We rang in the New Year with celebrations, but ringing in your ears is not so joyful. If you experience frequent ringing, buzzing, whooshing or humming sounds in your ears, it might be tinnitus.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external sound source is present. Tinnitus can take on any number of characteristics and is usually a sound that only you can hear. You can experience tinnitus that varies from soft to loud and from low to high pitch.
Individuals describe their tinnitus in a number of ways, including a buzzing, clicking, ringing, white noise, and/or roaring sound. Although these descriptions are typical, there are no specific rules about how tinnitus is perceived. Each person’s experience and perception can be different.
How Common is Tinnitus?
According to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), tinnitus is one of the most common health conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 50 million Americans to some degree. An estimated 5 million have symptoms severe enough that they seek medical attention, and approximately 2 million cannot function “normally” on a day-to-day basis.
During the winter, as you spend more time indoors, tinnitus can become more noticeable or bothersome. While it’s normal to experience tinnitus when you go from a noisy to quiet environment, some people’s brains struggle to tune it out, and it begins to have a negative emotional association that can become extremely stressful.
If tinnitus affects your quality of life by reducing your sleep, impacting your performance at work, making tasks in your everyday life less enjoyable, or reducing your ability to concentrate, you may benefit from some sort of tinnitus management strategy.
How Associated Audiologists Can Treat Your Tinnitus
There are several treatment options for people with tinnitus that interferes with daily life. Here are some ways an audiologist who is experienced in tinnitus and sound sensitivity can help.
Step 1: A Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation
A comprehensive hearing evaluation from a licensed audiologist is the best first step for people with bothersome tinnitus. The audiologist can identify if there are underlying structural or auditory processing problems that are causing — or contributing to — your tinnitus. Some people have both tinnitus and hearing loss, while others have only one or the other. A hearing evaluation will give your audiologist the information they need to help you.
Step 2: Detail Your Symptoms
As part of your initial appointment with Associated Audiologists, your audiology professional will listen carefully and ask you questions about what you’re experiencing and how it’s affecting you.
You will complete a questionnaire that helps assess the impact your tinnitus is having on your day-to-day quality of life. Then, your provider will explain your test results and provide education on tinnitus.
“Our goal is to help patients improve their understanding of tinnitus and explore the next steps that can help with managing their condition,” explained Susan Smittkamp, Au.D., Ph.D., a tinnitus and sound sensitivity specialist with Associated Audiologists.
Step 3: Try Multiple Management Strategies
Because tinnitus is not a one-size-fits-all condition, tinnitus management options are customized to each individual’s circumstances. Depending on your needs, this can include:
- Sound therapy stimulus delivered through sound generators, such as headphones or hearing aids. Often, this is a randomized, gentle chime sound that helps with bothersome tinnitus.
- Tinnitus management products that work neurologically, like Lenire, a new, FDA-approved medical device that provides two types of stimulation that work together to retrain the neural pathways in the brain.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or other mental health counseling to identify and address any underlying stressors or anxiety related to your tinnitus.
Don’t let tinnitus put a damper on your spirits. Contact Associated Audiologists, or schedule an appointment with one of our doctoral-level audiologists today!
