Ringing in the ears is very common

The audiologists at Courtenay Hearing Centre are fully trained to assess Tinnitus and offer advice on the management of it.

What is Tinnitus?

If you have ringing, buzzing, hissing or any other sounds in your ears or head, it is known as tinnitus.

Many people experience tinnitus at some stage of their life. People with no detectable hearing loss may perceive tinnitus, but generally this will not significantly alter their daily activities.

However, there is a small percentage of tinnitus sufferers that will allow the idea of the illness to affect their daily lives.

Causes of tinnitus

Changes in the hearing system, such as hearing loss may contribute to the perception of tinnitus or cause over-sensitivity to sounds (Hyperacusis).

If the hearing system becomes less sensitive (either temporarily or permanently in the case of a long-standing hearing loss), tinnitus may be apparent and may appear louder when the sounds from the outside are not heard clearly.

Tinnitus becomes problematic when the brain shifts attention on the internal sound and perceives this sound as a threat.

When this occurs, it leads to the formation of emotional associations and builds a negative reaction to the sound over time. In these cases early intervention is necessary by an audiologist or a team of professionals to reduce the negative reactions to the perception of internal sounds.

Tinnitus tends to be most problematic when the brain has focused significant attention on the signal and a strong emotional association has been formed.

In some rare cases, tinnitus can be a symptom of a medical condition that requires further investigation by another professional such as an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), neurologist and dentist. If no treatable cause is found, an individual tinnitus management program will be devised for each personal case.

Management

Tinnitus is usually most noticeable when it is quiet or during a time of stress. If there are other factors that increase the tinnitus awareness, such as medication or certain foods, this should be discussed with your doctor. Any stress sources should also be identified and managed.

In most cases, complete silence should be avoided as this heightens the perception of the internally generated noises. When in quiet, playing soft background music with sounds of nature can divert attention from the tinnitus.

In cases of identified hearing loss, fitted hearing aids may reduce the tinnitus perception through giving access to sounds that cannot otherwise be detected owing to the hearing loss, leading to the lowering of stress and frustration associated with communication breakdown.

If you need help with the management of tinnitus, contact us.

Misophonia is an extreme dislike of soft or normal sounds and can occasionally occur with hyperacusis and tinnitus. The response to sounds is closely linked to past experiences with specific sounds.

Phonophobia is another type of sensitivity to relatively quiet sounds, that is triggered by fear that these sounds can damage hearing and must be avoided. This fear is evoked by sounds at soft or normal loudness levels.

Sufferers can sometimes turn to wearing earplugs to avoid normal or quiet sounds. This could be very harmful in the long-term and those experiencing these conditions should seek professional advice to better understand the underlying mechanisms and manage these conditions effectively. Treatment for reduced tolerance of sounds is similar to the treatment of tinnitus and can be carried out at the same time.

You can contact Courtenay Hearing Centre for more information.

Courtenay Place, Waikanae and Paraparaumu...

Ringing in the ears is very common

What is Tinnitus?

Causes of tinnitus

Management

Request a call back

Hearing matters e-news