Tinnitus: Its Causes and Treatment Measures

Tinnitus is a physical condition, experienced as noises or ringing in the ears or head without the actual presence of any actual external physical noise. Tinnitus is usually caused by a fault in the hearing system which means that it is a symptom and not a disease in itself.

Causes of Tinnitus

There are several factors that can give rise to tinnitus. Basically, any ear disease can create tinnitus as a symptom. These could range from something as simple as wax against the eardrum to something as serious as a tumor on the hearing nerve. Grave diseases like otosclerosis and Ménière's disease can be manifested in the form of tinnitus. The primary cause of tinnitus is exposure to excessive noise. The actual mechanisms or processes of tinnitus have not been fully understood but evolving research proves that it is a symptom of a malfunction that takes place somewhere in the hearing system which includes the ear and the brain. For many people afflicted with tinnitus, the inner ear or cochlear gets affected.

The Remedial Measures

Tinnitus sound therapy is one of the most effective solutions devised and implemented by several professional medical organizations to aid people suffering from the disease. Sound enrichment can be used as a self-help technique or as a broader tinnitus management program delivered with the aid of a hospital or clinic. It is one of the easiest and most practical things that a patient of tinnitus can do himself if he cannot avail complex medical treatments like surgeries. The aim of tinnitus therapy is to enable people to get acclimatized to their tinnitus so that the brain can ‘filter’ it out most of the time, even though it might actually still be present. Habituation is probably best achieved if you use sound enrichment at a level that is lesser than the level of your tinnitus.

Types of Sound Enrichment

Sound therapy reduces the degree of tinnitus by alleviating the contrast between your internal noise and actual sounds in the surrounding environment. It also helps your hearing system become less sensitive to the tinnitus by consolidating your ability to tune it out more easily.

Sound enrichment can be provided by:

• Environmental sound
  
• A CD or mp3 download or the radio
  
• Smartphone app
  
• Bedside/table-top sound generators
  
• A wearable sound generator
  

The last four can provide natural sounds, ‘white noise’ or gentle music. There are hearing aids that provide relief to tinnitus patients by delivering supplementary tones and sounds with amplification. The wearable sound generators are an optional part of tinnitus sound therapy and should always be fitted by a tinnitus specialist. They look like small hearing aids and can be worn in the ear or behind the ear. People usually prefer to use the sound generators that can be worn behind the ear. It is important to ensure that the wearable sound generators are not blocking your hearing.

The type of sound enrichment therapy that best suits a patient’s needs depends on the results of hearing tests and his/her lifestyle.