Top Treatments for Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition people most often experience as a form of ‘ringing’ in the ears, but it can also present as a ‘humming’ or ‘rushing of air’, amongst other sounds. It can be experienced in one or both ears, and can also sometimes only be experienced at certain times throughout the day.

As a hearing condition, it can often interrupt a person’s normal lifestyle, whether they’re at work, relaxing at home, or trying to sleep during the night. This pushes many people to seek out treatment for tinnitus, which can be done in a variety of ways.

If you’re living with a recently diagnosed case, or you experience tinnitus on and off throughout your life, here’s what an audiologist will most often recommend to help you with this hearing issue.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids can be used to help drown out the sounds tinnitus produces, and an audiologist will advise you on whether or not a masking aid would be the best solution for you. They reduce the ringing or buzzing or rushing sound of tinnitus via the use of narrow-band frequencies, which are low sounds that help to block out the difference in your ear from the environment around you. These hearing aids can be worn at all times, and be taken wherever you go.

Sound Machines

The use of sound machines are already common, with many people benefiting from the use of White Noise machines in their homes. As someone living with tinnitus, these background noise machines can be turned on whenever you need to block out the symptoms of tinnitus, such as when you sleep. These can be used in place of masking aids during times when it would be inconvenient to wear a hearing aid.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

A form of therapy used to help a person with tinnitus retrain their mind, a person undergoing this therapy will be guided by an audiologist with coping strategies for tinnitus. This will allow someone to reduce the amount of stress in their life caused by tinnitus, and can help them to focus on improving their hearing levels.

A Change in Lifestyle

A lot of people living with tinnitus will also be advised to make some alteration to their lifestyle. For example, many people will be taking over the counter medication on a regular basis to help with everyday issues, and changing the kind of medication you take can make a difference in how your tinnitus symptoms present.

Similarly, for those people who smoke and/or drink on a day-to-day basis, they’ll often be guided into either giving up entirely or cutting back. This can help to reduce the severity of the tinnitus symptoms they may be experiencing.

It’s also often recommended for people living with tinnitus to have their earwax removed on a more regular basis. The optimum schedule is every six months, but if you live with tinnitus, you may need to attend an ear wax removal appointment more frequently.