Tinnitus Testing
& Treatment
About Tinnitus
If you experience ringing, buzzing or other sounds in your ears it could be a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus can be experienced in different ways, but essentially tinnitus is any sound heard in the ears or head that doesn’t have an outside source.
Tinnitus Effects
Some patients report hearing the noise all the time, and others say it comes and goes. In most cases, tinnitus is a reaction in the brain to damage the ear and auditory system. It is most common in people who develop hearing loss over the age of 55 and were exposed to excessive noise levels but can have multiple causes and origins.
Tinnitus can manifest itself as a minor annoyance but for some people, it can affect their quality of life and ability to focus and sleep. In the long term, tinnitus-sufferers can experience anxiety and depression because of the constant sound. This emotional turmoil can also exacerbate tinnitus.
Tinnitus Causes
Not all tinnitus is permanent and can be triggered by other conditions:
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Stress, depression, anxiety
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Age-related hearing loss
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Ototoxic medications
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Excessive noise exposure
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Earwax buildup
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Manières disease
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Benign tumour on the 8th cranial nerve
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Allergies
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Head and neck trauma
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Sinus pressure
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Barotrauma
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Various medical conditions
Tinnitus Treatments
The first step of tinnitus evaluation is a hearing test and ruling out other possible causes and assessing tinnitus with a holistic approach.
Treatment Options
Even though there is no cure for permanent tinnitus, there are treatments available to help elevate the symptoms. One of the effective treatment plans includes a combination of behavioural counselling and sound therapy. Counselling helps patients manage the psychological effects that can accompany tinnitus, and sound therapy can help decrease patients’ sensitivity to the noise they hear.
Additionally, hearing aids can prove helpful for those who experience hearing loss and tinnitus.
Tinnitus Treatment Plan
Echo Hearing clinic is fully equipped for comprehensive tinnitus evaluations and our audiologists are skillfully trained in the latest tinnitus relief therapies. At the initial evaluation, we identify and address any underlying causes of tinnitus and establish a specialized treatment plan to improve your symptoms.