If you are one of the millions of people in the U.S. suffering from a medical disorder known as tinnitus then you probably know that it often gets worse when you are trying to fall asleep. But why would this be? The buzzing or ringing in one or both ears isn’t an actual noise but a side-effect of a medical problem like hearing loss, either permanent or temporary. But none of that information can give an explanation as to why this ringing gets louder at night.
The reality is more common sense than you might think. But first, we have to discover a little more about this all-too-common condition.
What is tinnitus?
To say tinnitus is not an actual sound just adds to the confusion, but, for most individuals, that is the case. The person dealing with tinnitus can hear the sound but no one else can. It sounds like air-raid sirens are ringing in your ears but the person sleeping right beside you can’t hear it at all.
Tinnitus is an indication that something is wrong, not a condition by itself. It is typically associated with substantial hearing loss. For a lot of people, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is at risk. People who have hearing loss frequently don’t recognize their condition until the tinnitus symptoms begin because it develops so slowly. This phantom sound is a warning flag to signal you of a change in how you hear.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is one of medical science’s greatest mysteries and doctors don’t have a strong comprehension of why it occurs. It may be a symptom of inner ear damage or numerous other possible medical conditions. The inner ear contains many tiny hair cells designed to move in response to sound waves. Tinnitus can indicate there is damage to those hair cells, enough to keep them from sending electrical signals to the brain. These electrical signals are how the brain translates sound into something it can clearly interpret like a car horn or a person speaking.
The present theory pertaining to tinnitus is about the absence of sound. Your brain will start to compensate for information that it’s waiting for because of hearing loss. It gets confused by the lack of feedback from the ear and tries to compensate for it.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain some things. Why it can be caused by so many medical conditions, such as age-related hearing loss, high blood pressure, and concussions, for starters. It also tells you something about why the ringing gets worse at night for some people.
Why does tinnitus get worse at night?
You may not even notice it, but your ear receives some sounds during the day. It will faintly pick up sounds coming from a different room or around the corner. But at night, when you’re trying to sleep, it gets very quiet.
All of a sudden, the brain becomes confused as it listens for sound to process. When confronted with complete silence, it resorts to making its own internal sounds. Sensory deprivation has been demonstrated to induce hallucinations as the brain attempts to insert information, like auditory input, into a place where there isn’t any.
In other words, your tinnitus may get worse at night because it’s too quiet. Producing sound might be the solution for individuals who can’t sleep because of that annoying ringing in the ear.
How to create noise at night
For some individuals dealing with tinnitus, all they require is a fan running in the background. The volume of the ringing is lowered just by the sound of the motor of the fan.
But, there are also devices designed to help people with tinnitus get to sleep. Natural sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are generated by these “white noise machines”. If you were to leave a TV on, it might be disruptive, but white noise machines generate soothing sounds that you can sleep through. Your smartphone also has the ability to download apps that will play calming sounds.
Can anything else make tinnitus symptoms louder?
Lack of sound isn’t the only thing that can cause an upsurge in your tinnitus. For instance, if you’re indulging in too much alcohol before bed, that could contribute to tinnitus symptoms. Other things, like high blood pressure and stress can also be a contributing factor. If introducing sound into your nighttime routine doesn’t help or you feel dizzy when the ringing is present, it’s time to learn about treatment solutions by scheduling an appointment with us right away.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/