Tinnitus (Ringing Ears) Management
Tinnitus – although it’s pronounced in several different ways, one this is clear: it’s a condition that can be distracting, frustrating, and can take away from your overall quality of life. More than 50 million people struggle with this condition, and whether it manifests as a ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound, it is often highly correlated with hearing loss.
Despite this connection, tinnitus is usually an indication that something else is malfunctioning in your body rather than the ear itself. There could be damage to your auditory nerve or even in the parts of your brain that process sound. Ultimately, tinnitus is a condition that needs proper attention and care from a hearing healthcare professional.
At Applied Hearing Solutions, we recommend that the first step in addressing your tinnitus comes in the form of a hearing evaluation. Because hearing loss and tinnitus are so closely linked, it’s imperative to understand your overall hearing ability and to try to determine the cause of your tinnitus. Dr. Olson will perform a thorough examination to measure both the intensity of your tinnitus and the frequency at which it occurs in order to understand how to best treat it.
Unfortunately, the causes of tinnitus are still widely unknown beyond hearing loss, and there is no cure despite the many products on the market that claim to rid you of tinnitus permanently. For many individuals, their tinnitus is a result of certain medications they take, overexposure to loud noises, or completely unrelated medical conditions. Despite sometimes not being able to determine the exact cause of your symptoms, we do offer a variety of ways to treat the condition.
Some patients find that masking the sound of tinnitus is helpful, and there are a range of mobile apps that can help. Others use stress relieving techniques such as massage or meditation to reduce the anxiety associated with hearing a constant, aggravating sound, and still others wear hearing aids to not only boost their natural hearing ability but to help manage their tinnitus symptoms.