Tinnitus

Tinnitus
Tinnitus

Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

 

Tinnitus is the perception of sounds inside the ears or more generally in the head, which are not produced by any external source and are heard only by the patient himself. Tinnitus is a common problem, affecting approximately 15 - 20% of people.For the patient who experiences these tinnitus, they can manifest as follows:

 

  • Ringing
  • Hum
  • Whistle
  • Sound of cicadas
  • Roar
  • Radio interference
  • clicking sounds

They may be continuous or intermittent, steady or pulsating, and vary in rate and intensity. Tinnitus can be detected in both one and both ears

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Causes of tinnitus

 

There are various causes that can cause or worsen existing tinnitus and often there is a combination of conditions that makes it difficult to determine the exact etiology.

 

The most common causes are:

 

Tinnitus: Tinnitus is often caused by the ability of the nervous system to change activity in response to deprivation of auditory input. In some cases, damage to the hair cells of the inner ear leads to the release of irregular signals, which prompts the brain to perceive tinnitus. They often begin and are noticed in cases of presbyacusis (ages over 60 years) where a slight drop in hearing is accompanied by tinnitus.

 

Exposure to noise

 

Exposure to loud noises, whether long (e.g. working in noise) or short (e.g. flares), can cause hearing damage which leads to tinnitus.

Other less common causes include:

 

  • Excessive Alveolar Concentration (ear wax)
  • Temporomandibular disorders
  • Eustachian tube dysfunction
  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Meniere's disease
  • Otosclerosis
  • Ototoxic Medicines
  • Head injury
  • Other pathological causes (eg blood pressure)

 

Measurement and evaluation of tinnitus

 

The measurement of tinnitus requires a complete audiological evaluation accompanied by taking a detailed history. At Earton Services we are able to accurately measure the intensity and frequency of your tinnitus,while by taking specialized measurements and filling in a special tinnitus questionnaire, through the "Earton Services - Tinnitus Relief Program" Protocol, answers are given about the possible causes of the existence of tinnitus, as well as appropriate suggestions for their treatment.

Treatment of tinnitus

 

The first step in dealing with tinnitus is to measure and evaluate it. The eartonservices team uses a special protocol through which patients' tinnitus is measured, evaluated and classified.

The second step is to measure the psychosocial impact of tinnitus with a special weighted TFI (Tinnitus Functional Index) questionnaire. Depending on the percentage in the questionnaire, the appropriate method of dealing with tinnitus is selected.

TFI Final Score:

0-17% - tinnitus is not a problem

18-31% - tinnitus causes little problem

32-53% - tinnitus causes a moderate problem

54-72% - tinnitus causes a big problem

73-100% - tinnitus causes a very big problem

The third step is the choice of the tinnitus treatment method. There are 3 different methods to treat tinnitus:

 

Acoustic reinforcement - Sound insulation:

 

The majority of patients suffering from tinnitus have hearing loss and in fact their tinnitus corresponds to the main frequency that their hearing has lost. With the amplification provided by the hearing aid, external sounds can cause activation of the auditory nervous system to reduce the perception of tinnitus.

 

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

 

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is based on weakening the patient's perception of tinnitus through the use of therapeutic signals.Earton Services hearing aids have a special generator that produces an audio signal that mixes with the tinnitus sounds and can distract the patient from them, while through the TRT technique it can lead to a reduction in tinnitus perception. The course of treatment with the TRT technique can last from 6 to 24 months and a personalized program of sessions is created by the scientific committee of Earton Services and applied to each patient. In order to achieve the best possible results, it is recommended to avoid stress, exercise frequently, avoid earplugs and complete silence, and in some cases even applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recommended.

 

 

Notch therapy

 

Notch Therapy is not a tinnitus masking technique, but a technique that provides a therapeutic effect by spectrally modifying the hearing aid. With Notch Therapy enabled, the headset boosts all incoming frequencies except the frequency band around the tinnitus frequency. The treatment leads to the suppression of neural hyperexcitability, through the process of lateral inhibition, leading to a reduction in the sensation of tinnitus.

 

In addition, there are the following ways to reduce tinnitus and prevent it:

 

  • Avoiding loud sounds and wearing earplugs
  • Decreased TV/music volume (especially when using headphones)
  • Proper diet
  • Physical exercise
  • Changing medication that may be causing or exacerbating the problem
  • Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, smoking and limiting salt intake
  • Reducing stress

 

Tinnitus
Tinnitus