You could have a common reaction when you first hear that ringing in your ears: pretend everything’s fine. You go through your day the same as usual: you do your shopping, you make dinner, you attempt to have a discussion with your friends. All the while, you’re trying to push that ringing in your ear out of your mind. Because you’re convinced of one thing: your tinnitus will go away naturally.
You start to worry, however, when after a few days the ringing and buzzing is unrelenting.
This scenario happens to other people as well. Tinnitus can be a challenging little affliction, at times it will go away by itself and sometimes, it will stick around for a longer period of time.
The Condition of Temporary Tinnitus
Tinnitus is very common around the world, almost everyone’s had a bout every now and then. In nearly all circumstances, tinnitus is basically temporary and will ultimately subside by itself. The most typical scenario is the rock concert: you go see Bruce Springsteen at your local arena (it’s a good show) and when you go home, you discover that there is ringing in your ears.
Within a few days the kind of tinnitus related to damage from loud noise will normally disappear (and you chalk it up to the price of seeing your favorite band play live).
Naturally, it’s precisely this kind of noise damage that, over time, can cause loss of hearing to go from temporary (or acute, as they say) to chronic. One concert too many and you might be waiting a long, long time for your tinnitus to subside by itself.
sometimes, Tinnitus Doesn’t Just go Away
If your tinnitus doesn’t subside (with help or on its own) within the period of three months or so, the disorder is then classified chronic tinnitus (this does not, however, imply that you should wait three months to talk to an expert about lingering ringing, buzzing, or thumping in your ears).
Something like 5-15% of individuals globally have recorded signs of chronic tinnitus. The exact causes of tinnitus are still not well understood though there are some known connections (like hearing loss).
Usually, a quick cure for tinnitus will be unidentifiable if the causes aren’t clear. There is a good possibility that your tinnitus won’t disappear on its own if you have been hearing the ringing for more than three months. But if this is your situation, you can maintain your quality of life and manage your symptoms with some treatment options (like noise canceling devices and cognitive behavioral therapy).
It’s Important to Know What The Cause of Your Tinnitus is
It becomes a lot simpler to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus when you can recognize the fundamental causes. For instance, if your tinnitus is created by a stubborn, bacterial ear infection, treatment with an antibiotic will tend to solve both problems, leading to a healthy ear and clear hearing.
Here are some potential causes of acute tinnitus:
- Meniere’s disease (this is often associated with chronic tinnitus, as Meniere’s has no cure)
- Loss of hearing (again, this is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
- Chronic ear infections
- A blockage in the ear or ear canal
- Damage to the eardrum (such as a perforated eardrum)
So…Will The Buzzing in My Ears Subside?
The bottom line is that in most cases, yes, your tinnitus will go away on its own. But it becomes increasingly more likely that you’re facing chronic tinnitus the longer these noises remain.
You feel that if you just ignore it should vanish on its own. But sooner or later, your tinnitus may become distressing and it may become difficult to concentrate on anything else. In those situations, crossing your fingers might not be the extensive treatment plan you require.
In most instances, however, in fact, throughout most of your life, your tinnitus will normally go away by itself, a normal reaction to a loud environment (and your body’s way of telling you to avoid that situation from now on). Whether that’s acute or chronic tinnitus, well, only time will tell.