At ENT Physicians we want you to know that you are not alone and there are treatment options available.
It is estimated that approximately 50 million people suffer from this noise, called tinnitus, which is often described as a “hissing, roaring or ringing.” Tinnitus is an auditory perception not directly produced by an external sound. It can range from high pitch to low pitch or have no tonal quality at all.
Tinnitus may be associated with a wide range of problems including sleep difficulties, fatigue, stress, trouble relaxing, difficulty concentrating, depression and irritability. Such issues may result in an adverse affect on one’s quality of life, social interactions and job performance.
Tinnitus is not a disease, but can be caused by exposure to loud sounds, vascular abnormalities, medication or wax on the eardrum, to list only a few. A consultation with one of our physicians can help determine the cause of your tinnitus and recommend an appropriate treatment protocol. Tinnitus may be symptomatic of a treatable disease and therefore it is important to try to identify and resolve a cause before deciding on a management approach.
After your physician has determined that there is no adverse medical condition causing your tinnitus he will refer you to one of our experienced board certified audiologists. A tinnitus retraining therapy program will be recommended to help you habituate to the tinnitus signal. The retraining protocol below is designed to help you gradually adapt to the noise so that it becomes less noticeable and poses less of an interruption in your daily life.
Individual and/or group counseling is a vital part of the tinnitus retraining protocol. Our audiologists will provide a comprehensive discussion of the auditory system, the brain’s part in the perception of tinnitus, coping strategies and ear level sound generators. Management techniques to help cope with the stress of tinnitus will also be discussed.
This evaluation will determine both loudness and pitch levels of your tinnitus, as well as document your tolerance to certain stimuli. Such information is vital for us to make appropriate recommendations regarding sound generators.
One of the most important aspects of any successful tinnitus management program is to help the patient enrich their sound environment. This may be accomplished either through table top sound generators, CDs, or tinnitus instruments. Our staff can make recommendations on the most appropriate option for you.
Our office understands that many of you have been told that there is nothing that can be done to help your tinnitus, but we want you to know that you don’t have to just live with the problem. Help is available to alleviate the tinnitus signal’s negative impact on your life. Schedule an appointment today and let our staff recommend a treatment plan for you.
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