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Treatment for ringing in the ears tinnitus. Effective Tinnitus Treatment: Comprehensive Guide to Managing Ringing in Ears

What are the most effective treatments for tinnitus. How can you minimize the impact of ringing in ears. What lifestyle changes can help manage tinnitus symptoms. Which therapies and devices are recommended for tinnitus relief.

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Understanding Tinnitus: Symptoms and Causes

Tinnitus, commonly known as “ringing in the ears,” is a condition characterized by the perception of sound in the absence of an external source. While often described as a ringing sensation, tinnitus can manifest as buzzing, hissing, whistling, or other phantom noises. It’s crucial to recognize that tinnitus is a symptom rather than a disease itself, often indicating an underlying condition that requires attention.

What causes tinnitus? The origins of tinnitus can be diverse, including:

  • Exposure to loud noises
  • Age-related hearing loss
  • Earwax blockage
  • Cardiovascular issues
  • Certain medications
  • Head or neck injuries
  • Stress and anxiety

Understanding the root cause of tinnitus is essential for developing an effective treatment strategy. Healthcare professionals often focus on addressing the underlying condition rather than merely alleviating the symptom itself.

Preventing and Minimizing Tinnitus: Lifestyle Modifications

Can tinnitus be prevented or minimized through lifestyle changes? Absolutely. While not all cases of tinnitus can be prevented, certain lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce the risk and severity of symptoms:

  1. Limit exposure to loud noises: Use ear protection in noisy environments and keep audio devices at a moderate volume.
  2. Avoid complete silence: Subtle background noise can help mask tinnitus symptoms.
  3. Reduce salt intake: Excessive sodium can affect blood pressure and exacerbate tinnitus.
  4. Monitor blood pressure: Hypertension can contribute to tinnitus symptoms.
  5. Cut back on stimulants: Caffeine and nicotine can worsen tinnitus in some individuals.
  6. Exercise regularly: Physical activity can improve overall health and potentially reduce tinnitus severity.
  7. Manage stress: High stress levels often correlate with increased tinnitus disturbance.
  8. Get adequate rest: Fatigue can exacerbate tinnitus symptoms.
  9. Educate yourself: Understanding tinnitus can help in managing its impact on daily life.

Implementing these lifestyle changes can not only help prevent tinnitus but also minimize its impact on those already experiencing symptoms.

Medication Options for Tinnitus Relief

Is there a universal medication for tinnitus? Unfortunately, no single medication works for all tinnitus patients. The effectiveness of pharmacological interventions varies greatly among individuals. However, certain medications have shown promise in managing tinnitus symptoms:

  • Antidepressants: Some antidepressants may help alleviate tinnitus, particularly in cases where depression or anxiety are contributing factors.
  • Anti-anxiety medications: These can help reduce the stress and anxiety often associated with tinnitus, potentially lessening its perceived intensity.
  • Antioxidants: Some studies suggest that antioxidants might help reduce tinnitus symptoms, though more research is needed.

It’s important to note that medication should always be prescribed and monitored by a healthcare professional. The benefits and potential side effects must be carefully weighed for each individual case.

Auditory Habituation and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

How does auditory habituation work for tinnitus? Auditory habituation, also known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), is a comprehensive approach that aims to retrain the brain’s reaction to tinnitus. This method consists of two main components:

1. Directive Counseling

This involves intensive, individualized education about tinnitus, its causes, and its effects on the auditory system and coping mechanisms. The goal is to demystify tinnitus and reduce the anxiety and negative associations often linked with the condition.

2. Sound Therapy

Low-level sound generators produce broadband noise at a soft level, allowing the brain to perceive both the therapeutic noise and the tinnitus. Over time, this can help the brain relearn patterns that de-emphasize the importance of the tinnitus sound.

TRT typically involves the use of ear-level devices that look similar to hearing aids. These devices produce a constant, low-level noise that helps mask the tinnitus without completely covering it up. The therapy aims to habituate the brain to the tinnitus sound, making it less noticeable and distressing over time.

