What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of sound, often described as ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, humming, or hissing. The way a person experiences tinnitus is highly variable. The sound can be constant or periodic, and it can be present with or without hearing loss. For some people, the symptoms are so severe that their quality of life is affected.
Tinnitus is not a condition; rather, it is a symptom of another health problem. It can be indicative of an underlying condition such as hearing loss, a high level of stress, poor sleep quality, high blood pressure, loud noise exposure, ear infections, excessive ear wax, and some additional medical issues. In many cases, no identifiable cause is found.
One of the most common causes of tinnitus is noise exposure; therefore, hearing protection can help prevent it.
How Is Tinnitus Diagnosed?
If you think you are experiencing symptoms of tinnitus, we invite you to visit our expert audiologist at The Center for ENT for a thorough exam. Patients who experience new or sudden onset tinnitus should be evaluated by an experienced audiologist and ENT doctor within days of the symptoms appearing. The evaluation process includes a taking a careful history of your symptoms, performing a thorough physical exam, and administering a hearing test to identify the underlying cause, if possible.
Hearing Relief Is Possible
Tinnitus can impact all parts of life. Adults struggle with focus at work and children find it difficult to concentrate at school. The sound can interrupt conversations and keep you up at night, or make it hard to fall asleep. Fortunately, the right therapies can help you learn to live with tinnitus and leave the frustration behind.
Treating Tinnitus
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are many steps you can take to manage the symptoms.
Hearing Aids
Whether you have hearing loss or normal hearing, a hearing device can be an effective tool in managing tinnitus, helping patients achieve habituation through sound therapy. This occurs when the hearing device emits certain tones or sounds that make the tinnitus less noticeable.
Lifestyle Modifications
Our audiologist might recommend lifestyle modifications, such as avoiding loud noises, reducing caffeine consumption, and reducing alcohol and nicotine intake.
Stress Management
Managing your stress could help reduce the severity of your tinnitus symptoms. We provide you with recommendations for reducing your stress levels.
Masking Techniques
Masking techniques such as white noise therapy can prove to be helpful. There are many electronic devices that incorporate white noise or soothing nature sounds.
Unsurpassed Personal Patient Care
When you become one of our patients, we put your needs above all else. We continually raise the standard of care in ENT and hearing conditions and specialize in developing custom treatment plans for all types of tinnitus that deliver better outcomes with less risk.
Still Have Questions? We’re Here to Answer Them.
Ready to renew your hearing?
If you’re still wondering what tinnitus is, we’re here to help. Call us today to ask questions and tell us about your symptoms. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help you schedule a consultation to get answers on all types of tinnitus.
