Hearing Problems

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is often experienced by people who have a hearing loss. Tinnitus is an internally generated neural signal that is perceived as sound. The sound heard can vary from a constant or pulsating pure tone to a static noise, and can be experienced as permanent or periodic. It is anticipated that chronic tinnitus is experienced by 10-15% of the population. For many of these people, tinnitus is mild and/or transitory and therefore of no great consequence. However, for some, tinnitus is a particularly debilitating condition, causing disturbance to sleep, relaxation, concentration, and relationships, and the sense of a loss of control. Typically, it leads sufferers to avoid both especially quiet and especially noisy situations, both of which can cause their tinnitus to become more noticeable.

The mechanism of tinnitus is still poorly understood, but there is some consensus that likely causes of tinnitus include exposure to loud sounds, head and neck injuries, systemic diseases, and high levels of stress. There is currently no standardised treatment of tinnitus, but relief may be obtained through acoustic therapy using a tinnitus device and/or counselling. Alternative tinnitus interventions are available with equivocal reports of their benefit.


Tinnitus Devices

Tinnitus devices generally produce sound in some manner to distract attention from the tinnitus. Such devices include:

  • Hearing aids: The amplification provided by hearing aids increases the awareness of environmental sounds and thus may make the tinnitus less noticeable. If the tinnitus sufferer has a hearing loss, the amplification may further alleviate stress, which may emphasise the tinnitus, experienced in difficult listening situations.
  • Tinnitus maskers: Tinnitus maskers are wearable ear-level devices that produce a sound aimed at masking the tinnitus.
  • Combination devices: Devices that combine the functions of hearing aids and tinnitus maskers are available.
  • Non-wearable sound generators: Some tinnitus interventions include the use of a non-wearable sound generator that is customised to produce a sound that is considered most effective for masking the individual sound heard. In some interventions adjustment of the level of the customised sound is part of the treatment that aim at facilitating habituation of tinnitus-induced reactions and, subsequently, habituation of tinnitus perception. For some tinnitus sufferers, masking is sufficiently achieved through such accessible sound-generating devices as radios and personal stereo systems.