Tinnitus Guide

What is Tinnitus?

Any sound you hear in your ears or head. It is usually described as a:

• Ringing• Buzzing• Humming• Hissing• or Whistling

Tinnitus can come and go or be constant and can be heard in one ear or both ears.

Symptoms of TinnitusSome common problems which individuals with tinnitus may suffer from include:

• High levels of stress and anxiety

• Sleep disorders

• Hyperacusis

• Hearing loss

• Dizziness

• Difficulty concentrating or hearing in noisy environments

The severity of a person's tinnitus is dependent on their reaction to it. In more severe cases, tinnitus has been linked to depression and anxiety.

What Causes Tinnitus?In 80% of tinnitus cases, tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss.

Tinnitus may also be a symptom of some other underlying conditions, including:

• Blockage of the ear from ear wax or an ear infection• Disorder of the middle ear• Meniere’s Disease • TMJ syndrome• Ototoxic medications • Acoustic neuroma • High or low blood pressure• Tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS)• Circulatory problems

Diagnosis of TinnitusThere are currently no objective clinical measures used to diagnose tinnitus. There are several different subjective measures which an Audiologist can perform, including:

• Subjective questionnaires

• Tinnitus pitch matching

• Tinnitus loudness matching

• Minimum masking level

• Audiometric testing

• Otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing

• MRI of the brain

How is Tinnitus Treated?

Treatment of the underlying medical condition will be performed first.

If the tinnitus is the result of a hearing loss, treating the hearing loss by wearing hearing aids can help to treat the tinnitus.

There are other sound therapy devices that have been shown to improve tinnitus, including:

• Neuromonics• SoundCure• Widex Zen Therapy• ReSound TS • and others being added to the market daily…

Living With Tinnitus

• Enriching your environment with soft background noise may be a simple way of reducing the disturbance of your tinnitus in quiet environments.

• An overall healthy diet and physical exercise can help to reduce your tinnitus levels.

• If you reduce your stress level, your tinnitus may improve.

• Avoid loud noises, such as loud music, gunfire, sirens, concerts, or power tools. These loud noises can make the tinnitus worse. If you are going to be exposed to these loud sounds, wear hearing protection.

Finding Help For Tinnitus

• See an Audiologist who specializes in tinnitus treatment.

• For more information about tinnitus and to stay up-to-date on new treatment methods, visit EverydayHearing.com