Tinnitus

No. All the assessments we will carry out re non-invasive an should not cause discomfort. If at any point during the consultation anything is uncomfortable you are encouraged to let us know straight away.

Although there is no cure for tinnitus, it can be temporary or persistent, mild or severe, gradual or instant. The goal of treatment is to help you manage your perception of the sound in your head. There are many treatments available that can help reduce the perceived intensity of tinnitus, as well as its omnipresence. To treat your tinnitus, your audiologist in conjunction with other hearing health professionals such as your GP, Ear-, Nose- and Throat specialist, will first try to identify any underlying, treatable condition that may be associated with your symptoms. If tinnitus is due to a health condition, your doctor may be able to take steps that could reduce the noise. Examples include:

• Earwax removal. Removing impacted earwax can decrease tinnitus symptoms.
• Treating a blood vessel condition. Underlying vascular conditions may require medication, surgery or another treatment to address the problem.
• Changing your medication. If a medication you’re taking appears to be the cause of tinnitus, your doctor may recommend stopping or reducing the drug, or switching to a different medication.

Yes, different people can have different types of tinnitus. Sometimes the noise you hear may help your audiologist/GP/ENT specialist to differentiate to cause of the tinnitus.

• Clicking: Muscle contractions in and around your ear can cause sharp clicking sounds that you hear in bursts. They may last from several seconds to a few minutes.
• Rushing or humming: These sound fluctuations are usually vascular in origin, and you may notice them when you exercise or change positions, such as when you lie down or stand up.
• Heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus): Blood vessel problems, such as high blood pressure and blockage of the ear canal or eustachian tube can amplify the sound of your heartbeat in your ears
• Low-pitched ringing: Conditions that can cause low-pitched ringing in one ear include Meniere’s disease. Tinnitus may become very loud before an attack of vertigo — a sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving.
• High-pitched ringing: Exposure to a very loud noise or a blow to the ear can cause a high-pitched ringing or buzzing that usually goes away after a few hours. However, if there’s hearing loss as well, tinnitus may be permanent. Long-term noise exposure, age-related hearing loss or medications can cause a continuous, high-pitched ringing in both ears. Acoustic neuroma can cause continuous, high-pitched ringing in one ear.
• Other sounds: Stiff inner ear bones (otosclerosis) can cause low-pitched tinnitus that may be continuous or may come and go. Earwax, foreign bodies or hairs in the ear canal can rub against the eardrum, causing a variety of sounds.

Often, tinnitus can’t be treated. Some people, however, get used to it and notice it less than they did at first. For many people, certain adjustments make the symptoms less bothersome.

These tips may help:

• Avoid possible irritants:
  Reduce your exposure to things that may make your tinnitus worse. Common examples include loud noises, caffeine and nicotine.
• Cover up the noise:
  In a quiet setting, a fan, soft music or low-volume radio static may help mask the noise from tinnitus.
• Manage stress:
  Stress can make tinnitus worse. Stress management, whether through relaxation therapy, biofeedback or exercise, may provide some relief.
• Minimize your alcohol consumption:
  Alcohol increases the force of your blood by dilating your blood vessels, causing greater blood flow, especially in the inner ear area.