Tinnitus Treatment Options

Do you hear a ringing, clicking, buzzing, humming, or hissing sound in one or both ears, even though those sounds aren’t in your environment? You might have tinnitus. And you probably want to get rid of this annoying, frustrating problem as soon as possible. 

Your doctor will be able to evaluate your ears and discuss your symptoms to figure out what’s going on. But if it’s tinnitus, is there anything you can do? Below, we discuss some of the treatment options that are available.

Treatment options for Tinnitus

Tinnitus could be a temporary ailment or it could be chronic, and the treatment your doctor will recommend may be based on whether it’s a long-term or short-term problem. 

If you can determine the cause of the ringing in your ears, and you’re able to fix the problem, your tinnitus may go away. For instance, if you have a buildup of wax in your ear and you remove the wax, your tinnitus symptoms might subside. Or, if you were exposed to very loud music or noise, you might experience temporary tinnitus that will go away on its own.   

Unfortunately, when it comes to chronic tinnitus, your doctor might not have a way to get rid of it. For example, if your tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, there might not be much that you can do. Instead, the focus may be on helping you pay less attention to the ringing in your ears so it doesn’t get in the way of daily activities. 

Here are some examples of the ways you can manage tinnitus:

• Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) - The goal of this treatment is to help you become less aware of the tinnitus, sort of like when you become used to other types of background noise to the point that you’re no longer bothered by it because your brain isn’t focused on it. Through therapy and the use of a device like a sound generator in the ear, TRT might help improve your quality of life.


• Noise suppressing or masking device - This type of device is similar to a hearing aid because you place it in your ear. It produces sounds that may help block out tinnitus. A doctor can help you get the right type of device for your symptoms so you can achieve the best results. 


• Medications - Some medications might be helpful in managing tinnitus, and your doctor might be able to recommend a few options. Some people might get relief if they take an anti-anxiety medicine or an antidepressant. But if there’s a health problem causing the tinnitus, a medication that tackles that ailment may be the solution.


• White noise machine - Tinnitus might be super bothersome when your environment is quiet because you may notice it more when there are no other sounds to distract you. In that case, a white noise machine might be effective. It works by creating the background noise that can help you focus less on the ringing in your ear.  

Addressing the underlying conditions causing Tinnitus

As mentioned above, tinnitus might be a symptom of an underlying problem. So, you may be able to reduce or get rid of the tinnitus by properly treating the condition that’s causing it. 

For instance, if your tinnitus has come about because of hearing loss, using a hearing aid might help, but this may depend on the type of hearing loss you’ve developed. On the other hand, if you’re experiencing tinnitus because there’s too much wax in your ear, a doctor can help by removing all of that excess wax safely. 

Blood vessel conditions and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) are two examples of health problems that might lead to tinnitus. Receiving the appropriate care and medicine for those problems might be all you need to start getting some relief.

In some cases, a medication might cause tinnitus as a side effect. If that happens, you might be able to use a different product that won’t have the same effect on your ears. Simple enough!

Don’t hesitate to get help for your Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be a difficult condition to deal with every day, but there are things you can do about it, even if you can’t eliminate it. Go ahead and talk to a doctor about your symptoms. You might be surprised by the many different methods that can be used to deal with this common problem, so you don’t have to keep living with it if it’s getting in the way or taking a toll on your quality of life. 

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350162  

https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-tinnitus-treatment

https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/tinnitus/treatment

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156

https://www.miracle-ear.com/hearing-diseases/tinnitus-ringing-ears/ear-ringing-myths-and-facts