TINNITUS TREATMENT
Tinnitus is the perception of sounds within the ears or head, in the absence of any external sound source. These sounds are often described as ringing, humming or buzzing noises and they can be constant or come and go intermittently. For most people, tinnitus does not cause any significant disturbance and may not be heard for much of the day and for some it even goes away completely. There is however, a percentage of people with tinnitus, where it can be perceived as so extreme that it starts to interfere with daily life.
Tinnitus is often linked to noise damage from exposure to loud sounds, and is also often linked to high stress levels, ageing, ear infections and earwax build up. Tinnitus can be triggered by a large variety of causes, however it can also occur due to no known reasons at all.
Whilst Tinnitus is most common in the adult population (approximately 20% of Australians will report experiencing it at some stage), there are also many cases of paediatric tinnitus.
When someone notices their Tinnitus for the very first time, it is a new sound for the brain. And, whenever the brain hears a new sound it places extra focus on it to try and determine whether it is a safe or dangerous sound. This is a very normal reaction for the brain to have, and is similar to if you were home alone and heard a strange noise outside. In this instance you would focus on the noise outside to try and determine what it was – if you work out what the sound is, it doesn’t make you anxious and your brain tunes it out. If you can’t work out what the sound is, you become anxious and focus even more on the sound. This is a very similar reaction to what happens to the brain with tinnitus. For some people, the brain determines it is not a threat, and they learn to tune it out. For others however, they can’t remove focus from their tinnitus.
Although Tinnitus can occur without hearing loss, it is a common symptom of damage to the ear and hearing.
The Tinnitus Assessment
The first step towards managing Tinnitus starts with a hearing and Tinnitus assessment. This is a comprehensive test that goes further than the standard hearing assessment appointment. It is important for the audiologist to gain an understanding of the annoyance level or negative emotion towards Tinnitus, and evidence-based questionnaires will be used to assist in gathering information. Along with a standard hearing test, measurements also need to be done to match the pitch and perceived loudness of the patient’s tinnitus, and then effective masking levels and length of residual inhibition are also measured. The function of the outer hair cells will also be measured specifically, using Otoacoustic Emissions.
Help for Tinnitus is available. Managing tinnitus requires a holistic approach, and is not a one-sized fits all process. Approaches can include counselling, education, changes to health and lifestyle, and sound enrichment through hearing aids and maskers (if indicated). Counselling and education help a person take charge of their response to their tinnitus. Understanding the mechanisms behind tinnitus helps to remove any negative associations that occur with tinnitus. Changes to health and lifestyle aim to increase relaxations and reducing stress levels. If there is an underlying hearing loss, then prescribed amplification via hearing aids is what research shows gives the most effective relief.