Acoustic Therapy: Harnessing Sound for Tinnitus Relief

How can external sounds help manage tinnitus? Acoustic therapy utilizes externally produced sounds to cover, inhibit, or alter the perception of tinnitus. This approach offers relief for many sufferers and can be implemented through various methods:

  1. Sound generators (tinnitus maskers): Ear-level electronic devices that produce white noise.
  2. Tinnitus instruments: Combination devices that function as both hearing aids and sound generators.
  3. Hearing aids: These amplify environmental sounds and speech, potentially masking tinnitus and stimulating areas of the ear and brain that may be underactive due to hearing loss.
  4. Tabletop or portable sound generators: These devices can be used at home or on-the-go to provide background noise.
  5. Home masking techniques: Utilizing everyday items like electric fans, radios, or televisions to create background noise.
  6. Music therapy: Specially designed music programs that can help soothe the limbic system and stimulate the auditory cortex.

While masking can provide immediate relief, it’s important to note that some individuals may find it merely substitutes one annoying sound for another. In such cases, habituation or retraining methods may be more beneficial in the long term.

Music Therapy: A Harmonious Approach to Tinnitus Management

Can music really help with tinnitus? Yes, music therapy has shown promising results in managing tinnitus symptoms. Many patients find that carefully selected music, particularly classical pieces with minimal variations in loudness, can be beneficial in two key ways:

  1. Soothing the limbic system: This part of the brain processes emotions and is often negatively affected by tinnitus. Calming music can help reduce the emotional distress associated with the condition.
  2. Stimulating the auditory cortex: Music can provide beneficial stimulation to the part of the brain responsible for processing sound, potentially helping to rewire neural pathways affected by tinnitus.

For individuals with hearing loss, it may be necessary to adjust the spectrum of the music to ensure it effectively reaches and stimulates the auditory cortex. Some tinnitus management programs offer specially designed music therapies that take into account an individual’s specific hearing profile and tinnitus characteristics.

Amplification and Hearing Aids in Tinnitus Management

How do hearing aids help with tinnitus? Hearing aids and combination devices (hearing aids with built-in sound generators) are often effective in minimizing tinnitus symptoms. While the exact mechanism is not fully understood, most hearing aid wearers report at least some reduction in their tinnitus. This benefit may occur through several pathways:

  • Masking effect: By amplifying background sounds, hearing aids can help mask or cover up the tinnitus sound.
  • Auditory stimulation: Hearing aids provide new stimulation to the brain, potentially altering the production or perception of tinnitus.
  • Contrast reduction: Amplification can reduce the contrast between tinnitus and silence, making the tinnitus less noticeable.
  • Stress reduction: By improving overall hearing and communication, hearing aids can reduce the stress and fatigue often associated with hearing loss and tinnitus.

Modern hearing aids often come with built-in tinnitus management features, allowing for customized sound therapy in addition to amplification. These devices can be fine-tuned by an audiologist to match an individual’s specific tinnitus and hearing profile.

Advanced Tinnitus Therapies: Neuromonics and Cognitive Approaches

What cutting-edge therapies are available for tinnitus management? As research in tinnitus treatment advances, new and sophisticated approaches are emerging. Two notable examples are Neuromonics Acoustic Desensitization Protocol and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy:

Neuromonics Acoustic Desensitization Protocol

This innovative treatment combines counseling with a wearable device that delivers specially processed music. The music is filtered according to the individual’s hearing profile and is designed to:

  • Stimulate the auditory pathways to promote neural plasticity
  • Provide relief from tinnitus symptoms
  • Facilitate the brain’s habituation to the tinnitus sound

The treatment typically involves several months of regular use, with ongoing support and adjustments from a trained healthcare professional.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a psychological intervention that has shown significant promise in managing tinnitus-related distress. This approach focuses on:

  • Changing negative thought patterns associated with tinnitus
  • Developing coping strategies to manage tinnitus-related stress and anxiety
  • Improving sleep quality, often disrupted by tinnitus
  • Reducing the overall impact of tinnitus on quality of life

CBT can be particularly effective when combined with sound therapy or other tinnitus management techniques. It addresses the psychological aspects of tinnitus, which are often as challenging as the auditory symptoms themselves.

