Tinnitus Therapy & Management
Ringing or buzzing in your ears? Our tinnitus treatments at Worcester & Stratford-upon-Avon can help ease your symptoms and put your mind at rest.
Worried about ringing in your ears?
Do you hear a ringing, roaring, clicking, or hissing sound in your ears with no external sound source? Do you hear this sound often or all the time? Does the sound bother you a lot? Is it interfering with your enjoyment of life or your sleep?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have tinnitus and you should see a hearing professional. 30 million people are currently suffering from tinnitus, and a large proportion of them think that there is nothing they can do about it.
About Tinnitus
Tinnitus Can’t Be Cured, But It Can Be Treated
Tinnitus can have a massive impact on a person’s emotional well-being, ability to hear, ability to sleep and ability to concentrate. It is extremely common for the tinnitus patient to report increased stress, anxiety, fatigue, memory problems, and irritability.
Tinnitus is a Common Problem
You are not alone, nearly everyone has experienced tinnitus at one time or other, for most it is a passing incident. However, for some, it can be a constant companion. The definition of Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound. It is a Latin word which means ringing. Tinnitus can be heard in one ear or two or perceived centrally inside your head. It can be a ringing noise, a hissing noise and for some, it is even perceived as music!
Not a Disease
It is not a disease in itself, it is a symptom of some underlying condition or problem occurring anywhere within the hearing system. Don’t forget, your ears are just the conduits for sound, hearing also involves the auditory nerve and the brain centres responsible. Most Tinnitus is associated with the presence of hearing loss, however, some people have tinnitus and normal hearing.
What you can do about Tinnitus?
There are ways to get tinnitus relief, including management advice and sound therapy. There have been many advancements in the understanding of tinnitus in the last few years. Many hearing aid manufacturers now include tinnitus therapy options as core features of their hearing aids. Not just that, many have designed accompanying smart phone apps focused completely on tinnitus.
At Worcester & Stratford-upon-Avon Hearing Centres, we offer a full Tinnitus assessment, this includes:
- 1.5 hours with the audiologist to discuss your tinnitus
- Complete a tinnitus assessment questionnaire
- Explain outcome and discuss options going forward
What causes Tinnitus?
As we said, it is a symptom, not a disease, it is associated with many forms of hearing problems. (It can also be a symptom of other health problems.) Tinnitus is typically caused by:
- Hearing Loss – Most people who have tinnitus also have some kind of hearing loss.
- Loud Noise – Exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. Continued exposure can make the tinnitus and hearing loss become worse.
- Medication – More than 200 medicines, including aspirin, can cause tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and you take medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your medicine could be the cause.