What is Tinnitus?

What Is Tinnitus?

At Audiology Center of Maine, it is our privilege to provide you with the gold standard in tinnitus assessment, diagnosis and treatment. We understand that starting tinnitus treatment early will lead to the best outcomes for our patients.

Watch this Video to Learn about Tinnitus:

Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds that are not there. Normally, sound waves enter the ear, travel through the ear canal and middle ear and finally reach the hair cells located in the inner ear. These hair cells translate the sound waves into electrical impulses, which are then sent to the brain to be interpreted as sound.

Those who suffer from tinnitus have an interruption along the auditory pathway, which could result from damaged hair cells, cerumen or other medical issues related to the ear. When there is a deprivation of sound to the brain’s auditory centers, the brain will generate a phantom sound to compensate for the lack of input. That is what you hear as tinnitus, which may be described as a ring, hum, buzz, among many other descriptions. Tinnitus is the brain's response to missing stimulation, much like how the brain responds with phantom limb pain, creating pain where there is no longer a limb present to feel it.

Tinnitus and Your Brain

In fact, research shows us that the neural networks that react to tinnitus extend out of the auditory pathway and into other areas of the brain including the limbic system (emotion), the front lobe (decision making), and memory centers! This explains why some patients are more severely bothered by tinnitus than other patients.

Tinnitus Stats:

50 million Americans report some degree of tinnitus.
Tinnitus may sound different to everyone. Sounds can range in volume and may present as a buzzing, humming, whistling or even the roar of the ocean.
Tinnitus and hearing loss can go hand-in-hand; 90% of those that suffer from tinnitus also have some degree of hearing loss.
Nearly 40% of those that suffer from tinnitus experience the symptoms at least 80% of their day.

Causes of Tinnitus:

Tinnitus is most commonly the perception of a phantom sound. 95-98% of people with tinnitus have damage to their ears.

Tinnitus can be caused by:

Exposure to noise
Medications
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Smoking
Age-related changes to the inner ear
Cerumen impactions

Tinnitus gets worse over time as the result of the degeneration of the brain's neural connections.

Medical Treatment of Tinnitus

Just like there is no cure for cancer, heart disease, or most major medical conditions, there is no cure for tinnitus. However, just like other major medical conditions, tinnitus is treatable. In fact, treatment has proven to be effective in 80-90% of tinnitus cases. These are very good odds!

Our approach to tinnitus treatment is to address the actual cause of the tinnitus rather than just manage the symptoms.

Hearing Aids – Prescription hearing aids are the single most effective way of treating tinnitus.

Treating tinnitus with prescription hearing aids will provide the appropriate acoustic biological feedback you need to reorganize the neural networks that have created the tinnitus. Treatment will positively impact neural activity in memory, emotion, and consciousness.

Sometimes in addition to the use of prescriptive hearing aids, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is also helpful for patients who are experiencing significant symptoms of anxiety or depression in relation to their tinnitus.

Managing Tinnitus Symptoms

There are ways to help manage the symptoms of tinnitus in order to regain control and break the vicious cycle, but these are not treatments for the condition causing the tinnitus.

Masking Devices – Masking devices may also help and are often incorporated into modern hearing aids but can also be standalone devices.

White Noise Machine/Fan – Noise machines can play any number of simulated sounds from the environment, such as rain or ocean waves. Fans can also help reduce the effects of tinnitus. These can be especially helpful while trying to fall asleep. There are also apps that are available for download (such as the ReSound Relief app) that serve this function.

Music – Listening to calming music can help fill silence, making the tinnitus stand out less.

Meditation and Relaxation – Exercises in mindfulness can help you focus less on your tinnitus, as focusing directly on it can make it seem louder. Acupuncture and yoga can be helpful relaxation techniques.

Healthy Changes – Making healthy changes such as a good diet, exercising and thinking positively can have a positive impact on your life. Reducing caffeine, sodium and alcohol intake can help reduce the effects of tinnitus.

Good Sleep Practices – Creating and maintaining a sleep routine can help decrease the effect of tinnitus on your sleep.

Sound Therapy/Tinnitus Retraining Therapy – Sound therapy uses a tinnitus sound generating device to help tinnitus habituation. Retraining Therapy for Tinnitus (TRT) revolves around gaining knowledge about tinnitus and coming up with solutions to help cope with its effects. Sound therapy is an important component of TRT.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be beneficial for those who are noticing significant anxiety and depression in relation to their tinnitus. Talk to your Audiologist or ENT provider for a referral.

“Historically tinnitus has been thought rather difficult to treat. Thankfully, this is not the case. Using medical science and clinical expertise, we can provide our patients with significant relief of their tinnitus symptoms within the first 6 months of treatment.”

Dr. David A. Jardine, Au.D., CCC-A

Now accepting new patients for hearing loss treatment! Call us today at (207) 664-2123 to learn more about how we can help!