Stress Management: A Key Component in Tinnitus Relief

Why is stress management crucial for tinnitus sufferers? The relationship between stress and tinnitus is well-documented, with many patients reporting increased tinnitus disturbance during periods of high stress. Effective stress management can significantly improve tinnitus symptoms and overall quality of life. Here are some stress-reduction techniques that have proven beneficial for tinnitus patients:

  1. Relaxation exercises: Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation can help reduce overall stress levels.
  2. Guided imagery: This technique involves using mental visualizations to create a sense of calm and well-being.
  3. Self-hypnosis: Learning self-hypnosis techniques can help manage both stress and the perception of tinnitus.
  4. Regular exercise: Physical activity is a natural stress-reliever and can improve overall health, potentially reducing tinnitus severity.
  5. Time management: Organizing daily activities and setting realistic goals can help reduce stress and anxiety.
  6. Support groups: Connecting with others who experience tinnitus can provide emotional support and practical coping strategies.

Incorporating stress management techniques into daily life can help tinnitus sufferers maintain composure and logic when coping with their symptoms. It’s important to remember that while tinnitus can be distressing, learning to manage stress can significantly reduce its impact on daily life.

In conclusion, while there is no universal cure for tinnitus, a wide range of management options are available. From lifestyle modifications and sound therapies to advanced psychological interventions and stress management techniques, most tinnitus sufferers can find varying degrees of relief. The key lies in working closely with healthcare professionals to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses both the auditory symptoms and the emotional impact of tinnitus. With patience and persistence, many individuals can successfully manage their tinnitus and improve their quality of life.

Tinnitus Treatment | UCSF Health

Treatment
Audiology

It is important to keep in mind that tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. As such, the optimal treatment strategy should be directed toward eliminating the disease, rather than simply alleviating the symptom. Also, because tinnitus may be symptomatic of a more serious disorder, it is important to try to find the medical cause before deciding on treatment.

Preventing and Minimizing Tinnitus

Here are a few things patients can do to help prevent and minimize tinnitus:

  • Reduce exposure to extremely loud noise
  • Avoid total silence
  • Decrease salt intake
  • Monitor one’s blood pressure
  • Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine
  • Exercise
  • Reduce fatigue
  • Manage stress
  • Educate yourself

While there is no known cure for most forms of tinnitus, there are many management options available and most tinnitus sufferers can find varying degrees of relief from one or a combination of the following.

Medications

There is no single medication that works on all tinnitus patients. Some of the antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications available are helpful for certain tinnitus patients, however more research is needed in this area.

Auditory Habituation or Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

These techniques consist of two main components — directive counseling and low level sound generators.

  • Directive counseling provides intensive, individualized education regarding the causes and effects of tinnitus on the ear, the brain, and the coping mechanism.
  • Low-level sound generators produce broadband noise via hearing aid type devices at a soft enough level so that the brain perceives both the noise and the tinnitus. Eventually, the brain may relearn a pattern that will de-emphasize the importance of the tinnitus. These devices also may be helpful in desensitizing patients who are overly sensitive to sound.

Acoustic Therapy

The use of an externally produced sound to either cover up or in some way inhibit or alter production of tinnitus can offer relief for some. There are six main methods of acoustic stimulation.

  • A sound generator, sometimes called tinnitus masker: an ear-level electronic device housed in a hearing aid case that produces a white noise.
  • A tinnitus instrument: a combination hearing aid and sound generator.
  • Hearing aids: help to amplify speech as well as environmental noise and thus stimulate areas of the ear and brain that otherwise may not be receiving adequate stimulation because of the hearing loss.
  • A tabletop or portable sound generator: these can be purchased at certain electronic suppliers such as the Sharper Image.
  • Home masking: such as the use of electric fans, radios or television.
  • Music therapy (see below).

Unfortunately, some tinnitus sufferers find that masking noise may merely be a substitute of one annoying sound for another. It is thus better to try to relegate the annoyance of tinnitus to the background of one’s consciousness through habituation or retraining methods.

