Tinnitus Evaluation and Management in Magnolia

You’ve probably experienced temporary ringing in your ears for several hours after being in a noisy stadium, attending a loud concert or a nightclub, or after discharging a firearm without hearing protection.

In fact, approximately 50 million Americans experience either temporary or ongoing tinnitus symptoms annually, making it one of our country’s most common health complaints.

A Man Suffering From Tinnitus Symptoms

Although most cases of ringing in the ears goes away, about 12.5 million Americans experience ongoing or chronic ringing in their ears that never goes away, threatening their quality of life and interrupting their lifestyle.

If you struggle to relax, fall asleep, or stay focused on a task because of the constant ringing in your ears, then you’re eager for answers to questions such as:

  • Why is my tinnitus worse in a quiet room?
  • How can I relax or get a decent night’s sleep with this constant ringing in my ears?
  • How am I supposed to focus on certain tasks when my tinnitus is so overwhelming?
  • Is there anything I can do to get rid of this ringing in my ears?
Professional Tinnitus

Assessments in Magnolia

If you’re experiencing ongoing ringing in your ears, contact our expert audiologists for a tinnitus evaluation that will lay the groundwork for your personalized tinnitus management program.

During a tinnitus assessment we are working to pinpoint your unique type of tinnitus and its intensity with various tests that may include:

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Medical History

Questions regarding your condition, medications you’re taking, your medical conditions, recent or ongoing exposure to loud noise, and other tinnitus producing factors

Hearing Assessment

A complete hearing evaluation to determine if your condition includes hearing loss

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Identifying the Problem

Zeroing in on the loudness and pitch of your symptoms

Additional tests by an ENT specialist may be necessary to rule out suspected vestibular or vascular medical conditions that often produce ringing in the ears.

Professional Tinnitus

Solutions in Magnolia

Following your tinnitus evaluation, your tinnitus specialist will develop a customized tinnitus management plan that is able to deliver effective relief from ringing in the ears.

We’re eager to provide the help you need. The right solution to the ringing in your ears can be a challenge, so we may have to make use of a variety of techniques and combinations of therapies to produce the results you desire by using any or several scientifically proven technologies and techniques, such as:

Hearing Aids

When combined with hearing loss, changes to the set-up of hearing aids can help to combat the effects of tinnitus

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Secondary Treatments

Sound maskers and other tinnitus treatment technology to reduce sound awareness

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Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

TRT applies coping strategies and rehabituation techniques to reduce the impact of tinnitus on your quality of life

While hearing aids for those with a hearing loss and sound masking meet the needs of some, others require a more extensive, holistic approach to restoring tranquility through tinnitus therapy.

Often called habituation therapy, TRT involves retraining your brain to perceive the sounds of tinnitus differently, while also addressing emotional challenges such as depression, stress, or anger that can exacerbate your condition by using this cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach.

Your tinnitus therapy options in Magnolia and Seattle include any and all of the technologies and therapeutic techniques necessary to address your specific condition, which could include helping you manage health problems, ototoxic medications, and lifestyle choices that can exacerbate your symptoms as well as hearing aids when called for.

F.A.Qs

Frequently Ask Questions about Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

Each person experiences tinnitus symptoms differently, but generally speaking, all hear a sound that does not exist. The sounds are generated somewhere along the auditory pathway or within the auditory processing center of the brain.

Tinnitus is a symptom of a neurological disorder similar to the “phantom limb” phenomenon experienced by some amputees. The tone can be continuous or pulsating, can sound like ringing in the ears as well as whirring, clicking, buzzing, or whooshing.

Are there different types of ringing in the ears?

Two types of tinnitus have been identified: subjective (heard only by the person experiencing symptoms) and objective (heard by someone else using a stethoscope). Objective tinnitus is typically caused by known vascular or vestibular issues that can be addressed through various forms of medical treatment.

What causes tinnitus?

As of yet there has been no specific cause for tinnitus identified, but several conditions often accompany it or produce symptoms, such as:

  • Hearing loss
  • Exposure to loud noise (noise-induced hearing loss, NIHL)
  • Head and neck injuries
  • Ototoxic drugs
  • Meniere’s disease
  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Hyper/hypothyroidism
  • Abnormal growth of bone in the ear
  • Tumor on the cranial nerve
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • High blood pressure
  • Impacted earwax

What should I expect during a ringing in the ears evaluation?

Diagnosing tinnitus begins with a case history and medical history, a questionnaire to help determine the loudness and pitch of your tinnitus, and an evaluation of the impact of the condition on your lifestyle and quality of life. A hearing assessment is necessary to rule out or confirm hearing loss as a contributing cause.

Can ringing in the ears be a symptom of an underlying health issue?

Yes. Tinnitus can be a symptom of a vascular or vestibular disorder as well as a reaction to various types of medications.

What tinnitus treatment options are available?

Various types of sound therapies, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), Lenire treatment, and hearing aids are among the proven treatment options available.

Can ringing in the ears be cured, or is management the primary goal?

Without an identifiable cause, a cure continues to elude audiologists and researchers, so management of symptoms is the primary goal of tinnitus treatment.

Do you provide counseling or support for coping with ringing in the ears?

Yes. Our tinnitus management program includes counseling and support to cope with ringing in the ears.

Are there lifestyle changes that can help alleviate ringing in the ears symptoms?

Although lifestyle changes will not cure your condition, changes to diet, medications, and dropping habits like smoking and drinking alcohol can reduce the impact of symptoms.

Is there a connection between hearing loss and ringing in the ears?

Definitely. Tinnitus doesn’t cause hearing loss, but it is often a symptom of hearing loss, which is why hearing aids are among the treatment options for dealing with tinnitus.

Schedule a Tinnitus Assessment

If your tinnitus won’t go away and it is interrupting your quality of life, then it’s time to seek professional help for managing ringing in the ears. Seattle’s trusted source for tinnitus treatment is Magnolia Hearing.

Take the first step to finding relief and schedule a tinnitus assessment with a tinnitus expert by using the adjacent form. A member of our team will contact you to provide assistance.

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