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Approximately 50 million Americans experience some degree of tinnitus, but 10 million suffer from intrusive tinnitus that interferes in some way with daily life activities such as sleep or concentration.
Common causes of Tinnitus
Hearing loss
Hypertension Noise
Noise exposure
Stress
Ear wax
Ear Infection
Allergies
Medications
Stimulants
Head Injuries
Illness
TMJ
Treatments that Work
Often successful treatment of the medical condition will relieve the tinnitus
Counseling is a major component of any treatment to “demystify” tinnitus
In patients with distressing tinnitus, along with a complete audiologic evaluation, testing to match the pitch and loudness of the tinnitus is needed
Hearing Aid- in a great majority of cases treating the hearing loss treats the tinnitus; amplifying the ambient sounds masks the tinnitus
Clinical Masker-a wearable, ear-level masker producing a broad bandwidth sound (3000-12000 Hz) to encompass the frequency and volume of the tinnitus
Combo Hearing Aid/Masker-patient can switch between the two settings to find relief
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy-attempts to interfere with the tinnitus signal in the brain by introducing a broadband frequency-usually 1000-6000 Hz through wearable ear level generators. Volume is set softer than level needed to mask the tinnitus-gradually promotes habituation after 18-24 months.
Dr. Dana Fiske specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus. Call our office for an appointment if you feel your tinnitus is interfering with your day-to-day activities
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