Music Therapy

Many patients find that music, particularly classical passages that don’t contain wide variations in loudness (ampliltude) can be both soothing to the limbic system (the emotional processor in the brain that is commonly negatively linked to a patient’s reaction to tinnitus) and stimulating to the auditory cortex. If a hearing loss is present, it may be necessary to alter the spectrum of the music so that the cortical neurons.

Amplification

The use of hearing aids and a combination of hearing aids and maskers are often effective ways to minimize tinnitus. While it is not clear whether hearing aids help by amplifying background sounds that can mask out the tinnitus or by actually altering the production of tinnitus, most hearing aid wearers report at least some reduction in their tinnitus. This may be due to the reduction in contrast between tinnitus and silence, or because of the new stimulation provided to the brain.

Neuromonics Acoustic Desensitization Protocol

Neuromonics Acoustic Desensitization Protocol is a process that uses counseling as well as a body worn processor connected to high fidelity earphones that present pleasant music that is filtered in accordance with an individuals hearing loss.

Counseling or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Regardless of the cause of tinnitus, if a person is not bothered by the tinnitus, it ceases to be a problem. Psychological intervention aimed at successfully reducing the stress, distress and distraction associated with the tinnitus can be very productive and often produces the most attainable goals.

Stress Management

The very high correlation between stress and tinnitus disturbance underscores the need to maintain one’s composure and logic when trying to cope with tinnitus. Relaxation, guided imagery and self-hypnosis are examples of self-help methods used to help combat the stress, anxiety and sleep disturbances associated with tinnitus.

Other Treatment Options

Other options that may help patients with tinnitus include:

  • Support Groups Local peer support groups offer emotional support to patients and a place to discuss and share treatment techniques.
  • Dental Treatment Jaw joint disorders, called temporomandibular (TMD), may exacerbate tinnitus. Splints and exercises may relieve these problems.
  • Nutritional Counseling All tinnitus patients should maintain a balanced diet.
  • Biofeedback Biofeedback is a technique of making unconscious or involuntary bodily processes detectable by the senses in order to manipulate them by conscious mental control. Biofeedback with counseling can help relieve stress patterns that can worsen the perception of tinnitus.
  • Alternate Approaches Although there is no scientific data showing consistent benefit from approaches such as hypnosis, acupuncture, naturopathy, chiropractic care and many herbal preparations, some patients do perceive a benefit.

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Treatments we specialize in

  • Hearing Aids

    Audiologists work with patients with hearing loss to determine their communication needs and preferences to find the appropriate hearing aid.

    Learn more

  • Neuromonics

    Acoustic therapy and extensive counseling are used to treat patients with tinnitus.

    Learn more

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Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) – Causes & Treatment

Old School Audiology

At UC Health, we understand how critical hearing is to your life. Our Audiology experts deliver world-class care with deep compassion to diagnose and treat hearing loss and hearing conditions. We were the first in Greater Cincinnati to pioneer cochlear implants — and our innovative techniques have only grown since then.

To schedule an appointment, please call the UC Health Audiology team at 513-475-8453.

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Ear, Nose & Throat

UC Health’s Ear, Nose and Throat program ranks among the best in the U.S. Our multidisciplinary team is made of surgeons, otolaryngologists, neurotologists and laryngologists — all working together to deliver world-class care with deep compassion to every patient.

To schedule an appointment, please call the UC Health Ear, Nose & Throat team at 513-475-8400.

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Smell, Hearing & Communication Disorders Center

Our Smell, Hearing & Communication Disorders Center brings together subspecialists who are experts in the full spectrum of neurologic disorders of the senses. Knowing that these conditions often have more than one cause, our highly trained teams collaborate to bring you an accurate diagnosis and customize your treatment plan backed by the latest research.

To schedule an appointment, please call the UC Health Smell, Hearing & Communication Disorders Center team at 866-941-8264.

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Hearing & Balance

At UC Health, we are experts in the most complex conditions of the ear that affect your hearing and balance. Our team of subspecialists use the latest techniques backed by research to accurately diagnose your condition and deliver treatment for the best results.

