Tinnitus Treatment

Almost 80 percent of people with tinnitus have some level of hearing loss. Tinnitus is defined as hearing a ringing, buzzing or whooshing noise that starts in the ear or the head and is typically only heard by the person experiencing the condition.

Though tinnitus is usually not dangerous, it can be a symptom of another health problem or underlying condition. Tinnitus can cause many stressful side effects, including fatigue, sleep problems, concentration difficulty, memory problems, depression, anxiety and irritability. Though it’s not necessarily serious, it can negatively impact your quality of life.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Tinnitus may have several underlying causes. Your hearing care professional may begin investigating the condition by first finding out what kind of tinnitus you suffer from. There are two general types of tinnitus: subjective and objective tinnitus.

Subjective tinnitus means that only you can hear the noise or ringing in your ears. Objective tinnitus means that it may be possible for your hearing care professional to also hear the noise or ringing while performing an exam.

Tinnitus can be caused by a number of things from certain medications to a variety of health problems. Your hearing care professional will take a detailed history of your health and medications, perform a thorough examination and possibly order a hearing test or conduct other tests of the auditory system.

Possible Causes of Tinnitus Include

Age-related hearing loss
Exposure to loud noise
Earwax buildup
Abnormal bone growth in the ear
Meniere’s disease
Stress and depression
Head or neck injuries
Benign tumor of the cranial nerve
Certain medications

In some cases, the exact cause of the tinnitus may not be found but serious underlying conditions can be ruled out.

What Treatments Are Available?

While tinnitus can resolve on its own, it’s often treated by addressing the underlying condition. Depending on the individual case, some tinnitus treatments may include:

Hearing aids
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
Music and sound therapy
Relaxation techniques
Phone apps

It is important to note that there is no one treatment that will work for everyone. Hearing aids are one of the most widely recommended treatments because they can be equipped with sound masking features, enabling the individual to block out the tinnitus sounds.

In general, tinnitus treatments may not make the tinnitus disappear completely, but they often can make it less noticeable and ease your stress and anxiety from it. Speak with your hearing care professional about the best tinnitus treatment option for you.

Tinnitus Therapy

As hearing ability decreases, the amount of stimulation to the brain is also decreased. This loss of stimulation changes how the brain processes sound. Wearing hearing aids amplifies background noise and provides additional stimulation to the brain.

We carry hearing aids to fit any budget and all come with a 30-day, risk-free trial. You don’t have to cope with tinnitus symptoms alone. Let one of our hearing care professionals help you get the relief you need.