Is there relief for tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of a noise such as ringing or buzzing in the ears and affects about 1 in 5 people. It is rarely a sign of something serious, but can be quite bothersome. While there is no cure, there are ways to find relief.

Before seeking treatment make sure to have your ears and hearing thoroughly checked. Sometimes tinnitus can be caused by blockage from wax or infection. When these conditions are cleared up the tinnitus may go away. However, more often tinnitus is caused by hearing loss and is permanent in nature.

So what can be done to cope with permanent tinnitus? If the tinnitus as mild, avoiding silence can be very effective, as it is much more noticeable when there is no other noise around. The use of soft background sound such as music or a fan is often enough to mask the tinnitus so that it is no longer heard. For more severe cases there are masking devices that produce a variety of sounds from white noise to nature sounds. On many of these devices the level and tone can be adjusted to match the tinnitus.

If there is hearing loss, hearing aids will help. Simply reintroducing the sounds you are missing may be enough to mask the tinnitus. For more severe cases some hearing aids come with built in maskers.

It is also important to avoid loud noise as this can aggravate tinnitus. Reducing stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine can, in some cases, reduce the severity of tinnitus. These stimulants, as well as alcohol, can change blood flow and pressure, and the inner ear is very sensitive to these changes. Other important factors include fatigue and stress. Both can exacerbate tinnitus.

For more information on tinnitus and tinnitus solutions please contact Accurate Hearing at:

Lower Sackville: 902-252-3004

Halifax: 902-423-7734

Cole Harbour: 902-406-4327