Understanding Tinnitus Treatment Options

Tinnitus is a common problem, which is characterized by a constant buzz or ringing sound in the ears. If you suffer from tinnitus, it can impact your quality of life. It’s very common to experience temporary bouts of tinnitus, usually following exposure to loud noises, but it’s wise to seek advice for recurrent symptoms. If you have tinnitus, there are treatment options out there, and a hearing healthcare professional can go through those options with you, and hopefully, identify an effective solution.

Tinnitus treatment options

There are various treatment options for tinnitus. These include:

Hearing aids

Hearing aids are used to amplify sounds to make it easier to hear. If you experience hearing loss, hearing aids can open you up to a host of new experiences and increase your confidence and quality of life. As well as providing a solution for those who have started to struggle to hear and follow conversations, hearing aids can also be beneficial for those who suffer from tinnitus. In many cases, people who experience symptoms of tinnitus also have a degree of hearing loss, and this is where hearing aids come in handy. Using a hearing aid helps to correct hearing loss, which may, in turn, alleviate the symptoms and signs of tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and your hearing assessments show sign of hearing loss, your hearing instrument specialist may advise you to try wearing hearing aids.

Tinnitus retraining therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy is a form of treatment, which is designed to help you learn to cope with tinnitus by getting the brain used to the sounds you hear in your ears. This therapy can be used to train the brain to process noises and then become accustomed to them. If you think about listening to the rain, for example, you notice the sound for the first couple of minutes, but then you become used to it, you pay it less attention, and the noise level seems much lower. Before treatment, your hearing specialist will chat to you about the therapy, and ask you questions about your symptoms. The next stage of treatment involves wearing a device behind your ear, which generates noise to distract you from the sounds associated with tinnitus. The final phase involves psychological therapy, which aims to help you try and learn to ignore the noise.

Sound machines

Sound machines generate background noise, also known as white or pink noise. They can be used to treat tinnitus by encouraging you to focus on the external noise, rather than the sounds you can hear in your ears. Exposure to sounds from a machine may enable you to shift your focus and mask the sounds you hear as a result of tinnitus.

Do you suffer from tinnitus? If you have persistent symptoms, or your symptoms have got worse, it’s advisable to see a hearing instrument specialist. There are treatment options out there that could help to reduce or even banish symptoms for good. If you’re struggling with ringing, hissing or buzzing in your ears, don’t hesitate to seek help.