Bothered with "Ringing in Your Ears"?

Tinnitus Facts
Tinnitus is a sound heard in the head or the ears that is not related to any external source. The most commonly reported sounds are ringing, buzzing, hissing and cricket noises. While tinnitus affects approximately 17% of the population, it creates a clinically significant problem for about 5% of the population.

For these persons, the effects of tinnitus can be devastating. Sleep deprivation and lack of concentration create difficulty in day-to-day living situations such as work, recreation and social interactions. Quality of life can decrease rapidly while a person is continually struggling to find a cure for their annoying tinnitus.

The leading cause of tinnitus is exposure to noise. Other causes include some medications, head trauma, heredity factors and catastrophic events (i.e., the death of a family member).

Fortunately, there is an effective treatment for tinnitus. The treatment, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), has a tremendous success rate with over 80% of patients showing significant improvement of their tinnitus symptoms.

Tests for Tinnitus
Hearing assessments are used to determine whether there is any hearing loss, which is a common cause of tinnitus. If your practitioner suspects you have tinnitus, further evaluations such as, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response and tinnitus pitch and loudness matching are necessary. The results of these tests are used to provide the patient with a customized treatment plan.

OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS TESTING
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing helps verify the health of the cochlea. In recent years, scientists have discovered that healthy cochleas produce sounds in response to some sounds. This discovery has led to tests that help determine whether a person's cochlea is functioning as expected.

In OAE testing, the audiologist places a small foam probe in the ear. This probe contains both a miniature speaker that transmits sounds to the ear and a miniature microphone that picks up any sounds that the cochlea makes in response. The person relaxes while listening to a series of sounds; no response on the part of the person is required. A computer analyzes the recordings made from the ear and determines whether they are normal. Used with other test results, OAE results help determine whether a person's tinnitus might a result of a damaged cochlea. These results are also used to isolate possible sources of a person's hearing loss or dizziness.

AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing helps verify the healthy functioning of the auditory system, including the cochlea, auditory nerve, and brainstem. The test may be thought of as a specialized electroencephalogram, also known as an EEG, because it records neural activity in response to sounds.

The audiologist places electrodes on or near the ears. The patient is instructed to relax while listening to a series of clicks or other sounds played through earphones. A computer records the auditory system's electrical responses to the clicks. The audiologist analyzes these responses to determine whether the auditory system is functioning normally. The ABR results are used along with the results from behavioral hearing testing, tympanometry, and otoacoustic emissions testing to determine the source of a person's tinnitus, hearing loss, or dizziness, and to decide on an appropriate treatment program. This test is used diagnostically to rule out the possibility of tumors or other growths that may be impinging on the auditory or vestibular nerves.

TINNITUS PITCH AND LOUDNESS MATCHING
For these tests, the clinician will present a series of sounds and ask the patient which sounds most resemble their tinnitus. The loudness of the tinnitus is evaluated. The results of these tests are used to provide the patient with a customized treatment plan.

Treatment of Tinnitus
There are several treatment methods for tinnitus. One method, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, or TRT, involves retraining the brain to ignore the annoying sound of tinnitus. We all know the auditory system provides the signal (tinnitus) but the problem is created when this signal is processed by the brain as something threatening, resulting in a negative reaction. This reaction is of a conditioned reflex type, and as such, cannot be changed by conscious will.

Fortunately, the brain has the remarkable ability to habituate to any positive reaction sensory signal. Thus, the purpose of TRT is to remove the negative reaction. Through the use of directive counseling and sound therapy, the brain is distracted from the tinnitus (negative reaction) and can therefore start the habituation process.

Another treatment approach, is the use of sound generators (or maskers). Maskers look similar to hearing instruments, but only produce "white noise" or an ocean-type sound in order to mask the tinnitus. Although this type of treatment has been around for a number of years, it is not the preferred treatment for tinnitus. Maskers provide temporary relief of tinnitus and do not allow for the habituation process necessary for rehabilitation.

Those suffering from chronic tinnitus, often have substantial hearing loss. After assessing the hearing loss and determining the pitch and loudness of the tinnitus, hearing instruments provide relief through amplification of environmental sounds that fall within the same range of the patient's tinnitus.

In some cases, a person may have a substantial hearing loss and annoying tinnitus that falls within a different pitch range. These persons require a combination hearing instrument - masker device that not only amplifies the sounds they need to hear better, but also generates the "white noise" necessary to begin the habituation process.

Other behavioral treatments of tinnitus may include cognitive training, sleep facilitation, relaxation techniques and biofeedback therapy. In most cases, these are used in conjunction with Tinnitus Retraining Therapy according to the needs of the patient.

Overall, the best course of treatment for the relief of tinnitus can only be determined by careful diagnostic testing and consultation by a healthcare professional specifically trained to treat patients with this disorder.

Self Test for Tinnitus
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may be a candidate for Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT).

• Because of your tinnitus, is it difficult for you to concentrate?
• Does the loudness of your tinnitus make it difficult for you to hear people?
• Because of your tinnitus, do you have trouble falling asleep?
• Does your tinnitus interfere with your ability to enjoy social activities?
• Does your tinnitus get worse when you are under stress?
• Because of your tinnitus, do you find that you are often irritable?
• Do you find it difficult to focus your attention away from your tinnitus and on other things?
• Because of your tinnitus, do you feel you have a terrible disease?

To schedule a tinnitus evaluation, contact your nearest Avada Hearing Care and Balance Center by clicking here.

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