Tinnitus often gets worse at night for the majority of the millions of individuals in the US that experience it. But what’s the reason for this? The ringing is a phantom sound caused by some medical condition like hearing loss, it isn’t an external sound. But none of that information can give an explanation as to why this ringing becomes louder at night.
The truth is more common sense than you may think. But first, we have to discover a little more about this all-too-common disorder.
Tinnitus, what is it?
For most people, tinnitus isn’t a real sound, but this fact just adds to the confusion. It’s a noise no one else can hear. It sounds like air-raid sirens are ringing in your ears but the person sleeping right near you can’t hear it at all.
Tinnitus by itself isn’t a disease or condition, but a sign that something else is happening. It is usually linked to substantial hearing loss. For a lot of people, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is in jeopardy. Individuals with hearing loss frequently don’t notice their condition until the tinnitus symptoms begin because it progresses so slowly. Your hearing is changing if you begin to hear these sounds, and they’re alerting you of those changes.
What causes tinnitus?
At this time medical scientists and doctors are still uncertain of exactly what triggers tinnitus. It might be a symptom of numerous medical problems including damage to the inner ear. There are tiny hair cells inside of your ears that vibrate in response to sound. Tinnitus can indicate there’s damage to those hair cells, enough to keep them from delivering electrical signals to the brain. These electrical signals are how the brain translates sound into something it can clearly comprehend like a car horn or a person talking.
The current theory pertaining to tinnitus has to do with the absence of sound. Your brain will begin to fill in for information that it’s not getting because of hearing loss. It gets perplexed by the lack of input from the ear and tries to compensate for it.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain some things. Why it can be a result of so many medical conditions, like age-related hearing loss, high blood pressure, and concussions, for starters. That could also be the reason why the symptoms get louder at night sometimes.
Why are tinnitus sounds worse at night?
Unless you are profoundly deaf, your ear picks up some sounds during the day whether you recognize it or not. It will faintly pick up sounds coming from a different room or around the corner. But during the 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 creating its own internal sounds. Sensory deprivation has been shown to induce hallucinations as the brain attempts to insert information, like auditory input, into a place where there isn’t any.
In other words, it’s too quiet at night so your tinnitus seems louder. Creating sound might be the solution for those who can’t sleep due to that irritating ringing in the ear.
How to generate noise at night
For some individuals suffering from tinnitus, all they require is a fan running in the background. The loudness of the ringing is decreased just by the sound of the motor of the fan.
But, there are also devices designed to help those with tinnitus get to sleep. Environmental sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are produced by these “white noise machines”. If you were to keep a TV on, it may 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 worse?
Lack of sound isn’t the only thing that can bring about an increase in your tinnitus. For instance, if you’re indulging in too much alcohol before you go to bed, that could be a contributing factor. Tinnitus also tends to get worse if you’re stressed out and certain medical problems can trigger a flare-up, too, like high blood pressure. Call us for an appointment if these suggestions aren’t helping or if you’re feeling dizzy when your tinnitus symptoms are active.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/