You know that scene in your favorite action movie where something blows up near the hero and the sound goes all high-pitched-buzzing? Well, at least some degree of minor brain trauma has likely happened to them.
Obviously, action movies don’t highlight the brain injury part. But that high-pitched ringing is something called tinnitus. Normally, hearing loss is the subject of a tinnitus conversation, but traumatic brain injuries can also trigger this condition.
Concussions, after all, are one of the most common traumatic brain injuries that happen. And there are quite a few reasons concussions can occur (car accidents, sporting accidents, and falls, for example). It can be somewhat complex sorting out how a concussion can cause tinnitus. Fortunately, treating and managing your conditions is usually very attainable.
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 snuggly in your skull. When anything occurs and shakes the head violently enough, your brain begins moving around inside of your skull. But your brain could end up smashing into the inside of your skull because of the small amount of extra space in there.
This harms your brain! Multiple sides of your skull can be hit by your brain. And this is what brings about a concussion. When you picture this, it makes it simple to see how a concussion is literally brain damage. Symptoms of concussions include the following:
- Loss of memory and confusion
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Headaches
- A slow or delayed response to questions
Even though this list makes the point, it’s certainly not complete. Symptoms from a concussion can persist anywhere between a few weeks and a few months. Brain injury from one concussion is generally not permanent, most individuals will end up making a complete recovery. But recurring concussions can result in permanent brain damage.
How do concussions trigger tinnitus?
Is it really feasible that a concussion could affect your hearing?
It’s an intriguing question: what is the connection between tinnitus and concussions? Because it’s more accurate to say that traumatic brain injuries (even mild ones) can lead to tinnitus, it’s not just concussions. That ringing in your ears can be set off by even minor brain injuries. Here are a couple of ways that could take place:
- Disruption of communication: Concussion can, in some cases, harm the portions of the brain that control hearing. Consequently, the messages sent from the ear to your brain can’t be precisely processed and tinnitus can be the outcome.
- Damage to your hearing: For members of the military, TBIs and concussions are often a result of proximity to an explosion. And explosions are incredibly loud, the sound and the shock wave can harm the stereocilia in your ear, triggering hearing loss and tinnitus. So it isn’t so much that the concussion brought about tinnitus, it’s that the tinnitus and concussion have a common root cause.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: There are three tiny bones in your ear that help send sounds to your brain. A major impact (the kind that can trigger a concussion, for instance) can jostle these bones out of position. Tinnitus can be caused by this and it can also interrupt your ability to hear.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: This type of concussion happens when the inner ear is damaged due to your TBI. This damage can produce inflammation and cause both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Meniere’s Syndrome: A TBI can cause the development of a condition called Meniere’s Syndrome. When pressure builds up in the inner ear this condition can happen. Eventually, Meniere’s syndrome can result in significant tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Nerve damage: A concussion might also trigger damage to the nerve that is in charge of transmitting the sounds you hear to your brain.
It’s important to stress that every traumatic brain injury and concussion is a bit different. Every patient will get individualized care and instructions from us. Certainly, if you think you have suffered a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, you should call us for an assessment right away.
When you suffer from a concussion and tinnitus is the result, how can it be managed?
Most frequently, tinnitus related to 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. But, it’s likely that your tinnitus is permanent if it lasts more than a year. Over time, in these situations, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the best strategy.
This can be accomplished by:
- Therapy: In some situations, therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be utilized to help patients disregard the noise caused by their tinnitus. You accept that the noise is present, and then ignore it. This technique takes therapy and practice.
- Masking device: This device is a lot like a hearing aid, but instead of helping you hear things more loudly, it produces a particular noise in your ear. This noise is customized to your tinnitus, overpowering the sound so you can pay attention to voices, or other sounds you really want to hear.
- Hearing aid: Sometimes, tinnitus becomes prominent because the rest of the world takes a back seat (as is the situation with non-TBI-caused hearing loss, everything else becomes quieter, so your tinnitus sounds louder). Hearing aids help your tinnitus fade into the background by turning up the volume on everything else.
Obtaining the desired result will, in some cases, require added therapies. Getting rid of the tinnitus will frequently require treatment to the root concussion. The right course of action will depend on the status of your concussion and your TBI. In this regard, an accurate diagnosis is key.
Talk to us about what the ideal treatment plan might look like for you.
You can control tinnitus caused by a TBI
Your life can be traumatically affected by a concussion. It’s never a good day when you get a concussion! And if your ears are ringing, you might ask yourself, why do I have ringing in my ears after a car crash?
Tinnitus could surface immediately or in the days that follow. However, it’s essential to remember that tinnitus after a head injury can be successfully managed. Schedule a consultation with us today.
