Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

[shantelle]

Im curious about noise induced tinnitus. In almost all cases hearing loss is present. If that hearing loss is within normal hearing limits its still considered some loss and the Tinnitus is present. Is this true? Also has anyone ever had the Tinnitus go away even tho the hearing loss is present. Not talking about habituated to it but it actually go? From my understanding if you have any hearing loss at all even in the normal limits the Tinnitus is permanent?!

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Im curious about noise induced tinnitus. In almost all cases hearing loss is present. If that hearing loss is within normal hearing limits its still considered some loss and the Tinnitus is present. Is this true?

Shantelle, you ask a very good question.

It turns out that regardless of whether or not tinnitus is "noise induced," it is very hard to make a one-to-one correlation between hearing loss and tinnitus. By that I mean there are people with significant hearing loss who do not have tinnitus at all, and there are people with no appreciable hearing loss who have tinnitus that is quite severe. (And, of course, there are all points in between.) Adding to the confusion is the fact that those people whose audiograms are "within normal limits" still have hair cell damage by virtue of the fact that even in the best of circumstances we lose 0.5% of our hair cells for every year of our adult lives. It's just that their hair cell damage is not reflected in their audiograms.

Also has anyone ever had the Tinnitus go away even tho the hearing loss is present.

Yes.

Not talking about habituated to it but it actually go?

Yes.

From my understanding if you have any hearing loss at all even in the normal limits the Tinnitus is permanent?!

That may be your understanding, but it is not mine.

Hope this helps -

Dr. Stephen Nagler