If you have a job or a personal life that frequently places you in situations with loud music or noise, you may be suffering from a condition known as Tinnitus. If you have it, you probably would know it because symptoms include a constant, loud ringing sound in the ears.
<strong>What is Tinnitus?</strong>
If you haven’t heard of it, tinnitus is actually a loss of hearing caused by loud noise. When people are exposed to enough loud sounds, hearing loss can be the result. Oddly, tinnitus sufferers often complain of a ringing sound when no such sound exists. The loudness of the ringing sound and the tone of that sound can vary a great deal from person to person.
<strong>Tinnitus and Its Consequences</strong>
Why should we care about the onset of tinnitus? Imagine if it were you that suddenly started to perceive that ringing sound all day and every day. This kind of condition has long-term effects that cannot be ignored. Tinnitus can cause patients to suffer a dramatic decline in the quality of their lives. The consequences of tinnitus may include various forms of psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. Even short-term memory can be affected.
<strong>Best Treatments for Tinnitus</strong>
Unfortunately, so far there is no treatment that has been shown to completely cure the condition of tinnitus. There is a need for more research to be conducted in order for the scientific community to reach the conclusion that one particular form of treatment will adequately solve the tinnitus problem. This does not mean, however, that there are not promising treatments available that could work, depending on the person.
There are a number of methods for treatment of the type of tinnitus involving hearing loss that is caused by excessive noise, otherwise known as sensorineural tinnitus. Some of these treatments address the loudness of the constant ringing sound that many sufferers experience, while other methods simply focus on reducing the emotional distress associated with the perceived ringing.
<strong>1. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy</strong>
One of the best treatments for tinnitus is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (“TNT”) which focuses on training the brain to become accustomed to the ringing experience. The idea here is that if the brain can cope with the ringing tone, then the distress and other mental problems that often are associated with tinnitus may not develop. Talk therapy and a low-level type of background noise are employed for this purpose.
<strong>2. Tinnitus Masking</strong>
Another one of the best treatments for tinnitus is the method of “masking” or training the brain to be comfortable with the ringing tone that comes with tinnitus. This type of treatment can be done at home by listening to sounds available on the internet.
<strong> 3. Meditation</strong>
This treatment focuses primarily upon reducing the anxiety or depression that can be caused by tinnitus. Like Tinnitus Masking, this method can be done at home.
<strong>4. Drugs</strong>
No medication has yet been identified that cures tinnitus, though some, such as Clonazepam, may help to reduce the ringing sound for some people. No other drug has been shown to significantly alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus.
<strong>5. Other Treatments</strong>
There are other types of sound therapies available on the market that have yet to be objectively tested for their effectiveness. In addition, research is currently being conducted to ascertain whether stem cells could be used to cure tinnitus. While the stem cell concept is promising, a great deal of research has yet to be completed in order to understand if this treatment may offer a means of curing tinnitus completely.
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