Tinnitus is a ringing, roaring, hissing, whistling, humming, buzzing or other sound in the ears that has no external source. In some cases, it is a mild nuisance, but in others, it is a debilitating experience. If tinnitus is affecting your quality of life, we will review ways to manage it below.
See an Expert
A tinnitus expert at Valley Audiology may be able to diagnose and address the underlying cause of your tinnitus, as it is a symptom rather than a disease itself. All you may need is to have some earwax removed or to take antibiotics to clear an ear infection. An expert can confirm or rule out possible medical causes.
Wear Hearing Aids
Because both are caused by damage to the auditory system, tinnitus often occurs alongside hearing loss. The gold standard treatment when this is the case is to wear hearing aids. Because these medical devices work by amplifying sounds to a level your ears can detect, it can also turn up the volume loud enough that your tinnitus is drowned out by sounds in your environment. Some models of hearing aids have an additional tinnitus masking feature that plays white noise.
Wear a Tinnitus Masker
Tinnitus maskers are devices that are worn like hearing aids, but rather than amplifying sounds, they just play white noise. Set your tinnitus masker to a volume just below that of your perceived tinnitus.
Turn on a White Noise Machine
The same effect can be achieved by playing a white noise machine, fan, humidifier or other device that adds noise to your environment.
Attend Counseling
There are two types of counseling generally recommended for people who experience tinnitus: tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). TRT is an individualized program administered by an audiologist, and it combines counseling with sound therapy. CBT is administered by a licensed mental health professional, and it teaches you techniques to help you mentally cope with your tinnitus.
Support Groups
Another option to help you manage your tinnitus is to join a local support group, so you can talk with other people experiencing tinnitus. They can help you not feel so isolated with your condition as well as share techniques and strategies that work for them.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a tinnitus expert, call Valley Audiology today.