To schedule an appointment, please call the UC Health Hearing & Balance team at 513-475-8400.

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Otology & Neurotology

Our Otology & Neurotology subspecialists bring their advanced training and expertise in neurologic and structural disorders of the ear to diagnose and treat every patient. At UC Health, our team works closely with neurosurgeons to deliver leading-edge procedures to treat even the most complex conditions.

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    More about these conditions

    What is tinnitus?

    Tinnitus is the sound of ringing in the ears. It may also be described as roaring, buzzing, hissing, or clicking inside the head. The sounds may come and go, or they may be ongoing. The sound may happen in one or both ears. Sounds may have different tones.

    What causes tinnitus?

    Tinnitus may be caused by many things, including:

    • Damage to the nerve endings in the inner ear.

    • Stiffening of bones in the middle ear.

    • Being older.

    • Exposure to loud noises.

    • Allergy.

    • High or low blood pressure.

    • Tumor.

    • Diabetes.

    • Thyroid problems.

    • Head or neck injury.

    • Reaction to certain medicines.

    • Wax buildup.

    • Jaw misalignment.

    • Certain medicines.

    What are the symptoms of tinnitus?

    People with tinnitus will often complain of hearing these sounds in their head:

    • Ringing.

    • Roaring.

    • Buzzing.

    • Hissing.

    • Clicking.

    They may complain that they have trouble sleeping.

    How is tinnitus diagnosed?

    The diagnosis of tinnitus includes a complete health history and physical exam. Your healthcare provider may request an audiological evaluation. Depending on the suspected cause of the tinnitus, other tests may be needed.

    How is tinnitus treated?

    Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

    Currently there is no known cure for tinnitus, but experts suggest trying one of the following to find relief:

    • Hearing aids. These may help some people with tinnitus who have hearing loss. If you have hearing loss, patients often report that their tinnitus is much less noticeable when wearing hearing aids.

    • Cochlear implants. This option is for those who have tinnitus and severe hearing loss that cannot be treated with hearing aids.

    • Maskers. These provide help for some people by making tinnitus less noticeable. This small electronic device creates sound that may make the ringing or roaring seem softer.

    • Medicines. Some medicines may ease tinnitus by addressing a problem linked to the condition. Medicines may also improve mood or sleep.

    • Tinnitus retraining therapy. This therapy uses a combination of counseling and sound therapy or maskers. An ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) or a hearing specialist (audiologist) can help you learn how to deal with tinnitus.

    • Counseling. You may find it helpful to meet with a counselor or support group.

    • Relaxation. This may provide relief as stress may make tinnitus worse.
    Living with tinnitus

    Tinnitus can affect your quality of life. Your healthcare provider may be able to figure out the underlying cause, which can then be treated. Work with your healthcare provider to come up with ways to reduce tinnitus.

    At UC Health, we lead the region in scientific discoveries and embrace a spirit of purpose – offering our patients and their families something beyond everyday healthcare. At UC Health, we offer hope.

    For more information, call:

    513-475-8000

    Treatment of tinnitus in St. Petersburg

    Many people are familiar with the feeling when extraneous sounds appear in the ears when there is silence around. This condition is called tinnitus. A characteristic feature is that there is a sensation of sound in one or both ears, while there is no source of these sounds.

    Ringing or buzzing in the ears may be severe, mild or moderate. Disturb constantly or appear periodically. Each person experiences tinnitus differently. He can hear not only noise, ringing, hum, but also sounds similar to hissing, gurgling or clicking. You can talk about pathology if the noise is heard for more than 5 minutes and there are no sources of sounds.

    Although sounds are heard in the ears, the causes of their appearance are processes occurring in the brain. It creates a kind of sound illusion, which is not in reality. Various sounds in the ears are heard by up to 15% of people in the world, so this is a fairly common pathology.

    Constant tinnitus is annoying, causing insomnia, severe nervousness, impaired memory and attention, depression, and therefore requires treatment. It is worth noting that sound sensations can also be a symptom of dangerous processes in the brain, so you should pay attention to them and consult a doctor.

