PRO HEARING SPONSORED CONTENT – Tinnitus is a common condition characterized by hearing sounds like ringing, roaring or buzzing in the ear or head while external stimuli is not present.
Though ringing is the most common sound reported, it is not unusual to for tinnitus to be perceived as whooshing, clicking, grinding, or in rare cases, music. Tinnitus occurs in people of all ages and across the globe. It is actually the brain’s response to damage inside the ear or hearing structures/nerves. According to The Tinnitus Association of America, over 50 million people have tinnitus in the United States alone, with 20 million of those cases being chronic. Cases can range from mild to debilitating depending on the individual. For many people, living with tinnitus can be the source of much anxiety, frustration and despair. While there is no known cure for tinnitus, there is hope in treatment options.
Tinnitus is most commonly accompanied with hearing loss; however, it can be caused by other sources such as wax, congestion, head or neck trauma, TMJ, medications or a number of diseases. Hearing aids are one solution for tinnitus relief. For some patients, introducing new stimuli to the brain through better hearing is enough to eliminate or diminish the presence of tinnitus. Others may need extra assistance through sound therapy. Sound therapy is essentially using ambient sound to retrain the brain’s focus. Most hearing devices come with a form of sound therapy called a “tinnitus masker” which is built right into the technology. For instance, the hearing aid manufacturer, Starkey, uses their proprietary Multiflex Technology to mask tinnitus by delivering customizable stimuli to the hearing aids that can be fine-tuned to individual hearing needs. Additionally, there are many phone apps that provide a variety of soundscapes that can help sooth and refocus the mind. Noise therapy is 70-80% effective with no negative side effects. The goal of sound therapy is to make the irritating sounds of tinnitus less noticeable, thus providing much needed relief!
Though sound therapy is the most widely researched and accepted treatment option among hearing professionals, there are still, unfortunately, a lot of misleading products on the market being advertised as tinnitus cures. Buyers beware! Any over the counter or mail-in offers such as drops, pills, or supplements that claim to get rid of tinnitus should raise a red flag. Always use caution when considering these products as they are unsubstantiated by scientific evidence and are not recommended by audiologists or physicians for the treatment of tinnitus. It is understandable that tinnitus can make people feel desperate for a solution, however, the best line of defense is visiting a trained professional.
Audiologists and ear physicians are specialized providers that are highly trained in tinnitus and tinnitus treatment options. Our Pro Hearing Audiologists, Dr. Kela Miller and Pam Matthews are trained by award winning professor and researcher, Dr. Pawel Jastreboff who is known as “the father of noise therapy for tinnitus.” Dr. Jastreboff was a professor at Yale University and University of Maryland, University of Tokyo, University College London and is Professor Emeritus with Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Pam Matthew-s and Dr. Kela Miller have been honored to use their training to help patients manage their tinnitus.
If you or a loved one is experiencing tinnitus, there is hope in treatment options and Pro Hearing can help! Call us today at 405-748-3600. Our audiologists can provide with literature on noise therapy by Dr. Jastreboff. For additional tinnitus information, check out The Tinnitus Association of America at https://www.ata.org/.
Dr. Pam Matthews, Audiologist
Pro Hearing, LLC
9409 N May Avenue and 10404 S Pennsylvania Ave
Oklahoma City, OK
