You Don't Have to Live With Tinnitus Anymore

Tinnitus is the hearing of sound when no external sound is present. While often described as a ringing, it may also sound like a clicking, hissing, or roaring. The sound may be soft or loud, low pitched or high pitched, and appear to be coming from the ears or in the head. Most of the time, it comes on gradually. When it comes on suddenly, some people can not adapt to tinnitus and place it in the background of their lives. It is at the forefront of everything they do every day and can interfere with sleep, concentration, and the ability to hear clearly. It is more common in those with high levels of anxiety or depression. Our experienced audiologists are proud to offer 5-star-rated tinnitus treatment in Phoenix and Gilbert, AZ.

Tinnitus: What Causes It?

Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom that can result from a number of underlying causes. The most common causes are noise exposure and aging. Other causes include head trauma, concussion, sudden hearing loss, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, exposure to certain medications, or stopping some medications abruptly.

Tinnitus: Other Factors That May Affect People With Tinnitus

Some people with bothersome tinnitus also have an abnormal sensitivity to sound called hyperacusis. Normal, everyday sounds may cause pain for these patients which causes them to retreat only to quiet situations and avoid those places that have a fair amount of noise.

Hyperacusis can also be treated with filtered earplugs and sound therapies over time. The treatments are designed to reset the central gain control in the brain over time leading to more normal sound sensitivity.

Tinnitus: What Treatments Are Available?

So, the question is….is there any way to lessen or eliminate the tinnitus? The answer is a resounding….YES. Current studies of tinnitus and specialized brain imaging are providing new insights and therapies to help those with bothersome tinnitus.

Here at Southwest Balance, we look at the tinnitus patient as a whole and not just as a symptom. We are able to determine the type of tinnitus, how it began, how bothersome it is, and how it is affecting your life. We consider your story and lifestyle to determine which treatment(s) would be most effective for you. We support and guide you to achieve the best tinnitus relief possible.

• Information & Education: Studies have shown that learning about tinnitus, demystifying it, and using refocusing strategies can help some overcome their tinnitus.
• Hearing Technology: This is specific ear-level technology that can be programmed to provide neural stimulation to the brain. It is important that this neural stimulation is precise to fit each patient’s brain, not under or overstimulating the brain. This technology can lessen or even take away tinnitus awareness.
• Mindfulness: This is a type of relaxation or meditation practice done on a daily basis that can lessen the brain’s reaction to the tinnitus sound. By doing this, the tinnitus awareness may lessen with time.
• Sound Therapies: There are different sounds or different types of music that can lessen the experience of a patient’s tinnitus when needed.

2020 Tinnitus Study

We looked at a group of around 60 participants with constant tinnitus. We found that a specific hearing technology helped 95% of the participants decrease their tinnitus! Some had complete relief while wearing the technology! If you are interested in seeing what this technology can do for you, please call our office to schedule an appointment.

We are continuing our research on other methods to help reduce tinnitus while not wearing technology, and for those who are not good candidates for the technology.

What Is Misophonia?

Misophonia is an abnormally strong negative reaction to specific sounds, or “triggers” like eating, chewing, lip-smacking, licking, breathing, whistling, or the sound of certain speech sounds, as well as sounds such as clicking or tapping. This negative reaction often results in anger, distress, and even rage. Body sounds can also trigger misophonia, which perhaps the most famous person associated with misophonia, Dr. Pawell Jastreboff, called “somatosounds.”

Usually, misophonia develops in childhood or early adolescence but can occur in adulthood as well. It routinely begins suddenly after some emotionally significant initial incident associated with a first “trigger” sound, and environmental situation accompanied by a strong emotional event.

Misophonia can occur as a secondary symptom that accompanies tinnitus or hyperacusis, which is often associated with auditory damage or head trauma. Misophonia symptoms can also exist as secondary to multi-sensory sensitivity problems displayed in early childhood in more complex neurological conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What Is Hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is an abnormally strong and negative reaction to sound or an inordinate loudness of sound that other people tolerate well. The sounds can be soft, medium, or loud. It may cause distress, fear, or even pain to the person experiencing it. ​ It is believed that hyperacusis occurs because of hyperactivity within the hearing system.

The auditory system provides an automatic gain or volume control, modifying its sensitivity at both peripheral and central levels. Consequently, when a person is normally exposed to even a low level of sound, the signal is amplified by the outer hair cell system by up to 60 dB. If mechanisms controlling this gain modification are producing higher levels of amplification when it is not needed, then overstimulation occurs within the auditory system resulting in a perception of sound as abnormally loud, even painful.