    Types of tinnitus

    It is now common practice in clinical practice to categorize tinnitus according to the severity of symptoms.

    • Grade 1 is characterized by a barely audible sound and causes a minimum of anxiety to the patient.
    • 2 degree – the noise is heard well, intensifies in the evening and at night.
    • 3 degree is characterized by strong sound sensations that constantly disturb. A person’s efficiency decreases, irritation and nervousness appear.
    • 4 degree – loud noise becomes a constant obsessive companion, a person cannot concentrate, which leads to an almost complete loss of working capacity.

    If with mild tinnitus the patient can still somehow adapt to sounds or buzzing in the ears, then in the last stage, due to constant noise, the person almost loses control
    over their condition and behavior.

    Causes of the appearance of pathology

    Noise or buzzing in the ears can be caused by a number of independent reasons, ranging from being constantly near sources of loud external sound, ending with damage to blood vessels or brain tissues.

    May cause tinnitus.

    • Prolonged exposure to strong sound. Constantly listening to loud music is not at all safe for our hearing. In-ear headphones are especially dangerous in this regard, because in addition to the occurrence of tinnitus, hearing can be significantly reduced. Work in too “noisy” production without special hearing protection also negatively affects.
    • Diseases of the ENT organs. Noise in the ears can cause inflammatory and chronic diseases of the ear, foreign objects in the ear (a fairly common situation in children), trauma to the eardrum, neoplasms in the ENT organs, sulfur plug, etc.
    • Inflammation of the auditory nerve or tumor formation in this segment of the brain.
    • Vascular pathologies of the brain (in this case, the sound in the ears will be pulsating).
    • Traumatic brain injury.
    • Metabolic disorders (hypoglycemia) or hormonal imbalance.
    • Prolonged mental stress.
    • Medications (antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, psychotropic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

    Tinnitus often disturbs patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid pathologies, atherosclerosis, arthritis, anemia, etc. According to statistics, more than 80% of patients with tinnitus have hearing problems of varying severity. Tinnitus can also be caused by natural causes of aging in the body (as well as age-related decline and hearing loss).

    Which specialist should I contact?

    Tinnitus can occur for a variety of reasons. If it appears suddenly, constantly increases and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache and dizziness (fainting), then you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

    In a situation where noise of varying intensity does not cause additional disturbing symptoms, you should first contact an otorhinolaryngologist to rule out mechanical damage to the eardrum, a foreign body, or diseases of the hearing organ itself or other ENT organs. The doctor will examine the organ of hearing, evaluate the acuity of hearing and the degree of intensity of auditory sensations.

    If the sound sensations are not associated with pathologies of the ENT organs, the doctor, depending on the presence of other symptoms, will refer you to another specialized specialist: a cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, dentist, surgeon or psychiatrist. Also, the patient may need additional examination.

    Diagnosis of the causes of tinnitus

    Depending on the alleged cause, the following types of laboratory and instrumental studies are carried out.

    1. Laboratory tests.

      • Blood test to determine the level of hemoglobin, leukocytes and ESR.
      • General urine test to determine kidney function.
      • Blood biochemistry to assess the risk of vascular atherosclerosis.
      • Thyroid hormone test.
      • Sowing on the microflora from the ear or throat to identify the causative agent of the disease.
    2. Instrumental research.

      • Hearing level assessments (impedance and threshold audiometry, Weber and Rinne test).
      • Measurement of blood pressure, ECG, daily monitoring of ECG and blood pressure.
      • MRI or CT of the brain.
      • Angiography of cerebral vessels, dopplerography of brachycephalic vessels of the neck
      • X-ray of the skull bones.

    Based on the results of the examination and examination, as well as the cause of tinnitus and the severity of the pathology, the doctor will prescribe treatment.

    Treatment of tinnitus

    Due to the different causes of sound sensations, treatment of persistent tinnitus
    also has significant differences.

