![]() If you wear hearing aids, you can use those for masking by turning up the volume on outside noises. Alternatively, you could try a household item like an electric fan, a radio, or a TV. Many people use devices like sound machines or special headphones to generate masking noise. You listen to soothing background noise like white noise, nature sounds, or ambient sounds to help distract your attention from the tinnitus. Masking the noiseĪnother approach to taming tinnitus is masking, which uses external noise to alter your perception or reaction to tinnitus. "Also, while many people find that sound therapy can provide relief, there is no conclusive evidence it can permanently reduce or eliminate tinnitus," says Alscher. Still, sound therapy is a trial-and-error approach that works for some people but not others. The number of sessions varies, and the overall time frame typically ranges from six to 24 months. Most sound therapy treatments involve multiple therapy sessions. Eventually, the brain learns to change its perception of each noise and treat it as something unimportant. Working with an audiology specialist, you listen to different noises for specific time frames (how long varies per person). A successful method for many people is sound therapy, which employs a process called habituation to retrain how the brain responds to tinnitus noise. There are several therapies used for managing tinnitus, including counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy. ![]() Meanwhile, there are ways to tune out or turn down the noise to help minimize its impact (see "Masking the noise"). Tinnitus may grow less noticeable over time. The problem often goes away when the drug is reduced or discontinued. Tinnitus can be a side effect of some medications, such as aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and certain antidepressants - especially at higher doses. Tinnitus also can be a symptom of M'nière's disease, a disorder of the balance mechanism in the inner ear. You may be able to reduce the impact of tinnitus by treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Tooth grinding, jaw clenching, or muscle tension in the neck often make tinnitus more noticeable. "The result is a feedback loop, similar to the squeal of a microphone held too close to a speaker." Tinnitus can be associated with other problems as well. "The sensitivity knobs get turned up so high that neurons begin to respond to the activity of other nearby neurons, which creates the perception of a sound that does not exist," says Polley. Neurons in the brain's auditory processing center compensate for this loss by becoming more sensitive. ![]() One explanation is that the auditory nerve (which connects the ear to the brain) begins to fray, diminishing normal sounds, according to Daniel Polley, director of the Lauer Tinnitus Research Center at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. It's unclear what happens in the brain to create the noises. "If you notice any tinnitus symptoms, see your doctor or an audiologist or otolaryngologist ," says Alscher. It may also occur after long-term exposure to loud noises, a middle ear infection or tumor, or something as simple as earwax buildup Tinnitus commonly begins in older age and has a close association with hearing loss. Alscher, an audiologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear. "While there presently is no cure for tinnitus, there are many ways people can manage it so the symptoms do not disrupt their daily lives," says Emma R. It may be constant or intermittent, steady or pulsating. ![]() The sound may affect one ear or both, and could feel like it comes from inside the head or from a distance. You may be one of the estimated 15% of Americans who suffer from tinnitus, a mysterious condition that causes a sound in the head with no external source.įor many, it's a high-pitched ringing, while for others, it sounds like whistling, whooshing, buzzing, chirping, hissing, humming, roaring, or even shrieking. That recurring sound only you can hear? It's not all in your head.
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