Tinnitus
Tinnitus is ringing, buzzing, or noises in the ear that can cause discomfort and stress. Tinnitus can be related to other conditions such as fatigue, sleep problems, concentration difficulty, memory problems, depression, anxiety, and irritability.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus may have several underlying causes. Your physician will take a detailed history of your health and medications, perform a thorough examination, and possibly order a hearing test and/or conduct other tests of the auditory system. Some of the root issues related with tinnitus can include the following:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Exposure to loud noise
- Earwax buildup
- Abnormal bone growth in the ear
- Meniere’s disease
- Stress and depression
- Head or neck injuries
- Benign tumor of the cranial nerve
- Long-term aspirin use
- High blood pressure
How is Tinnitus Treated?
Amazingly enough, tinnitus sometimes resolves on its own. And many times by treating the underlying condition, tinnitus may also retreat into the shadows. Depending on the individual case, some of the following tinnitus treatments listed below have been shown to be beneficial for some individuals. It is important to note that there is not one treatment that will work for everyone.
- Magnesium, zinc
- Vitamin B supplementation
- Homeopathic remedies
- Acupuncture
- Cranial-sacral therapy
- Magnets
- Hyperbaric oxygen
- Hypnosis
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels
- Sound therapy is another option that can help lessen the severity of tinnitus. Sound therapy at this office involves the use of a sound-generating device as part of an overall program designed by our audiologists that includes informal and informational counseling as well as other activities to help ease the stress of tinnitus. Sound therapy includes an individual regimen of listening to soothing sounds, or customized music through hearing instruments to help re-focus the auditory system.
In general, tinnitus treatments don’t make the tinnitus disappear completely, but they may make it less noticeable, and help ease your stress and anxiety from it. Speak with one of our audiologists about the best tinnitus treatment option for you.