It is very common to have tinnitus which is associated with the onset or increase of hearing loss . But tinnitus is not only a problem with those who have hearing loss. Tinnitus happens due to neurological changes within the auditory system and within the parts of the brain that influence conscious attention and emotional state. When the natural balance of listening is altered by hearing loss, the neurological activity of the brain changes. This activity is then interpreted by the brain as sound. This results in whistling or ringing sound commonly known as tinnitus.
Tinnitus is also highly associated with noise exposure, which we all have in our lives. Noise is everywhere. But the type of noise exposure that typically leads to tinnitus is ongoing, sustained noise exposure from both recreational and occupational noise.
Recreational noise exposure can happen from shooting guns and not using hearing protection. It can also come from household carpentry work with saws and compression guns. Other types of recreational noise can be motorcycles, driving recreational vehicles, and listening to loud music with headphones.
Occupational noise exposure can happen when you work in an environment that is very loud such as a factory, being a trucker, working around sirens, and industries like carpentry and iron work. It is also prevalent in Veterans who have been exposed to firearms, tanks, machinery, aircraft, large water vessels, and those deployed to places with burn pits and extended noise exposure from active warfare. These locations typically require hearing protection.
But, there was a time when hearing protection was not yet known to be important. If you have been working for 25-40 years in a loud environment, it is likely that you started that career without the use of hearing protection. Working for any length of time in sustained noise, without hearing protection, is a sure reason for hearing loss and associated tinnitus as you age.
Tinnitus prevention starts with minimizing your exposure to loud noises. This can be in the choices that you make for your occupation and recreational activities. If you are going to be exposed to loud noise, then make sure to wear hearing protection. If you already have known hearing loss, then the need for hearing protection is even more pronounced. This is even an opportunity to come to Optimum Audiology and Dr. Mendoza for passive hearing protection that is custom molded to your ear for maximum noise reduction. You can also receive information about active noise reduction devices such as Peltors which allow you to hear conversation but automatically decrease the volume of loud sounds.
Complications of tinnitus cause things like the individual to have anxiety, anxiousness, frustration, isolation, and feelings of hopelessness. This kind of complication is very important to address in seeing a professional that is aware of the emotional effects of tinnitus on an individual. Optimum Audiology and Dr. Mendoza have been working with tinnitus for 30 years. This allows Optimum Audiology and Dr. Mendoza to have knowledge of how to address your specific concerns and frustrations with the tinnitus that you are experiencing. Dr. Mendoza is also aware of warning signs of more complications based on testing and will refer you to the appropriate physician and provide counseling, as needed.
The most common and effective treatment for tinnitus is hearing aids.
Hearing aids are useful to the individual that has associated hearing loss. Hearing aids are also helpful as assistive devices for individuals that do not have hearing loss but do have just tinnitus. The hearing aids tend to “mask” or keep the ear busy with sound being processed by the hearing aid. This sound keeps the ear busy and tends to decrease or alleviate the tinnitus from being heard while the hearing aids are in use. Hearing aids are effective, just as straight hearing aids and amplifiers.
Hearing aids are also useful in that they have tinnitus maskers embedded in the software of the hearing aids. These maskers have sounds that can be played through the hearing aids which function in the way akin to noise cancellation headphones. If you determine where the frequency (pitch) and loudness of the tinnitus is for the individual (via pitch matching in a hearing test), then you can put this same pitch in the ear through the hearing aid and effectively decrease or temporarily eliminate the tinnitus that he patient is hearing from their own auditory system.
Many hearing aids now have tinnitus masking and the ability to provide masking to the patient who is experiencing tinnitus.
