We are coming into the season of Holiday ringing bells. For some of us, the ringing goes on all year. If you are one of the many millions that have tinnitus, maybe some of the information below will help you.
Many people with hearing loss also complain of tinnitus. That ringing, buzzing, hissing or roaring noise that you hear even when there is no sound present. It can be caused by high blood pressure, certain medications, noise, physical injury, Meniere's disease and even impacted ear wax. About 20% of patients with hearing loss complain of tinnitus and about 90% of patients with severe tinnitus have hearing loss.
Tinnitus is usually matched to a high pitched tone or noise band at a surprisingly low intensity level. However, there is little relationship between the loudness of the tinnitus and the amount of handicap or annoyance it causes. Even when tinnitus sounds the same, people react differently.
Tinnitus can be a disturbing and upsetting phenomenon. About 80% of those seeking help for their tinnitus are told, "There's nothing that can be done. You'll just have to live with it." In fact, various treatments are available and help IS available. Most of those who seek treatment report some relief.
Tinnitus treatment may include medical and audiological evaluation, information, counseling and perhaps, a treatment regimen. The purpose of the medical evaluation is to identify any medical condition that needs treatment. In nearly all cases, no specific cause is found.
The audiological evaluation identifies any hearing loss. Counseling and a tinnitus evaluation can also be considered. Counseling may include recommendations about lifestyle. Lowering intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, minimizing noise exposure and moderate amounts of exercise can help. Counseling can also review the many treatment options available.
There are a variety of tinnitus treatments available. These include biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, habituation therapy, hearing aids, medications and tinnitus maskers.
For more information, contact the American Tinnitus Association at (503) 248-9985 or go to their website at: www.ata.org The informative Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus is available by calling (928) 284-0860.
I know that in my case, if I am in a very noisy environment for an extended period of time, I will have tinnitus for a few days afterward. If I am listening to music while wearing headphones, this also aggravates it. I tend to notice it more when I am in a very quiet room or even laying in bed at night. It can be very aggravating and you really have to 'train' your brain to ignore it. That's the hard part.
But, the good news for me at least, is that when I wake up in the morning and have not heard any 'noise' yet, it's gone. Then, as I go through the day, I notice it coming back. So, look at your environment as well as what noise you are around and keep a chart/notes as to what is causing it to be more prominent. After you have this information, you will be able to control more of what is going into your ears that may be causing it. And, most importantly, don't give up on 'controlling' it. It takes a lot of experimenting to see what will work best for you.
If you would like a general idea of what tinnitus and/or hearing loss sound like, please go to the following column from May 2008: http://community.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/hears_to_life/archive/2008/05/15/more-links-to-what-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus-sound-like.aspx
Have a great week!
Copyright 2008 Tami Klink