How Can You Treat Tinnitus?

It’s a question that’s often asked by people who both experience tinnitus on an acute and chronic level. After all, this ongoing noise in your ears that only you can hear can often lead to disruption in your life, and many people can become frustrated at the associated hearing loss it causes. 

But tinnitus can be treated, to help improve your hearing levels, and allow you to go about your day uninterrupted. 

Treating tinnitus can be done in many ways, and it’s often dependent on the level of tinnitus you’re experiencing. As such, the four ways below are most commonly advised by audiologists as a way to both control and dampen the ringing, whooshing, or ticking noises you may experience in one or both ears. 

Through the Use of Masking Hearing Aids

Hearing aids equipped with masking features allow a person to wear a white noise machine wherever they go, which allows them to block out tinnitus when at work or out with friends or family. Via the use of constant low frequency sound waves, these aids will help to reduce the different noise level a person experiences when living with tinnitus, and reduce the pitch to a more acceptable level. An audiologist will determine whether you need a masking aid depending on the level of your tinnitus symptoms. 

Via Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) can be used to help a person reconsider how impactful tinnitus is on their life. With the main goal of teaching a person to effectively ignore their tinnitus, many things about the person’s lifestyle will be taken into account, such as daily habits and diet. Both psychological therapy techniques and hearing aid devices are used consecutively to administer this treatment. 

Using Background Noise Machines

The use of sound machines is very popular in the modern day, and many people turn to ‘White Noise’ to help block out background noise of any kind. For someone living with tinnitus, these machines can be used liberally to help block out the symptoms they experience, and allow them to get on with work, play, and even help them to sleep better at night. 

By Changing Your Lifestyle

A change in lifestyle can be impactful on the way tinnitus presents in your life. Indeed, a lot of people who either live or know someone who lives with tinnitus will be advised to change a medication they’re currently taking. Whether prescribed or over the counter, a different dose or type altogether can often alleviate tinnitus symptoms.

It’s also recommended for people to think about their lifestyle habits. For example, those who drink or smoke on a semi to regular basis can be advised to cut back in these areas.

People with tinnitus will also often need to have their ear wax removed as well. This can help to improve hearing levels, and when removed regularly, can help to reduce how impactful tinnitus is on a person’s life. Every three to six months is often considered the best time frame for earwax removal by audiologists.