Does tinnitus mean hearing loss?
flyboy asked:
I suffer from tinnitus in both ears, it hasn’t bothered me when I sleep or anything and I feel I can hear fine. But does having tinnitus mean hearing loss? If not, will it lead to hearing loss, how can I prevent hearing loss if I have tinnitus?
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I suffer from tinnitus in both ears, it hasn’t bothered me when I sleep or anything and I feel I can hear fine. But does having tinnitus mean hearing loss? If not, will it lead to hearing loss, how can I prevent hearing loss if I have tinnitus?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:58 am
yes it does. JJ
November 1st, 2009 at 3:38 am
Yes it does, you can only wear hearing protection to prevent further hearing loss. JeepJeep!!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:04 am
Tinnitus usually means simply noises or ringing in the ears. However, it is often associated with some hearing loss (which might be so minimal so as to not be perceived by the sufferer). Tinnitus itself does not cause hearing loss; BUT causes of tinnitus (such as industrial accidents) can be associated with hearing loss.
If you have just tinnitus (that is, without any other symptoms and not as part of a broader condition), and you have had a hearing test with an audiologist, you are not at risk of losing your hearing as a result of your condition. mrgumpy
November 6th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hi,
unlike the answerer you already have I think I can offer some hope.
Tinnitus is a very distressing condition (as you know) that CAN lead to deafness, but often doesn’t.
Unfortunately there is little effective treatment and what often happens is that the ringing, roaring and other sounds in your ears can ‘block’ the clear reception of normal sounds and give the effect of deafness. A subtle difference, I know, but important.
Tinnitus is aften a life-long condition, but not always. Sometimes it can vanish and you will be able to hear clearly again and the annoying noises you’ve suffered (often for years) will be gone. If your hearing was normal before, then you’ll be able to hear clearly should this happen.
Of course, some people are prone to deafness anyway, but this is not directly related to the tinnitus condition.
There is a Tinnitus Society available on the net who are there to help people such as yourself and they are up to date with research and all the latest developments. Just type ‘tinnitus’ into Google (or whatever search engine you use) and you’ll find them. They will be pleased to offer more expert help than I can.
I have learned a little about the condition, as my father-in-law (now 76 years old) has had the condition for forty years, yet last year his head/ears cleared completely.
So don’t lose hope, and please seek help from the Tinnitus Society…it’s free and very helpful.
Cheers,
BobSpain BobSpain
November 6th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Depends.
There are two types of hearing loss: (1) damage to the ear drum or little ear bones or (2) damage to the hearing nerves
in the ear. If the nerves in the ear are damaged (too loud the Ipod) then those damaged nerves will send out false signals - ringing or tinnitus.
If the ringing is associated with trouble understanding words, then it is nerve damage.
An audiologist can help you. papamarlee
November 10th, 2009 at 4:22 am
MP3 players like the iPod have the capabilities to push out very high levels of sound and many people are in fact causing irriparable damage to their delicate ear organs and are ending up with hearing loss and ear ringing as a result. I even came across a notice recently where calls are being made for warning labels to be printed on these devices. Check it out at it really makes for interesting reading. 628yns o
November 12th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
No, tinnitus does NOT mean hearing loss. There are several theories for the causes and effects of tinnitus, but none are confirmed. Tinnitus is most often associated with exposure to loud sounds. If you have always experienced tinnitus, then chances are you have normal hearing. If your tinnitus is a result from concerts, hunting, noise exposure on the job or other loud sounds, then your chances of having a hearing loss later in life are higher.
Tinnitus is a naturally occurring phenomenon in about 50% of the population; even dogs have tinnitus that can sometimes be heard by people! The more loud sounds you are exposed to without hearing protection the more you may experience tinnitus and you have an increased chance in having hearing loss.
If you are concerned about your hearing you should make an appointment to have your hearing checked. There are often community screenings offered by groups like Easter Seals or Universities. Screenings are not complete evaluations, but they will give you a quick look at your hearing. longhornfan1722