Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source, often linked to issues within the hearing system. Although it’s not a disease itself, tinnitus is a common symptom associated with various parts of the hearing system, particularly the inner ear. Sometimes, identifying the exact cause of tinnitus is straightforward, but other times the connection can be less clear.

Types of Tinnitus:

• Subjective Tinnitus: Heard only by the individual.
• Objective Tinnitus: Can be detected by an examiner using a stethoscope or ear tube.

Potential Causes:

• Inner Ear Issues: Damage to sensory hair cells, often due to aging, noise exposure, or medications like aspirin. The pitch of tinnitus often matches the frequency of hearing loss.
• Middle Ear Problems: Conditions such as infections, otosclerosis, or muscle spasms affecting the middle ear can cause tinnitus. Sometimes, the examiner can also hear the sounds.
• Excessive Ear Wax: Wax pressing against the eardrum can alter its vibrations and cause tinnitus.

Special Cases:

• Pulsatile Tinnitus: This type sounds like a heartbeat and may indicate a vascular tumor near the ear. Immediate consultation with a physician is recommended to rule out serious conditions.
• Hearing Nerve Conditions: Benign tumors, such as acoustic neuromas, can cause unilateral tinnitus and may be accompanied by hearing loss.
• Brain Lesions: Trauma, whiplash, or benign tumors like meningiomas affecting the auditory cortex can also lead to tinnitus.

Other Contributing Factors:

• Non-Auditory Conditions: High blood pressure, thyroid problems, and chronic brain conditions can cause tinnitus without specific hearing issues.
• Lifestyle Factors: Stress, fatigue, poor diet, and lack of exercise can exacerbate or contribute to tinnitus. Although less common, food allergies might also be a factor.

If you experience tinnitus, it’s important to seek a comprehensive evaluation to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.

There is often no definitive treatment for ear and head noises, as the underlying causes can be elusive. If an otolaryngologist identifies a specific cause for your tinnitus, targeted treatment might be possible. This process usually involves comprehensive testing, including imaging studies, audiological exams, balance function tests, and other laboratory analyses.

In many cases, pinpointing the exact cause of tinnitus is challenging, and it is commonly linked to sensory hearing loss. While there is no specific medication for tinnitus, some treatments and medications may be explored to help alleviate the noise.

• Alternative treatments, such as mindful meditation
• Amplification (hearing aids)
• Cochlear implants or electrical stimulation
• Cognitive therapy
• Drug therapy
• Sound therapy/tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
• TMJ treatment

In most cases, tinnitus is heard only by the individual. However, sometimes a specific type called “objective tinnitus” can be detected by an examiner. This occurs with pulsatile tinnitus, where the sound is related to abnormalities in blood vessels near the ear or muscle spasms that may produce clicking or crackling noises in the middle ear.

Tinnitus in children under 18 is relatively rare but not unheard of. It may be significantly under-reported, as younger children might struggle to articulate this symptom. Additionally, children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss might not notice or report tinnitus because it has been a constant part of their experience, leading their brains to ignore it over time.

For pre-teens and teens, the highest risk for developing tinnitus is associated with exposure to high-intensity sounds, particularly from personal MP3 players and handheld electronic games equipped with earbuds. Since it’s challenging for parents to monitor sound levels, the most effective prevention is educating children about the risks of excessive noise and ensuring proper monitoring by parents or caregivers.

• Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises.
• Get your blood pressure checked. If it is high, get your doctor’s help to control it.
• Decrease your intake of salt. Salt impairs blood circulation.
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco.
• Exercise daily to improve your circulation.
• Get adequate rest and avoid fatigue.
• Stop worrying about the noise. Recognize your head noise as an annoyance and learn to ignore it as much as possible. It is part of you.

Concentration and relaxation exercises can improve muscle control and circulation throughout the body, potentially reducing tinnitus intensity for some individuals.

Masking tinnitus with a consistent, low-level sound, such as a ticking clock or white noise from a radio, can make the noise less noticeable. Tinnitus is often more bothersome in quiet environments. White noise generators are available from specialty stores and catalogs.

Hearing aids can help mask tinnitus while worn and may provide temporary relief. If you have hearing loss, it’s crucial to avoid setting the hearing aid at excessively high volumes, as this can exacerbate tinnitus. A trial period with hearing aids is recommended if your main goal is to alleviate tinnitus.

Some hearing aids come with built-in tinnitus maskers that produce a soothing sound to distract from the tinnitus. While some users find these maskers effective in reducing tinnitus for several hours, results can vary.

The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment is a non-invasive and customizable device known for its significant and lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. Clinically administered by trained healthcare professionals, this treatment addresses the auditory, attentional, and emotional aspects of tinnitus. Developed and extensively tested since the early 1990s, it has successfully assisted thousands of patients globally.

The treatment is delivered through a compact, lightweight device tailored to your specific needs. It includes internal data and memory components to support daily management and progress tracking.

The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment addresses tinnitus on three levels: auditory, attentional, and emotional. It uses a spectrally-modified neural stimulus embedded in specially designed music to interact with, interrupt, and desensitize tinnitus disturbances.

This customized music engages the limbic system, which is linked to emotional responses, making the treatment both pleasant and effective. The Neuromonics device targets the neurological processes underlying tinnitus by promoting neuroplastic changes in the brain.

These changes include:

• Alterations in the auditory system that lead to the initial perception of tinnitus.
• Adjustments in attentional filters that focus on tinnitus.
• Emotional responses managed by the limbic system that contribute to the distress associated with tinnitus.

By leveraging neuroplasticity, the treatment stimulates the auditory pathways to encourage the brain to reframe how it processes tinnitus, thereby reducing its impact. This comprehensive therapy offers long-term relief by retraining the brain to diminish both the perception and negative emotional reaction to tinnitus.

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Our team will work with you to determine the best option to manage your tinnitus. Some of hte options we provide to assist with management of tinnitus include:

• Neuromonics Oasis and Sanctuary Devices
• Widex Zen
• Starkey Multiflex Tinnitus Technology

Visit our team to explore the best options for addressing your tinnitus. Our consultation includes tinnitus matching, a loudness tolerance assessment, and a demonstration of sound therapy if appropriate. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your appointment.