You Know when you’re watching an action movie and the hero has a loud explosion close by and their ears begin to ring? Well, guess what: that likely means our hero suffered at least a mild 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. Normally, hearing loss is the subject of a tinnitus conversation, but traumatic brain injuries can also trigger this condition.
After all, one of the most prevalent traumatic brain injuries is a concussion. And there are a number of reasons concussions can happen (for example, falls, sports accidents, and motor vehicle crashes). It can be somewhat complex sorting out how a concussion can lead to tinnitus. But the good news is that even if you suffer a brain injury that triggers tinnitus, you can normally treat and manage your condition.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is brain trauma of a very distinct type. Think about it like this: your brain is situated fairly tightly inside your skull (your brain is large, and your skull is there to protect it). The brain will start to move around inside your skull when something shakes your head violently. But your brain could end up crashing into the inside of your skull because of the small amount of extra space in there.
This causes damage to your brain! The brain can impact one or more sides of your skull. And when this happens, you get a concussion. This example makes it quite clear that a concussion is literally damage to the brain. Here are some symptoms of a concussion:
- Confusion and loss of memory
- A slow or delayed response to questions
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurry vision or dizziness
- Headaches
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting and nausea
Even though this list makes the point, it’s by no means complete. Several weeks to a few months is the normal duration of concussion symptoms. Brain damage from a single concussion is typically not permanent, most individuals will end up making a full recovery. But, repetitive or multiple concussions are a different story (generally speaking, it’s a good idea to avoid these).
How is tinnitus triggered by a concussion?
Is it actually possible that a concussion could affect your hearing?
The matter of concussions and tinnitus is an interesting one. Because it’s more correct to say that traumatic brain injuries (even minor ones) can lead to tinnitus, it’s not just concussions. That ringing in your ears can be triggered by even mild brain injuries. Here are a couple of ways that may take place:
- Disruption of communication: Concussion can, in some situations, damage the portions of the brain that manage hearing. Consequently, the messages sent from the ear to your brain can’t be properly digested and tinnitus can be the outcome.
- Nerve damage: A concussion may also cause injury to the nerve that is responsible for transmitting the sounds you hear to your brain.
- Meniere’s Syndrome: The development of a condition known as Meniere’s Syndrome can be caused by a TBI. When pressure builds up in the inner ear this condition can occur. Sooner or later, Meniere’s syndrome can lead to significant tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Disruption of the Ossicular Chain: The relaying of sound to your brain is assisted by three bones in your ear. These bones can be knocked out of place by a substantial concussive, impactive event. Tinnitus can be caused by this and it can also disrupt your ability to hear.
- A “labyrinthine” concussion: When your TBI injures the inner ear this form of concussion happens. Tinnitus and hearing loss, due to inflammation, can be the consequence of this damage.
- Damage to your hearing: For members of the armed forces, TBIs and concussions are often related to proximity to an explosion. Irreversible hearing loss can be triggered when the stereocilia in your ears are injured by the tremendously noisy shock wave of an explosion. So it isn’t so much that the concussion brought about tinnitus, it’s that the tinnitus and concussion have a common underlying cause.
Of course it’s important to note that no two brain injuries are precisely the same. Individualized care and instructions, from us, will be provided to every patient. You should definitely call us for an assessment if you think you might have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
How do you deal with tinnitus caused by a concussion?
Usually, it will be a temporary challenge if tinnitus is the result of a concussion. 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 long lasting if it lasts more than a year. Over time, in these circumstances, treatment plans to manage your condition will be the best strategy.
Here are some ways to accomplish this:
- Masking device: This device goes inside your ear a lot like a hearing aid, but it creates particular noises instead of making things louder. This noise is custom tailored to your tinnitus, overpowering the sound so you can pay attention to voices, or other sounds you actually want to hear.
- Therapy: In some situations, therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be used to help patients disregard the noise caused by their tinnitus. You acknowledge that the noise is there, and then ignore it. This technique requires therapy and practice.
- 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 go into the background by turning up the volume on everything else.
Obtaining the expected result will, in some cases, require additional therapies. Getting rid of the tinnitus will often require treatment to the root concussion. The right course of action will depend on the status of your concussion and your TBI. This means an accurate diagnosis is incredibly important in this regard.
Consult us about what the right treatment plan may look like for you.
You can manage 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’ve been in a car crash and your ears are ringing, you may wonder why.
It may be days later or immediately after the accident that tinnitus symptoms surface. However, it’s important to remember that tinnitus after a head injury can be successfully managed. Call us today to make an appointment.