Tinnitus Management
Tinnitus is the medical term for the experience of hearing a sound or noise in the absence of any external cause for the sound. These "noises in the head" are reported to vary from individual to individual, but most commonly are reported as sounding like a ringing, a roaring, a buzzing or a whistling. Many people report that the presence of this constant noise robs them of the peace and tranquility of life. Over twelve million Americans suffer from tinnitus in its severest form, and millions more experience tinnitus to a lesser degree. Although there are numerous causes for tinnitus, the most common cause is exposure to loud noise. Many people report experiencing a ringing noise in their head following exposure to loud noises. With repeated exposure to noise or extremely loud exposure, the head noise (tinnitus) can become permanent. Often patients report that the ringing in their head is so loud, they have difficulty hearing over the noise. During tinnitus management, it is recommended that patients always wear hearing protection devices whenever they are exposed to loud noises or sounds.
Treatment for debilitating tinnitus begins with a complete hearing test and a medical examination to rule out any treatable cause for the tinnitus. Treatment includes an extensive tinnitus history, which will help to determine the type of tinnitus, the severity of tinnitus and the situations the patient most often experiences tinnitus. A history of the patient‘s lifestyle and health habits is an important part of tinnitus treatment. Often changes in diet alone can eliminate tinnitus.
For many patients the presence of an external noise, presented into the ear, will cause the tinnitus to disappear for a period of time. This technique is called tinnitus masking and works most effectively when the pitch of the noise presented into the ear, is similar to the reported pitch of the patient’s tinnitus. During tinnitus treatment, efforts will be made to electronically match the pitch and loudness of the patient’s tinnitus. During the initial tinnitus management sessions, tinnitus masking will be attempted to determine if this is a viable treatment option for the tinnitus sufferer.
For patients experiencing tinnitus accompanied by a hearing loss, often a hearing aid will be beneficial in diminishing the loudness of the tinnitus. During management sessions, hearing aids may be recommended as a treatment for tinnitus. This is the most beneficial treatment available and millions of patients have received relief from their tinnitus with the use of hearing aids.
Relaxation techniques and biofeedback stress management are also a treatment for patients suffering debilitating effects of tinnitus. Although treatments do not reduce the loudness of the tinnitus, they can result in the patient’s ability to better cope with their head noise.
Because tinnitus is not a life-threatening malady it is often ignored by the medical and scientific research community, however there are numerous treatments available to help the tinnitus sufferer find relief. The first step to find help is to know there are many treatment options available.