Did you ring in the New Year…and still have that irritating ringing in your ears months later? You could be one of the 50 million Americans who experiences tinnitus, a perception of ringing, buzzing or humming sounds when there is no sound present.
Any type of disruption in your body’s sound processing — such as hearing loss, a head injury, certain medications, or other changes to the ear — can cause tinnitus. For some people, tinnitus is a minor annoyance, but for others, it can become increasingly distressing and frustrating.
Dr. Tim Steele, president and owner of Associated Audiologists, has a great explanation to help you understand tinnitus:
“The brain is our central processor for the human body. It collects information from your senses. When the brain is no longer receiving information from a certain source, it can create a false signal to try to keep that part of the brain alive — like phantom limb syndrome in an amputee. The same thing may happen with hearing loss: When you aren’t receiving the regular signals from the ear, or the signal is disrupted, your brain may be creating a phantom sound or false signal to keep that portion of the brain active. This might be a possible explanation for some who experience tinnitus.”
Treating tinnitus
The good news is that tinnitus can be managed to reduce the bothersome impacts on your life. There are a few options for treatment, depending on the type of tinnitus you’re experiencing and what degree of hearing loss you have:
Hearing aids
The most common treatment for tinnitus in patients who also have hearing loss is hearing aids. According to the American Tinnitus Association, as many as 90% of people who experience chronic tinnitus also have some degree of hearing loss. By providing the ear and the brain with more sound via hearing aids, it minimizes the perception of tinnitus by increasing the overall level of stimulation to the ear.
Some brands of hearing aids, like Widex, offer special options within the hearing aid that are designed to help with tinnitus. For instance, you can set it to periodically make a soft, chiming sound that keeps your brain engaged in listening even when the overall environment is quiet.
Sound therapy
There are many types of sound therapy available to help your brain desensitize to tinnitus. These include using music players, sound machines, and other devices that help to mask the tinnitus with a more pleasant replacement sound like white noise or nature sounds.
For many patients, starting sound therapy quickly brings relief from the irritation of tinnitus. An audiologist can help determine which type of sound therapy may be helpful for you.
Behavioral therapy and medication
When tinnitus becomes distressing, it can lead to a cycle of worsening mental health. The more you focus on the bothersome sounds, the more they bother you, until it really starts to disrupt your wellbeing.
Behavioral therapy with a qualified mental health professional can help you learn relaxation techniques and build skills to help you cope. While there is no specific medication to treat tinnitus itself, sometimes, your medical doctor may recommend anxiety or depression medications to help you as you’re finding ways to overcome the stress of tinnitus.
Treating underlying conditions
In a small percentage of patients, tinnitus is caused by a physical problem in the body, such as a blockage in the ear, jaw problems, or head and neck injuries. Your medical doctor and audiologist can work together to determine if there is an underlying problem and how to best treat it.
Buyer beware!
There are many products and supplements that claim to be a “miracle cure” for tinnitus. However, none of these have been scientifically proven to be effective in the long term. Be sure to consult with an audiologist and/or ENT physician about what proven treatments are available to help you.
For more information about tinnitus, download our free e-book or make an appointment with one of our doctoral-level audiologists about your concerns. With the right diagnosis and treatment, you can tell tinnitus to “buzz off!”
