Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Specialists

Tinnitus

Are You Affected by Tinnitus?

A medical condition that affects approximately 50 million Americans is tinnitus, or "ringing" in the ears when there is nothing actually “ringing” in the environment around you. Tinnitus in most cases is only observed by the person suffering from the condition, and cannot be heard by an observer or an examiner. Tinnitus is usually a symptom of sensorineural hearing loss, resulting from damage to the sensory cells of the cochlea, or organ of hearing, along with damage to the auditory nerve and/or auditory cortex. Tinnitus can also be associated with ear infections, aging, excessive ear wax, high blood pressure, and sensory nerve disorders. Certain activities, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeine, and taking excessive amounts of aspirin or antibiotics can also cause tinnitus.

Although tinnitus is a common medical symptom and can be extremely annoying, it is also one of the most difficult medical conditions to treat. Many times the person suffering from tinnitus believes there is nothing that can be done to provide relief from the ringing. Most people with tinnitus will complain that the tinnitus is worse when in quiet settings, such as at night when trying to sleep. Quiet time is when the tinnitus appears to be most detrimental. An analogy would be lighting a candle in a lighted room versus lighting the candle in a dark room. The flame of the burning candle can be seen in the well lit room, but when the lights of the room are turned off, the flame becomes extremely noticeable. In essence, tinnitus is most noticeable when the environmental sound is “turned off”. This causes difficulty functioning on tasks when in a quiet room, or many times difficulty falling asleep.

Which picture shows the more noticeable flame?

 

Tinnitus can be managed. Remember, it is the STRESS AND ANXIETY caused by the tinnitus that is the pathology, rather than the tinnitus itself. However, if you have tinnitus, you should be evaluated to determine what the best options are for managing it. If it is determined that tinnitus is being caused by a medical problem such as high blood pressure, ear infections, excessive ear wax, or even excessive use of aspirin or antibiotics, or drinking too much caffeine, the tinnitus can be medically treated. Still, if there are no specific medical issues involved and the tinnitus cannot be medically treated, simply knowing that no serious medical pathology such as a benign tumor or neurological degeneration exists can be a huge relief. But if stress and anxiety resulting from tinnitus persists, there are options that can help provide relaxation and relief.

As mentioned earlier, silence in the environment can cause the individual to become more aware of the tinnitus. A “sound enriched environment” can be created to substitute the tinnitus with more pleasant environmental sounds such as music, a ceiling fan, or ocean waves or background noise provided by sound machines. Research studies have shown that music is one of the most effective environmental noises helping people relax and cope with their tinnitus. But in many cases, the individual experiencing tinnitus also has a hearing loss. The use of hearing aids to amplify sounds and in essence create a sound enriched environment can also help cover up the tinnitus and make it less distracting. But in conjunction with research pertaining to music as a valuable tool to provide tinnitus relief, a major breakthrough from advanced hearing aid technology has been achieved.

Widex has developed a hearing aid that treats ringing in the ears, offering a harmonic sound program called ZEN. The best way to describe ZEN is to imagine yourself sitting in your back yard on a quiet breezy day listening to windchimes ringing in the distance.  Click here to hear the ZEN sound for yourself. ZEN provides a sound enriched environment, especially in quiet situations, that allows the individual to be able to function in situations that would otherwise be hindered by the tinnitus.

 

 

Hearing Aid with Sound Therapy, Only by Widex

 

The ZEN program is only available in hearing aids from Widex, one of the world’s most respected manufacturers of hearing instruments. These instruments also provide ultimate performance in hearing of soft and distant speech. But it is the ZEN feature that is unique in providing tinnitus relief. And today, millions of people of all ages who experience tinnitus now, finally have a promising option for tinnitus management!

Please contact Ear, Nose Throat & Allergy Specialists for an appointment today at 770-345-6600, or use our secure online appointment request.