Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a medical condition that is characterized by a persistent ringing, roaring, or buzzing in one or both of the ears. In some patients these symptoms come and go, whereas other people experience these noises permanently. While buzzing, roaring, or ringing are the most common sounds people use to describe tinnitus, others describe it as whistling, hissing, or pulsing in the ear. The effects of tinnitus range from slight annoyance to the extreme disruption of everyday life. It is estimated that more than 60 million Americans suffer from tinnitus each day. While in years past it was thought that there was no treatment for tinnitus, that is thankfully no longer the case. If you or someone you know is suffering from the above listed symptoms, it is important to contact your ENT doctor in Arlington, Dallas or Fort Worth today.

Causes

 Tinnitus is most commonly a sign of a different underlying health condition or because of damage to the auditory system. The majority of people who have tinnitus experience a treatable amount of hearing loss. In addition to hearing loss of damage to the auditory system, other causes of to tinnitus include the following:

  • Medications
  • Disease or infection
  • Head trauma
  • Diet
  • Stress
  • Exposure to excessive noise

If you are experiencing buzzing, pulsing, or roaring in your ears, it is important for you to contact your local ENT doctor and see what he can do for you.
Treatment There are a handful of treatment options that are recommended, depending on your symptoms, age, and severity of the tinnitus.

Tinnitus Masking

The most effective way to treat tinnitus and reduce the anxiety that is commonly associated with it is to give the individual who is suffering a way to control when they hear it. This is considered tinnitus masking and allows the individual to choose when they hear tinnitus and when they hear something else. Tinnitus maskers come in a wide range of sounds, sizes, and styles, allowing your ENT doctor to treat the underlying hearing loss and at the same time use a masker to control where and when they hear their tinnitus.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

The theory behind this treatment method is that we can train the brain not to notice tinnitus. Tinnitus retraining therapy can be traced by to 1998 and is today the thought process behind numerous products that can be used in conjunction with hearing aids to eliminate sounds associated with tinnitus.
Conductive Hearing Loss