Tinnitus is difficult and tiresome. Let us help you manage the condition.

Tinnitus (pronounced ti-ni-tis), or “ringing in the ears,” is the perception of a sound in one or both ears, without there being an external cause for that sound.

Tinnitus symptoms can range from slightly bothersome to completely life-altering, and since tinnitus is most often noticed in quiet environments, it can create sleeping problems that lead to long-term fatigue.

The symptoms of tinnitus come in many shapes and forms. Typically, tinnitus symptoms are experienced as:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Clicking
• Hissing
• Roaring

The sounds heard with tinnitus can be intermittent or constant, and loud or soft. Tinnitus can affect your life every day; maybe you experience sleepless nights or distracting noises. Sometimes, it is ear pain that won’t go away. While the experience of tinnitus can vary widely, the effect upon sufferers is often similar: difficult and tiresome. These sounds may come and go, but for most, the symptoms produce a constant, maddening drone.

The most common causes of Tinnitus are:

• Untreated medical conditions
• Natural aging
• Sudden impact noises
• Exposure to loud sounds over time
• Head and neck injuries
• Medication side effects (called ototoxicity)

Tinnitus can be difficult to understand because its cause can be as elusive as its cure. Tinnitus is not a disease, but instead a symptom that something is wrong in the ear, the auditory nerve, and/or the parts of the brain that process sound. Something as simple as a piece of earwax blocking the ear canal can cause tinnitus.

Treatment Options

There is no one cure for tinnitus. But there are some options that can alleviate your symptoms and make your tinnitus more bearable. Hearing aids are the best treatment option for tinnitus. With today’s technology, hearing aids can now feature a tinnitus managing program that will use peaceful sounds to mask the annoying noises. Along with hearing aids use, other sound-generating machines may help to mask the noise from your ears such as fish tanks, low-volume music, and indoor waterfalls.

Dr. Erin Walborn is an audiologist in our practice who has taken a special interest in the treatment of tinnitus. There can be numerous reasons why a person may develop tinnitus, and everyone is unique. Dr. Walborn specializes in finding out why you may have your tinnitus and then works with you to develop a holistic treatment plan that will aim to reduce the handicap you feel from it.

Talk to us about how you can manage your tinnitus and get back on track to enjoying your life. We will work with you to find a treatment option that will let you hear your best again.

FAQS About Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be annoying and uncomfortable, affecting your mood and overall quality of life. We want you to better understand your own hearing health, so here are some frequently asked questions regarding tinnitus.

1. What is the most effective treatment for tinnitus?

Hearing aids can help you control outside sounds, making it easier for you to hear. The better you can hear then the less severe your tinnitus will be. Other treatment options combined with hearing aids that can lessen the effects of tinnitus are sound generators and acoustic neural stimulation.

2. Can tinnitus be a sign of something serious?

Sometimes tinnitus can be a sign of an underlying health condition. It is important to receive a full hearing evaluation in order to distinguish if there are any underlying causes to your tinnitus and to prevent it from getting worse.

3. Can tinnitus go away on its own?

Although tinnitus can go away on its own, there is no way to know how long it will take. It could be years before your tinnitus begins to dissipate. Don’t wait, make an appointment so we can help you find a solution to improve your hearing health.

At Audiologic Solutions, we understand that living with tinnitus can be a frustrating ordeal, and we aim to create a plan of treatment that helps you to regain control over your day to day life. Our patients have found success utilizing an incredibly wide range of solutions, including meditation and stress reduction techniques, changes to their diet, using hearing aids, or using devices like white noise machines to help mask their symptoms.

Our goal is to work with you to learn about how your tinnitus affects your daily life and to offer solutions that meet your needs. While we cannot promise that your tinnitus will be cured, what we can do is educate you about the ways in which your symptoms can be reduced and managed. Take the first step toward regaining control of your hearing and contact us today.