Tinnitus is a common condition that some people develop. It’s characterized by persistent ringing in one or both ears, but it can only be heard by the person who has this type of condition.
Tinnitus can also be a whistling, hissing, buzzing, or pulsing noise. For some people, the sound comes and goes. But for most people, the symptoms are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Tinnitus evaluations are assessments used to diagnose and determine the severity of tinnitus, a condition characterized by ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears.
How common is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a problem that a lot of people have in the United States. About 15-20% of people have it, and it’s more common among older adults. The older you are, the more likely you are to have chronic tinnitus. In a journal published in the National Library of Medicine, it was found that 14.3% of people aged 60-69 years old have chronic tinnitus.
What causes tinnitus?
There are many causes of hearing loss. The most common is being exposed to loud noise for a long time. If this happens, your hearing may be damaged temporarily or permanently, depending on how bad the sound was.
We can’t always tell if the damage done to your hearing is permanent or not. But usually, if you have tinnitus, it means there is a problem with your inner ear. Scientists are still studying tinnitus and how it happens in the brain and inner ear. Some possible causes are:
- Hearing loss (the most common cause)
- Eardrum blockage
- Exposure to loud noise
- Certain medications
- Head trauma
- Stress
- Jaw joint disorders
In rare cases, tinnitus may be caused by a blood vessel disorder. This means that the flow of your blood can make a sound that you hear. This type of tinnitus may be caused by a tumor in your head or neck, too much cholesterol in your blood, high blood pressure, or problems with the way the blood flows around your ear.
Is there a cure for tinnitus?
Currently, there is no cure for tinnitus. Our team at Doctors Hearing Care will work with you to identify potential causes for your specific tinnitus symptoms and find ways to lessen the impact of tinnitus on your daily life. In some instances, changes in lifestyle and medications may help alleviate symptoms. Various relaxation methods may also lower tinnitus symptoms.
What Are the Treatment Options for Tinnitus?
If you have been having trouble with ringing in your ears, it is important to go and get some tests done. This will help us figure out if there is a medical reason for the ringing in your ears. After we know the cause, we can create a treatment plan that is specific to you.
There is no cure for tinnitus, but our audiologists can help you. They have knowledge and experience with treatment methods that may help lessen the impact of tinnitus on your life. In many cases, the combination of tinnitus and hearing loss can be relieved with AGX® technology, an innovation used by Doctors Hearing Care.
If you have tinnitus and hearing loss, the best way to treat it is by using a personal hearing system. This will help improve your hearing and make the tinnitus sound less loud. There are other treatment options available such as:
AGX hearing technology
This is the best way to improve your hearing if you have any trouble hearing. This technology can help you hear better and also reduce the ringing in your ears.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
At our clinic, we specialize in a therapy that has helped many of our patients. The therapy combines sound therapy and counseling. This alters the way the brain responds to tinnitus noise, which makes it less noticeable and allows you to live more peacefully.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This is a type of counseling that can help you change the way individuals think about your tinnitus. This can help to relieve stress and make emotional reactions to tinnitus less negative.
Are there medications for tinnitus?
There is currently no specific medication to treat tinnitus but there are some factors that could try to help lessen the symptoms including:
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Limiting exposure to loud noises
- Lowering salt intake
- Limiting exposure to alcohol and nicotine
Can tinnitus be cured?
There is research that suggests that changing certain areas of the brain that respond to sound may provide relief from tinnitus. There are also experiments being done to regrow hair cells. If hair cells are regrown, it means hearing is restored and this will help prevent the brain from trying to “fill in the gaps” where there are no hair cells, which may ultimately end tinnitus.
It is possible that a cure for tinnitus could be developed in the future, but it is likely that it will take many years to complete clinical trials and make the cure available to the public.
Tinnitus Evaluations in New Albany, IN
At Doctors Hearing Care, we offer tinnitus evaluations to determine the best treatment for your condition. We believe that through accurate evaluations, tinnitus can be managed and affected individuals can enjoy a better quality of life.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!