Tinnitus: what should you do?
You should see your doctor and have your hearing checked by an audiologist (hearing scientist). Some audiologists run specialist tinnitus clinics, to help you manage your tinnitus, and may fit hearing aids and/or therapeutic noise generators if needed. Some people may require a referral to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. There may be a treatable medical cause.
Hearing aids
Good quality and properly fitted hearing aids reduce and even eliminate most tinnitus associated with hearing losses. Hearing aids take away the strain of listening and distract from the tinnitus by bringing you more environmental sounds from the outside world.
Therapeutic noise generator
This is a device which looks like a hearing aid and is recommended for people with no hearing loss. It produces a blend of external sounds which stimulate most fibres of the hearing nerve, helping to deviate attention away from the tinnitus.
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
Tinnitus retraining therapy aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate tinnitus perception. It combines auditory therapy (hearing aids and/or therapeutic noise generators) to provide the brain with maximum environmental sounds to reduce tinnitus perception. Directive counselling helps to change negative beliefs, distract from tinnitus and reduce stress.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behaviour therapy can be effective in alleviating distress and producing adaptation to tinnitus. CBT is threefold: changing the way a person perceives tinnitus; teaching ways to focus attention away from tinnitus; and achieving control over stress. This is offered by clinical psychologists.
Is there an operation for tinnitus?
For the vast majority of people there is no specific operation for tinnitus. However, following successful surgical treatment for some ear problems, existing tinnitus may sometimes disappear, e.g. otosclerosis, Meniere's disease and middle ear infection.
Meniere's disease
Most people with this common condition suffer from tinnitus and deafness in one ear and periodic attacks of dizziness. One of these symptoms may be the predominant one and so some patients mainly complain of tinnitus in the affected ear. Some patients have tinnitus in both ears. Accurate diagnosis/treatment of Meniere's disease may result in significantly less tinnitus.
Is there any medication for tinnitus?
Perhaps for some people. It depends on the cause of the tinnitus. Consult your specialist. Vitamin B12 may be helpful. Herbal remedies, if taken under medical supervision, may be of some use.
Check with your dentist
Perhaps 5 per cent of tinnitus is caused by a jaw joint (TMJ*) problem which is treatable. This type of tinnitus occurs because jaw muscles and a muscle in the middle ear are closely connected. When jaw muscles spasm the ear muscles react by pulling the eardrum too tight, and this situation can result in tinnitus.
* Temporomandibular joint.
In summary
Tinnitus is not simple. Everybody’s tinnitus noise is individual to them, although of course there are several major types e.g. ringing, buzzing, whistling, roaring, humming etc.
Its causes are many (though excessive noise and some medications are the major preventable causes). The range of tinnitus is very wide from mild to severe. It is usual for tinnitus to fluctuate with stress or tiredness and this has no sinister significance. If tinnitus is troubling you take action now.
Last Reviewed: 18 May 2007
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