    • If the pathology is due to a foreign body or sulfur plug, the doctor will remove them at the appointment.
    • If the noise is caused by vascular pathology, endocrine disorders, then complex treatment of the underlying disease is necessary. The same principle is applied in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs, neoplasms of the brain or ENT organs.
    • If the noise is due to medication, the doctor will stop the medication or prescribe other medication.
    • If your tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss, your doctor may recommend wearing a hearing aid.

    Patients who suffer from tinnitus should not be indoors or near a source of loud noise. Proper nutrition, rational physical activity and daily routine are also important. To improve the general condition of patients, the doctor may prescribe acupuncture, laser or magnetic therapy.

    When choosing a treatment regimen for noise in the right or left ear, the doctor proceeds from the severity of the symptoms, the presence of underlying or concomitant diseases, the patient’s physical and mental health.

    In the Longa Vita multidisciplinary center, you can undergo a comprehensive examination and treatment of tinnitus. Our doctors apply modern methods of treatment of hearing disorders and pathological sound sensations. The clinic is equipped with modern diagnostic equipment for laboratory and instrumental studies. You can make an appointment for a consultation by phone or using the online appointment form on the website.

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    Tinnitus , which can be manifested by ringing, whistling and other sounds in the ears or head are called tinnitus . It can be intermittent or constant, felt in the whole head or only on one side.

    Everyone has experienced tinnitus at least once. For example, it may appear as a result of exposure to loud sounds on the hearing organs (for example, due to being close to exploding pyrotechnics, being at a concert, etc.). But, if the tunnitus worries for a long time, does not go away or even intensifies, it is necessary to deal with the cause of this phenomenon. It may be necessary to involve specialists in several areas.

    How tinnitus manifests itself

    Many patients become accustomed to tinnitus. But, about 10% of such people experience serious disorders: sleep problems, anxiety, emotional instability, decreased concentration, depression. Due to the fact that the patient is constantly experiencing discomfort, his brain is irritated. This further worsens his condition to the point that he falls into despair.

    Additional symptoms may develop:

    • redness of the ears and skin around them;
    • ear discharge;
    • dizziness;
    • nausea, vomiting;
    • fever;
    • headaches;
    • feeling of pressure, pain in the ears;
    • General deterioration.

    Doctors analyze all the symptoms very carefully, which allows them to assume a diagnosis.

    Approximately 40% of patients with this problem develop hyperacusis – increased sensitivity to sounds.

    Causes of murmurs

    Sometimes tinnitus in a patient is not a purely subjective sensation, but rather objective. In some cases, it can be heard not only by the patient himself, but also by a neurologist or ENT doctor. During a study using a phonendoscope, various phenomena can be noted: a change in pressure in the eardrum, contraction of the muscles of the pharynx or Eustachian tube, changes in blood circulation in the vessels, pathologies in the temporomandibular joint.

    But, if tinnitus is still subjective and only the patient hears it, then there can also be many reasons for this pathology:

    • Damage to the ear canal, accompanied by hearing loss. They may be associated with diseases of a certain part of the ear (outer, middle, inner), ear infections, senile deafness (presbycusis), Meniere’s disease, etc.
    • Stress resulting in increased activity in the limbic and auditory cortex. They are responsible for the emotional background and, if overexcited, can cause the corresponding symptoms.
    • Incorrect postural habits that affect the muscles of the cervical and temporomandibular regions (bruxism, arthrosis of the cervical region, contractures, etc.).
    • Noises can also be caused by tumors and inflammations of the brain, hypertension, atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, osteochondrosis .

    Diagnosis of tinnitus

    The otolaryngologist first asks the patient about the symptoms that bother him. In addition to otoscopy (examination of the ear, including the eardrum), the doctor may also use other diagnostic methods:

    • Audiometry – measurement of hearing sensitivity at different sound frequencies.
    • Examination of painful points of the cervical and craniofacial.
    • Determining the hearing discomfort threshold.
    • Noise meter to indicate the type of noise.
    • Completed the tinnitus severity questionnaire.
    • Additionally, MRI, CT, magnetic resonance angiography, blood tests, echodopplerography, cervical radiography can be used.

    Treatment of tinnitus in Lipetsk

    The content and tactics of treatment depends on the identified cause of tinnitus. It can be: