accident that tinnitus symptoms emerge. However, it’s essential to remember that tinnitus after a head injury can be successfully managed. Call us today to schedule an appointment.