Tinnitus is the term used to describe the condition of having ringing, buzzing, or noise in the ear or originating from the head. The word tinnitus is Latin and literally means ringing.
Treating the Cause
Tinnitus can be caused by many things, and is usually a symptom of an underlying condition. The treatment for your particular tinnitus will depend on the condition that is causing it, the severity, any accompanying issues such as hearing loss, and the impact the tinnitus has on daily activities.
Common causes of tinnitus include:
- Stress and depression
- Hearing loss
- Exposure to loud noises
- Earwax buildup or blockages
- Abnormal bone growth in the ear
- Meniere’s disease
- Head or neck injuries
- Benign tumor of the cranial nerve
In order to find out the root cause of your tinnitus, your physician or hearing specialist will conduct a complete medical history, as well as a complete examination.
***Tinnometer***
Our tinnitus evaluation includes an assessment using MedRx’s Tinnometer. This unique assessment is specific to tinnitus and evaluates the loudness level, shape, and pitch of a patient’s tinnitus. With these measurements, we are able to better treat the tinnitus you may be experiencing by customizing it to your specific needs. This tool also allows us to track any changes over time, allowing us to adjust our treatment as needed.
What Treatments are Available?
The Summit Hearing Aid Center team of professionals are looking forward to working with you and your patients to manage their tinnitus. Tinnitus is defined as a sensation of sound in your ears, sometimes in your head. Each person with tinnitus has a different sound experience; for some it is described as a ringing sound, but for others it is a buzzing, shooshing, clicking or roaring sound. It can range in pitch from low- bass quality to high pitched.
At Summit Hearing Aid Center, we will perform a comprehensive hearing evaluation and a tinnitus assessment. Our appointment will include a thorough review of audiological testing, tinnitus counseling and the development of an individualized management plan for tinnitus. Hearing aids and/or tinnitus management devices will be demonstrated and discussed during this time.
We are proud to offer different options for tinnitus treatment to our patients. Many patients who have tinnitus also have hearing loss. Hearing aids can provide relief from tinnitus by amplifying sounds that are not heard once the hearing loss occurs. There are different tinnitus masking techniques offered by hearing aids, if amplification alone is not enough. For example, we find out that a patient’s tinnitus is centered at 4000Hz; notch therapy utilizes cortical lateral inhibition, a neural mechanism that reduces the activity in the over-stimulated region of the brain responsible for many types of tinnitus, and has been shown in multiple clinical studies to be highly effective. For others, fractal tones help distract the brain from the monotonous ringing sounds that they hear. We also discuss many usefully applications that can be used for sound enrichment purposes to help manage tinnitus. Hearing aids or combination devices will be programmed and delivered to the patient.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at Summit Hearing Aid Center at 908-277-6886 or visit our website at summithearingaidcenter.com