Hearing Health Blog

Woman with hands to her ears in pain wondering when the ringing in her ears will stop.

When you first hear that ringing in your ears you could have a very typical response: pretend that it’s no big thing. You go through your day the same as usual: you do your grocery shopping, you cook dinner, you attempt to have a discussion with your friends. In the meantime, you’re attempting to push that ringing in your ear out of your mind. Because there is one thing you feel certain about: your tinnitus will fade 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. sometimes tinnitus will go away on its own, and other times it will linger on and that’s why it’s a challenging little condition.

The Condition of Temporary Tinnitus

Around the globe, nearly everybody has had a bout of tinnitus because it’s quite common. Tinnitus is a temporary condition, in most instances, and will eventually recede by itself. The most common 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 your ears are ringing.

Within a few days the type of tinnitus connected to injury from loud noise will commonly fade away (but you accept that it’s simply part of going to a loud show).

Over time loss of hearing can go from temporary or “acute” to permanent or “chronic” because of this exact type of injury. One concert too many and you could be waiting quite a while for your tinnitus to go away on its own.

sometimes, Tinnitus Doesn’t Simply go Away

If your tinnitus persists for over three months it’s then classified as chronic tinnitus (but you should get it checked by a specialist long before that).

Something like 5-15% of individuals globally have recorded indications of chronic tinnitus. While there are some recognized close connections (like loss of hearing, as an example), the causes of tinnitus aren’t yet really understood.

When the causes of your tinnitus aren’t clear, it often means that a quick “cure” will be elusive. If your ears have been buzzing for over three months and there’s no identifiable cause, there’s a strong chance that the sound will not recede by itself. In those circumstances, there are treatment possibilities available (such as cognitive behavioral therapy or noise-canceling devices) that can help you control symptoms and protect your quality of life.

It’s Important to Know What The Cause of Your Tinnitus is

When you can identify the root cause of your tinnitus, dealing with the condition suddenly becomes a lot easier. For instance, if your tinnitus is created by a persistent, bacterial ear infection, treatment with an antibiotic will usually solve both issues, leading to a healthy ear and clear hearing.

Some causes of acute tinnitus may consist of:

  • Chronic ear infections
  • Eardrum damage (such as a perforated eardrum)
  • A blockage in the ear or ear canal
  • Meniere’s disease (this usually has no cure and is often associated with chronic tinnitus)
  • Loss of hearing (again, this is often associated with chronic tinnitus)

So…Will The Ringing in My Ears Go Away?

The bottom line is that in almost all cases, yes, your tinnitus will recede by itself. But the longer it lingers, the longer you hear tinnitus noises, the more likely it becomes that you’re dealing with chronic tinnitus.

You feel that if you simply disregard it should vanish by itself. But sooner or later, your tinnitus could become unpleasant and it could become hard to concentrate on anything else. In those circumstances, wishful thinking may not be the complete 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 response to a loud environment (and your body’s method of telling you to stay away from that environment from now on). Whether that’s acute or chronic tinnitus, well, only time will tell.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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