Do you hear that constant annoying ringing, clicking or hissing in your ears even when no corresponding environmental sounds exist? Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing annoying noise ranging from buzzing, ringing, hissing, chirping, or whistling.
Typically tinnitus is more of a nuisance than a critical health problem but in some cases the problem can be severe. According to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), around 50 million people in the United States experience tinnitus to some degree. About 12 million of them experience tinnitus so severely that they are forced to seek medical help. Around 2 million people are affected by it so badly that it disturbs their ability to function in their day-to-day life.
Tinnitus Causes and Treatments
Tinnitus affects both men and women and its occurrence increases with age. Thus this disorder is more common in elderly people. Sometimes it also affects children and teenagers.
Generally tinnitus worsens when the noise in the background is low. Especially, at night when the surroundings are quiet, people suffering from tinnitus become more aware of the persistent noise and it disturbs their ability to sleep.
Tinnitus can start all of a sudden or it may develop gradually over a period of time. There are various causes behind tinnitus, including:
– Age-related hearing loss
– Ear infections or the rupturing of the eardrum.
– Constant exposure to loud noise – be it from heavy equipment or music devices (i.e. listening to music constantly on MP3 players or iPods at high volume or even attending loud rock concerts can cause temporary tinnitus.)
– Excessive buildup of ear wax, especially if it touches the ear drum, can cause hearing loss and eventually result in tinnitus.
– Injuries to the head and neck can affect the inner ear or nerves that are linked to hearing can impact hearing and cause tinnitus.
– Otosclerosis, a condition in which a bone grows abnormally in the middle ear can lead to tinnitus.
– Medicines and antibiotics such as aspirin are known to cause this disorder. Studies say, more than 200 medicines can cause tinnitus.
– Various other conditions can lead to tinnitus such as acoustic neuroma, meniere’s disease, atherosclerosis, labyrinthitis, thyroid and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Typically, tinnitus doesn’t go away on its own. Although there is no treatment for a complete tinnitus cure, scientists and doctors have discovered several treatments that may provide relief.
– If the tinnitus is caused by accumulation of earwax, you would need to seek medical help to remove the excessive build-up of wax in your ears. Similarly if the cause is an ear infection, take the medication prescribed by your doctor.
– Reducing the intake of caffeine and salt can help relieve the symptoms of tinnitus.
– If you experience problems in hearing, use hearing aids, wearing a hearing aid may allow you to hear the sounds you want to hear better (e.g. talking, music, etc.) rather than your tinnitus.
– Tinnitus Retraining Therapy uses a combination of counseling and masking devices.
Tinnitus treatment with masking devices
Maskers are electronic devices that use sound to make tinnitus less noticeable. Maskers do not make tinnitus go away, but they are very effective in making the ringing or roaring sound much less of an irritant.
Sound Oasis sound therapy systems are the finest tinnitus masking devices in the world. We offer a wide range of models to suit your needs.
S-650-02 Sound Oasis Sleep Sound Therapy System with 2 sound cards: SC-300-01 and SC-300-02– Specifically developed for tinnitus sufferers. Helps circumvent tinnitus discomfort, blocks out irritating noises.
SC-300-02 Sound Oasis Tinnitus Therapy Sound Card – Advanced Tinnitus therapy sounds to help tinnitus sufferers mask and manage their tinnitus at home or work. Includes 6 sounds developed by
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in sound therapy has created over 60 CDs which are sold in 26 countries.
SP-101 Sleep Therapy Pillow Speakers – Turn any pillow into a Sleep Therapy Pillow for optimal relaxation. Enjoy your favorite sounds – ultra-thin stereo speakers with inline volume control.
Tinnitus Downloads – World’s only 8 hour track of uninterrupted sound! Sound Oasis has worked with world renowned Dr. Jeffrey Thompson to create Tinnitus Therapy sounds based on the proven principal of tinnitus masking that can help alleviate the discomfort of tinnitus.
Tinnitus App Download – Provides a wide variety of sounds that have been proven to help tinnitus sufferers.