What is Tinnitus?
Ringing or white
noise in the ear
What is Tinnitus?
What causes Tinnitus?
Whilst we know what conditions may lead to
tinnitus, it is difficult to say what may be the
absolute cause in each case.
Tinnitus can commonly sound like
ringing or buzzing in the ears. It’s not a
disease or an illness and it’s generated
within a person’s own auditory pathways.
For some people it comes and goes
and in more severe cases it is present
permanently, causing problems with
sleep and concentration.
Some common contributors to tinnitus include:
• Noise exposure
•Stress
• Hearing loss
Although it may be difficult to avoid certain
medical conditions where tinnitus is a byproduct, we can do a lot to avoid unnecessary
exposure to prolonged loud noise. Hidden
Hearing offers a wide range of custom made
Hearing Protectors for differing listening
environments.
Lots of people can get occasional ringing in the
ears, this can happen without any clear trigger or
after exposure to loud sounds, at work or socially.
Tinnitus may be an accompaniment to
sensorineural or congenital hearing loss, or it
may be observed as a side effect from certain
medications. However, a common cause is noiseinduced hearing loss. If you believe that you
have tinnitus, try not to worry. One of the things
that we do know about tinnitus is that stress
can bring it on or even make it worse. There
is help available and this will probably mean
managing the condition - it may even disappear
if a symptom of an underlying condition can be
treated.
What can be done?
Tinnitus therapies vary and it is important to
point out that we can only talk about relieving
tinnitus. Most therapies revolve around
counselling and using alternative forms of
sound as a distraction to the tinnitus.
Unfortunately there is no known cure for tinnitus
and often it can be a symptom of some other
condition. Tinnitus treatment can extend to
counselling and tinnitus therapy. One of the more
popular therapies is where the sufferer is trained
to listen to another sound source to serve as a
distraction.
Is tinnitus ruining your life?
HEARING AWARENESS
Hearing awareness plays a vital part in
helping us to lead a healthy lifestyle for a
long and enjoyable life. What is Tinnitus? is
one of a series of short, handy booklets full
of useful tips and pointers on how to make
sure you get the most out of your hearing.
Noise exposure is a common contributor to Tinnitus.
Other booklets
in this series include:
2015
• What is Audiology?
• How do we hear?
• How can we protect against noise?
For people suffering severe tinnitus with
sudden onset, we would recommend that you
speak to your G.P. at your earliest convenience.
However if you have already spoken to your
G.P. about the condition then you have had
the opportunity to explore what therapies are
available. The list below is not exhaustive and
we have included many of the more common
applications.
• Sound Relaxation Ball – This plays seven
sounds of nature and includes a built-in
timer and can be used anywhere.
• Sound CDs – A box of four relaxation CDs
including Tranquil Horizons, Cloud Dances,
Classical Thunderstorms and Harmony can
be listened to anywhere you have access to a
CD player.
• Tinnitus Masker – A hearing aid device that
plays white noise to mask the sound of your
tinnitus.
Tinnitus therapy can involve the sufferer listening to
another sound source to serve as a distraction.
• Amplification – Hearing aids themselves have
been known to help where there is a hearing
loss. Some now even have a dedicated
program for tinnitus distraction.
• Tinnitus Counselling – A trained Tinnitus
Counsellor can help discuss how to manage
the condition. Often these are also Hearing
Therapists.
It is difficult to know what might work for you
until you’ve spoken to someone who can offer
advice - and potentially had the chance to try
one of these for yourself.
If you’re not sure what to do, then why not
make an appointment to talk to a Hearing Aid
Consultant at Hidden Hearing? If we can’t
help, then we can point you in the direction of
someone who can.
Irish Tinnitus Association
More information
The Irish Tinnitus Association aims to be a focal
point for giving support and assistance to those
who suffer from tinnitus. This organisation is a very
good source of information on tinnitus therapies and
the availability of tinnitus support groups in your area.
Irish Tinnitus Association:
Phone: 01-8175700
Hidden Hearing
www.hiddenhearing.ie
Your FREE HIDDEN HEARING hearing assessment
At Hidden Hearing we aim to improve the quality of your hearing and
most importantly your communication with your family and friends.
Your hearing health is vitally important with poor hearing affecting your
personal relationships, quality of life, and even your ability to go about a
normal day.
With over 27 years of providing hearing health care, our professional
team provides a range of hearing services from hearing assessments to
hearing aids to help you get your hearing back on track. So you can enjoy
the life you want to live!
Don’t delay -
make an appointment for your
FREE HIDDEN HEARING
hearing assessment today.
Call us on:
FREEPHONE 1800 370 000
or visit our website:
www.hearingawareness.ie
“1 in 6 people suffer from some
degree of hearing loss.
I recommend that anyone who is
concerned about their hearing should
not delay in having it checked.”
Dr. Nina Byrnes - MRN19905
Hidden Hearing’s Medical Advisor