Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common sensation of noises heard by a person without an external stimulus being present. Some people hear ringing or buzzing, while others experience whooshing sounds. Tinnitus affects nearly 50 million Americans, as well as 10-15% of the adult population worldwide. If you feel that your experience with tinnitus has changed you as an individual, you are not alone. Although tinnitus is a common condition, it does not mean you should ignore it, as not treating it can be as debilitating as a progressive hearing loss.

Tinnitus can negatively impact people’s ability to enjoy basic life activities such as sleeping, socializing, or relaxing in quiet environments. People who experience tinnitus often report avoiding some activities in fear of making the condition worse. The fact that there is no proven cure for tinnitus, adds an extra layer of distress for millions of sufferers.

Even though there is no clear remedy for tinnitus, new developments over the past few years suggest that people experiencing it can learn to manage its negative effects.

Who gets tinnitus?

Tinnitus can affect people regardless of age, race, gender, nationality, or income. Exposure to noise as well as stress are known factors that contribute to the severity of tinnitus. After all, tinnitus is the most common service-related disability in the military, and for people who work in loud environments with no hearing protection. Even though tinnitus is often associated with noise-induced hearing loss, some people with normal hearing also report experiencing it. In addition, many people who experience tinnitus are not aware that they also may have a hearing loss.

Treating tinnitus and hearing loss

Many tinnitus sufferers who seek audiological services report extensive benefits after receiving counseling and education alone. Modern hearing aids also feature options for long lasting relief and ongoing management of tinnitus. If you are experiencing hearing loss, hearing aids can often help relieve the perception of tinnitus while improving your ability to understand speech clearly.

Other ways of treating tinnitus include cognitive behavioral therapies, relaxation exercises, and masking devices. An interdisciplinary approach is often recommended when treating tinnitus as there is no magic “silver bullet”.

Hearing Aids and hearing services serving Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

Our office is located in SE Portland, Oregon, but we serve patients from a wide region including the Greater Portland area (Gresham, Happy Valley, Oregon City, Clackamas, Milwaukie, Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro) and the Greater Vancouver, WA area (Felida, Fruit Valley, Hazel Dell, Cascade Park, and Camas).