When you hear buzzing, whistling or ringing in the ear, it is called objective tinnitus. It becomes an immediate problem for daily living and can be a huge distraction. Only the sufferer can hear the sounds with objective tinnitus. The side effects are random, yet noticeable enough that it becomes a huge problem. Sound Choice Hearing offers patients multiple ways to deal with the pesky side effects of tinnitus.
Common causes of tinnitus
There are many things that cause tinnitus. Some causes are related to injuries of the ears and head. For others, tinnitus is a side effect of a much bigger problem. No matter what the cause is, getting tested is the most important thing you can do. An evaluation uncovers information about your condition that can lead to unsurfaced different problems or lead to immediate treatment.
Notable causes of tinnitus:
- Old age
- Pregnancy
- Cancer or tumors
- Ear injuries
- Head injuries
- Meniere’s disease
- Drug use
- Noise exposure
Exploring treatment options
Hearing instrument specialists can provide educational materials to prevent the most common causes of tinnitus. The good news is that treatment options have expanded over the years. Based on the type of tinnitus you have, it can be nullified or completely cured. Temporary tinnitus caused by excess ear wax will go away after a cerumen removal procedure. This is a painless operation that flushes an overabundance of wax out of the ears.
Hearing aid users can opt to get devices that have anti-tinnitus hardware and software. This is becoming more common in device catalogs, with smart hearing aids auto-adjusting to nullify the irritating noises. Consumers that want this feature would need to get a supported hearing aid. This is not a feature that can be added to an existing hearing product at a later date.
Tinnitus retraining therapy is widely used and considered a successful way to deal with tinnitus long term. It changes how the brain perceives sounds in both ears, at all levels. This is a very healthy way to deal with tinnitus since it factors in the emotional aspect of living with the condition. The more exposed you are to the program, the easier it will be to block out the side effects of the condition.
Whether temporary or permanent, tinnitus treatment options are much more robust than they used to be.