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Tinnitus Hearing Aids
You may think that tinnitus is a standalone condition, separate from genuine hearing loss, but many times, tinnitus itself presents as a symptom of hearing loss.
A hearing aid, therefore, can help diminish the effects of tinnitus, providing a form of sound therapy. By augmenting the perception of external noises, a hearing aid makes it more difficult for your brain to focus on the internal noises caused by tinnitus. Increasing the amount of external noise can also help balance the amount of auditory stimulation the brain receives.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Tinnitus therapy is a treatment process through which you learn to manage your tinnitus and its symptoms, including ringing, hissing, and buzzing sounds. It involves combining sound therapy and counseling to help your brain learn to ignore the persistent noises in the ear.
To start, an audiologist will help you understand how you experience your tinnitus and guide you through habituation, a process that helps tinnitus sufferers become more accustomed and “used to” their symptoms.
From there, they will work to mask your tinnitus symptoms. You will wear a device that sits behind your ear and plays white noise at a level slightly below the internal sounds. The goal of tinnitus rehab therapy is to get your brain accustomed to the noises caused by your tinnitus by decreasing the contrast between them and the external sounds around you.
Medications May Be Only Mildly Helpful
No medication can treat tinnitus because it is, itself, a symptom, not an actual condition. In some instances, anxiety medication can help with the stress tinnitus causes, though it does not treat the tinnitus itself, and for certain individuals, medications may actually be the cause of tinnitus. If that is the case, your audiologist will encourage you to speak with your primary care provider to determine what other options are available.
Exploring Your Treatment Options
When you consider your tinnitus treatment options, you’ll want to remember that the goal is to decrease the way it affects your daily life, not necessarily cure it. The first step in choosing the right tinnitus treatment is to understand if there is an underlying cause of it. If there is, treating that problem can resolve tinnitus symptoms.
Some of the most common conditions that can cause tinnitus include:
- Ear bone changes
- Meniere’s disease
- TMJ disorders
- Head or neck tumors
- Blood vessel disorder
- Thyroid problems
If you have inner ear damage, the tiny hairs that move with the pressure from sound waves can be broken or bent, leading to random electrical impulses that reach your brain and cause tinnitus.
If there is no underlying cause, the best treatment option is tinnitus retraining therapy. It can allow you to gradually become used to the noise by diminishing the contrast between it and the noise from your daily life.
Find the Most Effective Tinnitus Treatment in Los Angeles
Dealing with tinnitus can be exhausting and stressful, and although there is no definitive cure, managing your symptoms can prevent the anxiety and stress that the condition often causes. Many people assume there is no help available and that they will have to manage on their own, but that is not the case. There are treatment options that, while they may not cure tinnitus, can diminish its symptoms and allow you to lead a healthier and happier life.
If you struggle with tinnitus symptoms that interfere with your everyday life, turn to American Hearing & Balance for help. We offer tinnitus treatment in Westchester, Marina del Rey, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Westwood and Long Beach, so we’re sure to provide you with the quality services you need. Contact us today to learn more about what we offer.
