Tinnitus Treatment
Many people are bothered with tinnitus. 1 in 5 people have experienced tinnitus at some point. Furthermore, 15% of people suffer from tinnitus regularly. Your Yost Hearing team is ready to help you tackle this issue. At Yost Hearing, you will find a comprehensive approach to manage your tinnitus. Our hearing professionals will take the time to explain what it is, potential reasons why it happens, and discuss individualized management plans.
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What is Tinnitus?
It is often described as a buzzing or ringing in ears. Patients may describe it as hissing, roaring, clicking, whooshing, or even crickets. In most cases it is subjective, meaning only the person suffering from it can hear it. This is an internal sound that is perceived by the individual. These sounds can be heard constantly or intermittently. Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom typically related to the auditory system. The symptoms can be very annoying and frustrating. Tinnitus can increase stress and lead to confusion, headaches, sleeping issues, and even depression.
What causes Tinnitus?
There are many causes. Hearing loss is a very common cause. As the severity of hearing loss increases so does the prevalence of the issue. In fact, about 90% of patients with hearing loss experience it to some degree. Causes can also include: medication, earwax, ear trauma, ear infection, noise exposure, vascular disorders, or Meniere’s disease. Recent onsets of tinnitus should always be discussed with your audiologist.
What is Next?
Step 1: Appointment
Schedule an appointment with your Yost Hearing team for a tinnitus assessment.
Step 2: Assessment
The assessment will start with a thorough case history. This will allow our team to understand your individual tinnitus and your actual perception of it. Self-reporting assessment scales can be helpful for determining how it is affecting your daily life. The Yost Hearing Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation is another important part of your assessment. This will help to determine if your issue is hearing loss related. All the information gathered in the assessment will assist in your personalized tinnitus management and/or treatment plan.
Step 3: Management
Depending on the cause of your tinnitus, there are a number of different treatment methods available to help you find relief. Your hearing care provider will assess the severity of your tinnitus, symptoms, how it impedes your daily life and possible causes and recommend some of the following solutions.
- Removing earwax
- Hydrate & decrease the usage of alcohol, caffeine, salt, and tobacco.
- Avoiding silence – play soft music, turn on a fan, or utilizing a white noise machine/relief app.
- Developing healthy habits such as moderate exercise and consistent sleep to help manage stress or anxiety.
- Practicing hearing loss prevention & wearing hearing protection.
What Treats Tinnitus?
Generally, the tinnitus is related to hearing loss. In some cases, treating the hearing loss can actually fix the problem. Many patients have shown proven results and immediate tinnitus relief though wearing hearing aids. Remember, about 90% of patients with hearing loss experience tinnitus to some degree. The amplification of previously unheard environmental sounds makes tinnitus less noticeable. Your ears and brain now hear welcoming sounds formerly missed and not the ringing sounds of tinnitus. Additionally, hearing aids also have built in management programs. These programs allow the aid to produce masking noise which can help you habituate to the tinnitus. The programs can be controlled with the use of an app. It is important to remember that habituating can take time and results vary from patient to patient.