Tinnitus
What is Tinnitus?
The dictionary definition for tinnitus is:
A sound in one ear or both ears, such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling, occurring without an external stimulus.
Most sufferers describe it as an annoying noise in the ears or head.
Tinnitus can really have a negative impact on your quality of life.
“You hear the tinnitus, you stress about the tinnitus, you then monitor the tinnitus, which stresses you out even further, the noise seems louder & so it goes on…”
Tinnitus is not curable but we can certainly help.
We are committed to finding a way to break this cycle and bring you some relief and offer you support.
Can Tinnitus be treated, or do I just have to live with it?
There is no cure for tinnitus, however there is effective treatment available.
We can guide you through the options for treatment, whether it be sound therapy, amplification or just understanding your Tinnitus and putting your mind at rest.
We are highly qualified in the treatment of tinnitus with many clients finding relief through our treatment plans and support.
What causes tinnitus?
The most common cause is damage and loss of the tiny sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. This can happen as people get older or as a result of prolonged or sudden exposure to excessively loud noise, but sometimes there is no obvious reason for it.
If you suspect that you may be suffering with tinnitus, your first step is to undergo a professional consultation. After your diagnosis, We can make an individual treatment plan for your tinnitus. A Tinnitus Treatment plan combines the elements below, depending on your degree of tinnitus
- Counselling – helps you to identify and change the way you perceive tinnitus
- Relaxation – guide you in sleep strategies and relaxation.
- Sound stimulation – sound therapy can reduce your tinnitus related stress.
- Amplification – hearing aids can be a big help if you have an underlying hearing loss.
Our consultation process is as follows:
- History – We listen to your concerns to build up a comprehensive picture of what’s happening and how we can help.
- Video Otoscopy – Using a Video Camera high resolution pictures of your ears are taken to identify any problems.
- Wax removal – Where necessary we use a variety of procedures to painlessly remove any wax from your ears.
- Pure Tone Audiometry – Is a full diagnostic hearing test completed in a soundproof booth to identify the cause, nature and severity of your tinnitus.
- Middle Ear Functional test – To identify if your middle ear is working normally.
- Onward referral – Occasionally we may feel that onward referral is required – this is unusual, but you can trust us to always do the right thing, we work with the best Ear Nose and Throat Consultants in the area.
- Explanation of Results – Once of the information and testing is complete, we will explain the results in detail to you.
- Treatment plan – We will propose a Tailor made treatment plan to help you to maximise relief from your tinnitus.
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After listening to my Tinnitus story, Steven inspected my ears and advised me how to cope, not only with the physical noise, but also advised some psychological techniques that might help me lessen the noise. In his report to my Occupational Health he recommended noise generating hearing aids to mask the tinnitus. Steven is one of the few professionals I have met who understands the solutions to our hearing misery and I absolutely would recommend him to other Tinnitus sufferers.
Dave Hough, Sutton Coldfield