by Laura Dennison, President of Audiology Associates of Georgia, 7/01/09
Do you have a constant ringing in your ears? You are not alone. It is called tinnitus and there are 50 million Americans who suffer from it. For about 12 million their ringing is so severe that it can have a debilitating effect on their quality of life. The rest of us have just learned to live with it most of the time.
Tinnitus is a persistent ringing, buzzing, or humming in one or both ears that has no external source. It very often accompanies hearing loss but not always. It is most often caused by exposure to loud noises, an injury to the head or ear, the use of certain medications, or it develops as a natural part of the aging process. But more often than not we never really know what the root cause of the problem is. We do know that it isn’t all in your ears. The original source is probably your ears but then it gets on a continuous feedback loop in your brain. In some respects it’s like phantom leg syndrome where an amputee will still feel pain in a limb that isn’t even there anymore. Whatever the original cause of your tinnitus was, it may be long gone, but your tinnitus keeps on and on.
A recent study by the Better Hearing Institute has shown that for people with both tinnitus and hearing loss, hearing aids not only help you hear better but about 60% also experience relief from their tinnitus. For those who have tinnitus, but no loss may find noise machines that play ocean waves or wind to be helpful. Others find comfort in fans, radio, or TV playing softly in the background. For others with more severe problems there are other solutions such as tinnitus maskers or tinnitus habituation therapy or tinnitus retraining therapy. The current thinking is that the therapies are a better long-term solution than the maskers.
“Tinnitus can have a direct impact on a person’s emotional well-being. Not only their hearing can be affected but also their ability to sleep and to concentrate. In severe cases it can interfere with the individual’s ability to perform adequately on the job, or contribute to psychological disorders such as depression, suicide ideation, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and anger” according to Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s executive director, and Richard Tyler, PhD., professor in both the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa, a recent editor of The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus (Auricle Ink, 2008).
In addition to seeing a hearing health professional to see if hearing aids might help, the American Acadamy of Otolaryngology (AAO-HNS) recommends these additional tips for minimizing tinnitus:
• Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises.
• Get your blood pressure checked. If it is high, get your doctor’s help to control it.
• Decrease your intake of salt. Salt impairs blood circulation.
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco.
• Exercise daily to improve your circulation.
• Get adequate rest and avoid fatigue.
If you would like more information on tinnitus or other hearing issues you may contact Dr. Laura Dennison at Audiology Associates of Georgia, 770-662-0858. www.audiology-assoc.com |