Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus?

A technical definition of tinnitus is the subjective impression of sound, with no objective sound source. That is, sound is experienced in the ears (sometimes only one) or the head and it is not obvious if anything in the immediate vicinity is causing it. The sound itself can take many forms and ringing or hissing sounds are common. The volume of sound can vary and for many people it is temporary, coming and going infrequently. For the unlucky few, the tinnitus is permanent and a real distraction, especially when the world around them is quiet.

What causes Tinnitus?

It is impossible to diagnose the causes of all tinnitus but exposure to loud noises is often blamed. For example, famous musicians like Pete Townsend have stated that their career in live music has caused them to have tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be a symptom of some other underlying problem with the ears. Ear canals blocked with wax or an ear infection have been known to bring this on and once cleared up, the tinnitus will often subside. Finally; hearing loss itself can be linked to tinnitus and thankfully todays hearing aids can help relieve that by giving the patient something else to listen to. Specially developed programs in hearing aids can be fine tuned to meet the individual needs of a tinnitus patient.

Can Tinnitus be Cured?

Years of research continue to work towards helping tinnitus sufferers. For many the most successful treatments include distraction or counselling therapies. With distraction therapy, the tinnitus patient uses another sound source to provide something else to listen to. Fortunately, there are lots of apps available to do this through smartphone or tablet. Also, for those who don’t have access to these; specialist devices are available that are pre-loaded with soothing sounds and these can be bought online from the British Tinnitus Association (BTA). In the most severe cases the advice of a counselling professional should be considered. There are counselling techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that have been shown to help manage tinnitus and related stress. More on this and how to find a CBT practitioner here.

How can Tinnitus be prevented?

For those who want to avoid tinnitus or don’t want to make an existing condition worse then here are a couple of simple tips:
1.    Avoid excessive noise over long periods of time. 
2.   If you have to be exposed to the noise (i.e. a concert), then wear hearing protection and disposable is better than nothing. If you want something that will protect you from the noise, but not distort it then consider specialist, custom made hearing protection. House of Hearing have a range of the products and you can find out more by clicking here
3.    Look after the health of your ears. If you ever want to have your ears and hearing assessed then we’re happy to see you at House of Hearing. Our ear wax removal service is the only one registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

If you would like to talk to one of our Senior Audiologists about how hearing aids can help with tinnitus, then make an appointment today.

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Tinnitus Pain 2
Tinnitus Work
Tinnitus Pillow

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All House of Hearing clinics are in town centre locations and accessible to public transport and parking. Home visits also available if mobility is an issue.