How Can You Treat Tinnitus?

Anyone living with tinnitus knows that it can be a problem that causes a lot of frustration. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your symptoms assessed and to try some of the treatments out there. If that’s something you want to do, it makes sense to talk to your audiologist about it. And to give you an idea of which treatment options are out there at the moment, we’re going to talk about some of the most commonly used below.

Consider Hearing Aid Options

Hearing aids are very commonly used as a way to treat tinnitus, and you certainly might want to give them a try yourself if you haven’t done so already. Of course, they help to remedy hearing loss which is often linked to tinnitus, so hearing aids can help from that point of view. But hearing aids with masking features are even better at treating tinnitus because they take the focus off the ringing in the inner ear.

Start Using a Sound Machine

Similar to how hearing aids with masking features can mask the sounds in the inner ear that are associated with tinnitus, sound machines can do the same. They emit a white noise sound that helps people to focus better and remove the focus on the sound you’re hearing in the inner ear. Lots of people use these machines to help them to get to sleep at night, so they might help you if that’s something you struggle with.

Try Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

There are also therapy options that you might want to give a try too. Tinnitus retraining therapy is one such option and many people have found success with it. It’s all about training your mind to focus on the sounds that you want and need to focus on and to not give as much attention to the persistent ringing sound that you might be hearing in your inner ear if you live with tinnitus.

Medication Changes

It might be a good idea to talk to your audiologist about the medication that you’re currently taking. We know that some medications can actually cause problems in the auditory system, such as tinnitus. So, in coordination with your doctor, it might be a good idea to change the medication you take to see if that’s the reason why you’ve been experiencing tinnitus recently.

Have Excess Earwax Removed

As we’ve discussed, hearing loss is often a problem linked to the onset of tinnitus. If you want to make sure that you hear well and that you don’t suffer hearing loss unnecessarily, one of the things you can do is have any excess earwax removed from your ears. Then you’ll be able to ensure this isn’t a cause of any tinnitus symptoms you might experience.

If you’ve been experiencing any of the symptoms associated with tinnitus and you’re not sure which steps to take next, be sure to contact your audiologist and talk to them about what you’re going through. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction regarding the assistance you likely need.