Can Tinnitus be Cured?

Tinnitus is a condition that impacts around 50 million Americans today. It ranges from occasional and mild to very severe and is caused by a communication failure between the brain and the inner ear. Most sufferers describe the sounds associated with tinnitus as ‘ringing’ or ‘hissing’ noises of low or high pitches.

Tinnitus can be a very intrusive condition; negatively impacting your hearing ability, concentration, stress levels and quality of sleep. So, what causes it?

1. Head trauma: Tinnitus can be brought on by head trauma resulting in damage to the inner ear cells that transmit sounds to the auditory cortex.
2. Aging: The natural aging process can lead to a decrease in hearing ability and ear function. One survey reported the most at-risk age group to be older adults over 60 years of age. In these cases, tinnitus is almost always associated with age-related hearing loss. If you fall into this age category and are experiencing tinnitus, you should contact a hearing specialist to book a hearing test as soon as possible.
3. Exposure to loud noise: Repeat exposure to moderately loud noises or occasional exposure to extremely loud noises can cause damage to the inner ear cells, resulting in tinnitus. In this case, tinnitus is almost always associated with hearing loss. In mild cases the sufferer may not even notice that they are experiencing hearing loss and may wrongly attribute their hearing difficulties to tinnitus. If you are experiencing tinnitus and have been exposed to dangerously loud sounds, either in the workplace or recreationally (like music concerts, fireworks), you should consider getting yourself tested for hearing loss. Hearing loss can worsen if left untreated, so contact a hearing care professional in your area to book a test.

Can tinnitus be treated?

As tinnitus is a symptom of inner ear damage it cannot, essentially be cured. However, there is a growing body of research to suggest that it can be dramatically improved with hearing aids. It is now understood that tinnitus is worsened by auditory under stimulation. Basically, if sufficient sound information is not making it through to your brain, the auditory nerves will ‘feedback’ to the ear; this is what sufferers experience as ‘ringing’ sounds. By wearing hearing aids, you are providing your brain with better quality sound information at a wider range of frequencies, which can substantially reduce tinnitus.

Ask your hearing healthcare provider about ‘open-fit’ hearing aids. These are cleverly designed for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Open fit aids have the amazing advantage of not completely blocking the ear canal, meaning that they are ideal for people who still have some ‘natural’ hearing ability left. Many specialists now consider them the best treatment option for mild hearing loss sufferers who experience tinnitus.