Tinnitus is experience of unwanted sound in your ears, but the sound is not caused by an external source. More than 50 million Americans are subjected to this condition. It is important to understand the signs and causes of tinnitus to what audiologists recommend as the best relief methods. At Imagine Hearing Solutions, we offer a number of different treatments to help you address those sounds you don’t want to hear.
Symptoms of tinnitus
There are a number of different symptoms for tinnitus, but the most common include hearing ringing, buzzing, whooshing, hissing and clicking.
These sounds are only heard by a person suffering from the condition, but can sometimes be detected by an audiologist. These sounds can be heard on a continuous or intermittent basis. Some people have trouble sleeping when they have tinnitus because the sounds can be more noticeable in the absence of background noise.
Causes of tinnitus
There are many different conditions linked to tinnitus, including:
- Exposure to loud noise
- Medication
- Hearing loss
- Ear infection
- Trauma to the ear
- Earwax build-up
- Meniere’s disease
- Vascular disorders
Some conditions are easily treated, leading to the tinnitus being resolved almost instantly. Other conditions, however, can lead to the tinnitus becoming a permanent feature.
What treatments are available?
Based on the cause of your tinnitus and other factors, various therapies are available to alleviate your tinnitus symptoms.
- Sound therapy: This method uses sounds to help the brain notice the sounds less, similar to the way in which a noisy air conditioner helps.
- Hearing aids: Hearing aids are a common treatment option for tinnitus, even if hearing loss is not present. Hearing aids can be fitted with a tinnitus masking feature to help individuals block sound and provide much-needed relief. This can also be used in combination with hearing loss treatment.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT): Also known as habituation therapy, this is an attempt to retrain your brain to perceive tinnitus in a different way.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This may also be used in tandem with other solutions to help you cope with any emotional difficulties you may have.
If you are tired of dealing with that pesky ringing or buzzing, why not contact us? We be able to will work to identify the cause behind your tinnitus and recommend the appropriate treatment.