There Is Hope For Tinnitus
Get Tinnitus Treatment in Boynton Beach
Tinnitus can be characterized by ringing noises, or other kinds of noises, in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people cannot hear it. While it sounds like a scary condition, it is actually a common problem, and affects about 15% to 20% of people, especially in older adults. Tinnitus tends to be caused by an underlying condition, like age-related hearing loss, an ear injury, or a problem with the circulatory system. For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause, or with other treatments that reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.
Light E.N.T. is proud to offer a tinnitus clinical trial for willing participants who want to learn more about the condition and treatment options. If you are seeking relief from tinnitus symptoms, then visit our website now.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is most often described as a ringing in the ears, even though no external sound is present. It can also sound like a buzzing, roaring, ticking, hissing, and humming noise. Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the ear, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, and the parts of the brain that process sound. Something as little as a piece of earwax blocking the ear canal can cause tinnitus, but it can also be other health conditions like:
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Ear and sinus infections
- Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
- Brain tumors
- Hormonal changes in women
- Thyroid abnormalities
- Meniere’s disease
How Tinnitus is Diagnosed
An E.N.T. at Light E.N.T. will examine your ears and conduct a hearing test to diagnose tinnitus. An audiologist will transmit sounds through a set of headphones to one ear at a time, and you’ll respond visibly by raising your hand or making a similar gesture when you hear each sound. A specialist may also be able to diagnose the cause of your tinnitus by comparing what you can hear to what people of your age should be able to hear.
What You Can Do to Prevent Tinnitus
Noise-induced hearing loss, the result of damage to the sensory hair cells in the inner ear, is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. You can limit your exposure to loud noises by moving away from the sound, turning the volume down, or wearing earplugs or earmuffs. These methods will both help prevent tinnitus and keep it from getting worse.
Managing Tinnitus
The short answer — yes! While tinnitus does not have a cure yet, there are treatments available that help people cope better with the condition.
Hearing aids are often helpful for people who have hearing loss along with tinnitus. Wearable sound generators, which are small electronic devices that fit in the ear and use a soft, pleasant sound to help mask the tinnitus, is another option for people who want to combat tinnitus. In addition to these methods, you can also try:
- Acoustic neural stimulations - This is a relatively new technique for people whose tinnitus is very loud or won’t go away.
- Tabletop sound generators - Used as an aid for relaxation or sleep, you can place these near your bed and have pleasant sounds play to combat your tinnitus and help you fall asleep.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT uses techniques such as cognitive restructuring and relaxation to change the way patients think about and respond to tinnitus. CBT may not make the sound less loud, but it can make it significantly less bothersome and improve quality of life.
- Cochlear Implants - These are sometimes used in people who have tinnitus along with severe hearing loss. They work by bypassing the damaged portion of the inner ear and sending electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
- Masking - Masking devices, worn like hearing aids, generate low-level white noise that can reduce the perception of tinnitus and sometimes also produces residual inhibition.
If you are seeking treatment for tinnitus, then contact the E.N.T.’s at Light E.N.T. in Boynton Beach, Florida today. We are happy to help participants find solutions that work for them. Sign up for our Tinnitus Clinical Trial Newsletter if you would like more information.
Tinnitus can be characterized by ringing noises, or other kinds of noises, in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people cannot hear it. While it sounds like a scary condition, it is actually a common problem, and affects about 15% to 20% of people, especially in older adults. Tinnitus tends to be caused by an underlying condition, like age-related hearing loss, an ear injury, or a problem with the circulatory system. For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause, or with other treatments that reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.
Light E.N.T. is proud to offer a tinnitus clinical trial for willing participants who want to learn more about the condition and treatment options. If you are seeking relief from tinnitus symptoms, then visit our website now.