Services
Tinnitus Treatment
Do you find that your concentration is interrupted by a persistent buzz in your ears that seems to be coming from nowhere?
It can make it hard to concentrate and even harder to fall asleep and is more serious than you may suspect. This is tinnitus, a condition which affects nearly 50 million people in the United States alone. While sometimes tinnitus can leave as suddenly as it appears, 20 million people report symptoms so severe that it interrupts concentration and makes it hard to sleep. Meanwhile two million report tinnitus so bad it is described as debilitating. Unaddressed tinnitus can lead to sleep issues, problems with concentration, and chronic anxiety leading to hypertension and even heart attack or stroke.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, so other people cannot hear it. Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing sound, but some people hear other types of sounds, such as roaring or buzzing. Tinnitus is common, with surveys estimating that 10 to 25% of adults have it. Children can also have tinnitus. For children and adults, tinnitus may improve or even go away over time, but in some cases, it worsens with time. When tinnitus lasts for three months or longer, it is considered chronic.
From the National Institutes of Health
What are the Symptoms of Tinnitus?
The symptoms of tinnitus can vary significantly from person to person. You may hear phantom sounds in one ear, in both ears, and in your head. The phantom sound may ring, buzz, roar, whistle, hum, click, hiss, or squeal. The sound may be soft or loud and may be low or high pitched. It may come and go or be present all the time. Sometimes, moving your head, neck, or eyes, or touching certain parts of your body may produce tinnitus symptoms or temporarily change the quality of the perceived sound. This is called somatosensory (pronounced so-ma-toe-SENSE-uh-ree) tinnitus. Most cases of tinnitus are subjective, meaning that only you can hear the sounds. In rare cases, the sound pulsates rhythmically, often in time to your heartbeat. In these cases, a doctor may be able to hear the sounds with a stethoscope and, if so, it is considered to be objective tinnitus. Often, objective tinnitus has an identifiable cause and is treatable.
From the National Institutes of Health
What are the Causes of Tinnitus?
While the exact causes of tinnitus are not fully understood, it has been linked to the following:
- Excessive Exposure to Noise
- Hearing Loss
- Medications
- Earwax or Ear Infections
- Head or Neck Injuries
- Ménière’s Disease
- Jaw Joint Problems
- Tumor-Related Disorders
- Blood Vessel Problems
- Chronic Health Conditions
What To Expect at Your Tinnitus Appointment
A visit to any health care provider can be stressful for some people. Before the actual test begins, we’ll take a detailed history of the patient, focusing on their hearing health history. Following the history will be a thorough examination of the outer ear and external ear canal. We use an instrument called an otoscope to make sure the ear canal is free of wax. Below is a brief explanation of the individual tests that may be administered during your visit.
We at Moore Hearing Centers believe that if tinnitus is making it hard for you to function there are many options for treatment, including:
Noise Suppression
While tinnitus rarely can be completely eradicated, there are several techniques for reducing symptoms. This includes devices that mask the sound of tinnitus, allowing you to focus on other things. This includes:
White Noise Machines
These sounds create a static sound like the ocean or persistent wind, which dampens other noises so you can ignore the ringing of tinnitus. You can purchase these devices or use an app on most smartphones. However, you may find the same success with the use of fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners in the bedroom at night.
Masking Devices
For those who wear hearing aids, tinnitus masking can match the pitch and tone of your tinnitus to cancel it out, using noise canceling technology. If you are not using hearing aids yet but want some relief during the day, some devices stand alone as tinnitus masking in your ear canal.
Ear Wax Removal
It is common for ears to become impacted by earwax, often due to unsafe ear canal self-cleaning, or for those who use hearing aids or ear buds. Often, by removing the impaction it can lessen the symptoms of tinnitus.
Medications
There are at least 200 prescription and over the counter medications which are considered ototoxic, causing tinnitus and hearing loss. If you are experiencing high levels of tinnitus upon changing a medication, ask your doctor for other possible solutions.
Counseling & Stress Reduction
When tinnitus won’t let you rest or concentrate it can be stressful and we have found that with higher levels of stress come more severe tinnitus symptoms. At Moore Hearing Centers we find that by addressing the source of the stress you can also reduce tinnitus.
Counseling options include Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which addresses the source of the stress and helps you discover ways of adjusting your response to tinnitus when it comes on.
In addition, any form of stress reduction you can do in your daily life can help you to reduce the effect of tinnitus in your life. This includes meditation, acupuncture, yoga, regular exercise and making sure you get plenty of rest. Even amending your diet or limiting caffeine intake can make a significant difference.
Blood Vessel Management
Many times, an abnormality in the blood vessels near the ear can cause what is known as pulsatile tinnitus. This often takes the form of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations which affect the flow of blood through the affected blood vessels causing an inescapable ringing of the ears. Often this type of tinnitus is treated with medication, surgery to address the issue.
Hearing Aids
Treating a hearing loss can not only lessen tinnitus symptoms but reduce stress related to communication barriers. Today, many hearing aids have state of the art tinnitus masking features to help you stay focused during the day.
Facts About Tinnitus
About 14.4% of adults worldwide have experienced tinnitus.
Roughly 10% of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced tinnitus lasting at least 5 minutes in the past year.
90 percent of tinnitus cases occur with an underlying hearing loss.
“I was referred to Dr. Moore and Wendy from a neighbor because I was having issues with my hearing aids, which I purchased from another doctor out of state. Dr. Moore and Wendy helped fix the problem, honored the warranty, and provided exceptional customer service. When I’m in the market for a new pair, I’ll be purchasing from them.”
—Diane Nelson
“I’ve been going to Dr. Moore for many years and he is absolutely top notch. Fantastic professional service and support from everyone in his office. A++++”
—James Smith
“I’ve known Dr. Moore for over 10 years and have always had the best service. Not only do I wear octagon hearing aids but my husband does and we are both super satisfied with our equipment and service that Dr. Moore provides. I highly recommend my friends and relatives who have hearing loss to make an appointment with Dr. Moore.”
—Sarah Lawrence
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14633 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City, AZ 85351
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drmoore@moorehearingcenters.com or submit a form here.
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