Tinnitus Treatment

We understand that your tinnitus can be distressing and impactful on your life – inhibiting ability to sleep, concentrate and perform day-to-day tasks. That’s why we’re such firm believers in providing the right treatment. However, the first step is understanding the condition.

Why do I have tinnitus?

There are multiple possible causes for tinnitus. There’s loud noises and exposure to noise, illness, head or ear injuries or infections, medication side effects, disease and general hearing loss. Click to read more about the Causes of Tinnitus.

Why does it make that sound?

Tinnitus changes the communication signals going from the ear to the part of the brain where sound is processed, known as the auditory cortex. This means that some parts of the brain do not receive signals the way they should. The noise causes permanent damage to the sound-sensitive cells of the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear.

Everyone hears something different!

In the vast majority of cases, tinnitus is a sound you hear in your ears, that doesn’t exist outside your body. This sound can be in one ear or both ears, and it can be intermittent or constant. It can also pulsate or be variable in its sounds and/or volume. In very rare cases, others can hear it. It could be a ringing, whistling, humming, or buzzing noise. Click to read more about the Symptoms of Tinnitus.

Dealing with tinnitus – Treatments

At angli-EAR Hearing, we’re passionate about helping you with your tinnitus. We keep our knowledge current and up-to-date with the latest technology and treatment options that have been proven to work. We focus on evidence-based solutions, allowing us to remain at the forefront of tinnitus therapies. In our pact to tackle tinnitus seriously, we support the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) as one of their corporate members.

Hearing Test & Tinnitus Assessment

If you suffer from tinnitus it is important to get your hearing checked by an audiologist. In some cases, your tinnitus may be caused by a medical condition which may be treatable. Your audiologist will refer you to a GP and suggest you see an ENT specialist if they feel this may be the case.

We are one of very few clinics in the UK able to provide a thorough, Full Diagnostic Assessment of your hearing. We will assess the pitch and volume of your tinnitus and this, together with an understanding of any medical reason for it, will allow us to create a tailored solution for you.

Learning & Information

It’s important to note that there is no known cure for tinnitus, but don’t be disheartened. Researchers have developed several effective treatments and a combination of therapies, which can help reduce severity and provide relief over time. Your tinnitus is unique to you, so the solution to your tinnitus also needs to be bespoke.

Most people find that a detailed explanation of their tinnitus, together with an assurance that it will almost certainly improve, to be hugely beneficial and reassuring. In the vast majority of cases, tinnitus does spontaneously decrease over time. You can learn more about your condition and the treatments below in a Tinnitus Assessment & Consultation. This appointment takes two hours and costs £160.

Hearing Aids

Correcting even mild hearing loss can be very helpful to your tinnitus because it helps you hear sounds that you would otherwise miss. This makes the tinnitus less audible and removes the strain from hearing. Improved hearing may also reverse tinnitus-related changes in your brain. Good quality and properly fitted hearing aids reduce and even eliminate most tinnitus associated with hearing losses.

Combination Devices

Fitting a combination device can sometimes help, which includes both a hearing aid and with wearable sound generators for the key people in your life.

Sound Generator

These devices look like a hearing aid and are recommended for people with no hearing loss. As the name suggests it produces sounds which stimulate most fibres of the hearing nerve helping to deviate attention away from the tinnitus. Depending on the sound of your tinnitus several different sound options and levels of sound can be tried to find the one that works best for you.

Dealing with Tinnitus – Support Therapies & Treatments

In addition to treatment, a number of key steps can help you manage tinnitus effectively, for even better clinical results.

When used alongside treatments such as hearing aids and a wearable sound generator – which tackle the causes of tinnitus more directly – many sufferers benefit greatly from a further combination of therapies. While they may at a glance seem less evidence-based, they are backed by science and are shown to support better results. We recommend trialing some or all as you work towards successful tinnitus management.

Counselling

Addressing underlying worries and concerns, and getting the support you need around your tinnitus, can be effective. This encompasses all varieties of psychological support, designed to help individuals deal with accompanying feelings of anxiety, stress and depression.

Relaxation Therapy

Many people find that their tinnitus is worse when they are stressed, and better when they are relaxed. By developing strategies to unwind and relieve tension, some symptoms can be alleviated.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT or habituation therapy)

TRT uses sound generators and counselling to retrain the brain in sound processing, so you no longer hear your tinnitus. The aim is to reduce and ultimately eliminate tinnitus perception. Treatment is based on the idea that just as we can filter out other sounds, such as a fridge or air-conditioning unit, we can also get used to the sound of tinnitus.

This cognitive process is called habituation the treatment combines auditory therapy with hearing aids and/or therapeutic noise generators. This provides the brain with maximum environmental sounds to reduce tinnitus perception. It is often combined with counselling to change negative beliefs, distract from tinnitus and reduce stress.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

This form of therapy addresses negative thoughts you may have around your tinnitus and is provided by clinical psychologists. CBT is threefold in process, changing the way a person perceives tinnitus, teaching ways to focus attention away from tinnitus and achieving control over stress. Through both counselling and developing coping strategies, it changes the unhelpful thoughts and behaviours for those that are more positive. The technique is demonstrated as effective in alleviating distress and producing adaptation to tinnitus.

Sleep Management

Some people with troublesome tinnitus have sleep difficulties. In these cases, specific advice on what to do at home to help you sleep will be beneficial.

Sound Enrichment Therapy

The use of sound, either from desktop devices or wearable sound generators, can help to both reduce the starkness of the tinnitus and promote habituation. Wearable generators form half of the combination device treatment method.

Medication

It is possible that some people may benefit from medication, such as anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants or sleeping tablets, for conditions they have in addition to their tinnitus. There is no specific medication for tinnitus, but tackling problems that exacerbate its symptoms is a step in the right direction.

Diet & Lifestyle

Avoid possible irritants. Trying to reduce your intake of salt, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are recommended as each of these is demonstrated to make tinnitus worse. For some people herbal remedies or Vitamin B12 may be helpful for some people. Please consult your specialist before taking supplements. Other things to consider;

• Some people may find that loud noises make their tinnitus worse.
• Cover up the tinnitus in quiet settings. Try a fan, soft music or low-volume radio static to help mask the noise.
• Manage stress as it is proven to make tinnitus worse. Try relaxation therapy, biofeedback or exercise.

For more information, or consultation on which therapies might best benefit you, get in touch with us today.

Sometimes it helps to talk with others who also experience tinnitus. They may be able to give you suggestions for new things to try to help manage your tinnitus, provide support or just give you an opportunity to talk to someone else who also suffers from tinnitus. Visit the British Tinnitus Association, an organisation providing support and counselling for people with tinnitus.