FLEX AUDIOLOGY
Tinnitus
You Don’t Have To Put Up With The Ringing In Your Ears
Tinnitus, a continuous ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in your ears, affects about 75% of Americans in some form.
Most experience the symptoms temporarily after being in a noisy stadium, a loud concert, a night in the club, or near an explosive event.
Those with chronic or ongoing symptoms can find it difficult to concentrate while working or studying, struggle to relax, or find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
Though tinnitus does not cause you to lose your hearing, it is often a warning sign or symptom of damage to your hearing and mild to severe hearing loss.
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What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a neurological condition with an unknown cause. Most people are barely aware of tinnitus in its early stages, but as the sound intensifies, so does their awareness. Increased awareness leads to stress, loss of sleep, and decreased productivity.
Stress tends to increase the person’s sensitivity to the sound, increasing the level of stress and creating a snowballing effect. When tinnitus reaches a level that disrupts concentration or makes it impossible to relax or sleep, it becomes a debilitating condition.
The Central Gain Theory is the prevailing explanation behind why individuals experience tinnitus. Because tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, proponents of this theory argue that the sounds heard are the result of the brain adapting and creating sounds that are no longer received through a damaged auditory system, similar to “phantom limb” experienced by amputees.
Evaluating Your Tinnitus
An evaluation of tinnitus begins with a questionnaire to determine when you first noticed the condition, potential causes (exposure to loud noise, medications, medical conditions, etc), and how tinnitus is affecting your overall well-being. Following the questionnaire, your audiologist will conduct a hearing test to determine if there is hearing loss associated with your condition.
During the hearing test, your audiologist may perform a separate evaluation called tinnitus matching. Tinnitus matching involves playing common tinnitus sounds to determine the pitch and intensity of your tinnitus.
Your Tinnitus Is Manageable
If you’ve sought relief for your tinnitus apart from the care of an audiologist, it is likely that you have seen products that claim to cure tinnitus. Stay clear of these products because they will take your money but provide no measurable results.
Since there is no identified cause, there is no definitive cure for tinnitus. However, scientists and audiologists have developed effective therapies that help reduce the impact of tinnitus on your day-to-day life and help you to cope.
Tinnitus management technologies and techniques that are backed by solid research include:
Masking or covering awareness of the sound
Hearing Aids correct hearing loss and allow for sound masking
How Flex Audiology Treats Tinnitus
Maskers and hearing aids are used to redirect the attention to other noise sources, distracting you from the tinnitus. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), using a low-level masker, may help you retrain your brain to accept the tinnitus rather than increase your level of stress. Counseling, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), may help also help with acceptance of or adaptation to the tinnitus, reducing your negative response to the tinnitus.
FREE DOWNLOAD: HOW TO ENCOURAGE A STUBBORN MAN TO GET HIS HEARING TESTED
With hearing loss impacting 1 in 5 of us, the data suggests that at least one special person in our lives are struggling with hearing loss. The challenge is that it's often difficult for these people to admit that they have a challenge with their hearing or be open to seeking help.
That's why we have developed a free white-paper to help you to understand the different ways that you can support a loved one and encourage them to get the help that they need.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
Schedule A Tinnitus Evaluation
There are many products with unsubstantiated claims to cure tinnitus; however, it is best to ignore the latest “tinnitus curing” gadget or remedy and seek the help of a professional audiologist.
To take advantage of our expertise in tinnitus management, submit our “Schedule a Hearing Assessment” form and be sure to mention that you’re struggling with tinnitus.
Dr. Person will call you to schedule an assessment and start you down the path of tinnitus relief.
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