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How to turn down tinnitus
Tinnitus sufferers are being urged to push for more information on self-help to manage their condition, during British Tinnitus Awareness Week 8-15 February, 2010. Jo Waters reports
Over five million people, or 10 per cent of the adult population, in the UK suffer from tinnitus – a sensation of hearing a persistent noise coming from within the body rather than from outside.
This noise is typically a high-pitched ringing, whirring, whining or buzzing, although in some cases sufferers can hear voices or even music.
It is caused by damage to the sensitive hearing nerves inside the inner ear – mainly due to exposure to loud noise and age-related hearing loss. Other causes include a build-up of earwax, ear infections, anaemia, side effects of drugs, including some antidepressants and perforated eardrums or, in extremely rare cases, a head injury or brain tumour.
Research has also shown a strong link between tinnitus and stress. Big life events like redundancy, divorce or bereavement can sometimes be a trigger for tinnitus or make it worse.
"There is no pill or magic wand that will cure tinnitus but there are a number of strategies which can help minimise its effects," says Mr Andrew McCombe, consultant ENT surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, a professional adviser to the British Tinnitus Association.
"Unfortunately it can sometimes be difficult for patients to access information about their condition and how best to manage it.
"But once patients have it explained to them that tinnitus is in most cases caused by nerve impulses firing incorrectly and nothing more sinister, they often stop worrying about it cope better and notice it less."
Mr McCombe said there are a number of strategies which can help to minimise the effects of tinnitus, but patients were sometimes not told about them.
"One of the most effective management techniques is sound enrichment where the tinnitus is masked by a low level neutral soothing background noise such as rain on a rooftop or waves on a beach," says Mr McCombe.
"These noises help distract the patient and make the tinnitus less noticeable."
The sounds used are easy to hear and neutral but pitched just below the tinnitus. The ultimate aim is to lessen the contrast between tinnitus and silence and gradually make the tinnitus signal weaker and less intrusive.
Some hospitals have tinnitus clinics where a team of specialists can teach the patient to use sound enrichment techniques – using 'white noise' sound generators which can be fitted behind the ear, or pillow speakers or other distraction techniques.
"Stress can make tinnitus worse so cognitive behavioural techniques (where a person’s thinking is retrained to change their behaviour) can also be effective," says Mr McCombe.
"Attending a support group run by organisations like the British Tinnitus Association or the Royal National Institute for Deaf People can also help."
In about one per cent of cases tinnitus can be so severe that it leads to severe depression and suicidal feelings. But Mr McCombe said in most of these cases the patient also had an additional psychological problem and tinnitus was rarely the only cause.
Often by the time people reach their 60s and beyond it’s too late to prevent damage due to loud noise and they may also be experiencing age-related hearing loss.
But Mr McCombe recommends eating lots of fruit and vegetables for their antioxidant content to prevent damage by free radicals, taking plenty of exercise to improve circulation and avoiding stress, to try and keep tinnitus at bay.
You can prevent further damage to your hearing by avoiding exposure to loud noises and even wearing earplugs when you are out and about – experts say you will still be able to hear conversations, but you’ll just screen out loud background noise.
The British Tinnitus Association has produced a number of new leaflets on stress management and relaxation techniques to help tinnitus sufferers cope better with their condition, plus a sound therapy CD Sound of the Sea on Deal Beach(£7.50 including postage and packing) available from www.tinnitus.org.uk
For more information on tinnitus call the British Tinnitus Association 0800 018 0527 or visit www.tinnitus.org.uk
First published February 8, 2010
Useful links
- Tips for tinnitus
- Tinnitus: causes and treatments
- Hearing loss: the facts
- Is it time for a hearing test?
- Understanding antioxidants
- Stress - what it does to your health
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
