Part 3. Is There a Cure for Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, a ringing of the ears, is a frustrating condition that greatly affects quality of life, especially if it is chronic. Tinnitus has been linked to stress, sleep disorders, concentration issues, depression, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and memory problems. The sounds experienced by people with tinnitus interfere with the ability to hear and communicate

The First Step

If you believe you are experiencing tinnitus, the first step is to schedule an appointment with us for an examination. Often times, tinnitus is not a singular condition and may be linked to hearing ability or other medical conditions.

At the examination, we’ll ask when you began to experience the noise, what it sounds like, whether you hear it in one or both ears, how loud it is, its frequency, and whether anything appears to improve or worsen the symptoms.

How Tinnitus is Diagnosed

Because tinnitus is commonly linked with hearing loss, people who experience tinnitus are usually recommended to take a hearing exam. The hearing exam is a painless, simple procedure that measures hearing ability by ear, and it may help identify possible causes of tinnitus.

Some cases of tinnitus are linked to the cardiovascular or muscular system. Your doctor may examine your health in these areas as well. If you have experienced head or neck trauma, you may be given an MRI or CT scan.

Sounds and Causes

Though not comprehensive or concrete, the sounds experienced in tinnitus may indicate the underlying cause.

Clicking, rushing, or humming sounds may be related to muscle contractions or vascular conditions. A low-pitched ringing in one ear may be related to Meniere’s disease or vertigo, while high-pitched ringing may be linked to noise-induced hearing loss, age-related hearing loss, or ototoxic medications. If you can hear your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus), this may be an indication of high blood pressure, blood vessel problems, or other related conditions.

Tinnitus Solutions and Treatments

Depending on the cause of tinnitus, there are different treatment options available. If the tinnitus is caused by earwax blockage or vascular conditions, removing impacted earwax or treating said conditions with medication or surgery may address the symptoms of tinnitus.

For tinnitus that is related to hearing loss, there are devices available to suppress the noises of tinnitus and to amplify the sounds you want to hear. Many models of hearing aids are equipped with tinnitus treatment, which provide a soothing sound therapy to alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus and to amplify speech and noise around you. Other devices offer similar features, such as masking devices and tinnitus retraining devices. These deliver white noise or tonal music to mask the sounds of tinnitus, retraining the brain to no longer hear the tinnitus.

In some cases of tinnitus, a change in lifestyle or diet may improve the symptoms. For example, smoking, caffeine, and alcohol all make tinnitus worse, as they affect blood flow. Managing stress also helps reduce the symptoms of tinnitus. In recent years, a new therapy has been developed to treat tinnitus: transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is still in nascent stages of testing.

In the meantime, if you believe you are experiencing tinnitus, seeking treatment as soon as possible will drastically improve your quality of life.