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| TINNITUS TREATMENT TYPES |
Most Effective
Sound Therapy:
Various treatment strategies use sound to decrease the loudness or prominence of tinnitus. Sound therapies include both wearable (hearing aid-like devices) and non-wearable devices (such as table-top sound machines or even a whirring fan). Often, sound is used to completely or partially cover the tinnitus. Some people refer to this covering of sound as masking or tinnitus retraining therapy. Sound therapies should always be combined with counseling and in doing so have resulted in some of the most effective outcomes for providing relief. Published literature has shown that sound therapies, like masking and tinnitus retraining therapy, are effective 70-80% of the time in providing relief.
Somewhat Effective
Amplification (Hearing Aids):
Some patients with mild to moderate tinnitus, who also experience hearing loss, can obtain tinnitus relief while wearing hearing aids. There are many variables that determine success. However, if a patient has a hearing loss in the frequency range of the tinnitus, hearing aids may bring back in the ambient sounds that naturally cover the tinnitus.
Cochlear Implants/Electrical Stimulation:
A cochlear implant has two components: 1) an electrode array that is threaded into the cochlea, and 2) a receiver that is implanted just beneath the skin behind the ear. The electrode array sends electrical sound signals from the ear to the brain. Because electrode implantation destroys whatever healthy hair cells were left inside the cochlea, these implants are prescribed to deaf or near-deaf patients only.
Cognitive Therapy:
Cognitive therapy is a type of counseling that is based on treating a patient's emotional reaction to tinnitus rather than the tinnitus itself. To accomplish this desired change in perception, a counselor will help the patient identify negative behaviors and thought patterns, then alter them. Counseling programs are individually designed for patients and are most effective when coupled with other tinnitus treatments, such as masking or medication.
Biofeedback:
Biofeedback is a relaxation technique that teaches people to control certain autonomic body functions, such as pulse, muscle tension, and skin temperature. The goal of biofeedback is to help people manage stress in their lives not by reducing the stress but by changing the body’s reaction to it. Many people notice a reduction in their tinnitus when they are able to modify their reaction to the stress in their lives.
TMJ Treatment:
Tinnitus can be a symptom of a jaw joint (temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) dysfunction. This can happen because muscles and nerves in the jaw are closely connected to those in the ear and, under the right circumstances, can interfere with the ear's nerves. Dental treatment or bite realignment can help relieve TMJ pain and associated tinnitus. See your dentist if you think you have this problem.
Drug Therapy:
Many drugs have been researched and used to relieve tinnitus, but there is not a drug that has been designed specifically to treat tinnitus. Some drugs that have been studied include anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, antidepressants like nortriptyline, antihistamines, anticonvulsants like gabapentin, and even anesthetics like lidocaine. All successfully quieted tinnitus for some people, but remember to talk to your provider about side effects and about other medications you currently take before considering drug therapy. Because side effects can happen with any drug or drug combination, patients have to decide for themselves if an undesirable side effect is worth the trade off of tinnitus relief. A recent survey revealed that drug therapy is likely to be effective less than 15% of the time.
Not Effective
Alternative Treatments:
Minerals such as magnesium or zinc, herbal preparations such as Ginkgo biloba, homeopathic remedies, or B vitamins are some time taken by patients for their tinnitus and found them to be helpful. Acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, magnets, hyperbaric oxygen, or hypnosis have also been found to provide relief. A few of these therapies have been researched in an attempt to verify the anecdotal claims. But the results have not conclusively identified these treatments as helpful for tinnitus. A recent survey of audiologists from around the country showed that alternative treatments are likely to be effective less than 15% of the time.
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