Tinnitus is described as a ringing in your ears. But it can also sound like hissing, buzzing, clicking, or roaring.It involves perceiving a sound even where external noise is nonexistent. Its sound can be soft, loud, low-pitched, or high-pitched.Some people hear this sound in one ear while others hear it in both. If your tinnitus is severe, you can have problems working, sleeping, or hearing.
Tinnitus is a sign that all isn’t right with your auditory system. The auditory system includes your ears and the nerves that connect your ears to the brain. The parts of the brain that process sound are also part of this mix.
The tinnitus treatment options include the following:
- A Hearing Aid
Most people develop tinnitus as they are experiencing hearing loss.
If you lose your hearing, the brain changes how it processes different frequencies. Using hearing aids might help you with this condition.
But first, what is a hearing aid?
It’s a small device that uses an amplifier, speaker, and microphone. It uses these to raise the volume of sounds around you. A hearing aid is capable of mitigatingneuroplastic changes to your brain, helping it process the sounds coming from your ears.
Most people want to hear an external sound that’s just higher than their tinnitus. Others opt for a masking noise that drowns it out.
- Modified Sound Machines
Some hearing aids also add background noise to the ambient sounds picked up by their microphones to mask the sounds of tinnitus.
They act as a masking device, to mask the sound of tinnitus when you’re using them.
However, the modern medical-grade gadgets tailor their customized sound to your tinnitus.
Unlike other hearing devices, these are meant to be usedintermittently. So what does this mean?
If used as intended, you’ll experience the benefits long after switching the device off. It may also provide long-term improvement to your hearing.
A study by Annals of Ontology says that the addition of the masking sound decreases the loudness of your tinnitus and overpowers other noises.
- The Behavioral Therapy
Higher levels of emotional stress are known to cause tinnitus. Further, anxiety, insomnia, and depression aren’t uncommon with people experiencing tinnitus.
What can you do tohelp with this situation?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people with tinnitus to live with their condition. Instead of struggling to reduce the sound, behavioral therapy can teachacceptance.
You want to improve your quality of life, and not allow the tinnitusto drive you crazy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy requires the services of a counselor or therapist, at least once a week. It’ll help you identify the negative thought patterns and change for the better.
Conclusion
Tinnitus is a condition for which you should seek the assistance ofyour primary care doctor or a hearing professional,if you can’t work, sleep, or hear properly. The doctor will check your ears and advise you on the best course of action.
Tinnitus can be distressing to many people. But it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a beautiful life. Implement professionally recommendedmeasures and you’ll get quality results.