What is the treatment for tinnitus?

Tinnitus treatment

Experts recommend non-medical methods that help mitigate or mask unwanted noise in cases where tinnitus, tinnitus, buzzing in the ears, ringing in the ears, or tinnitus is the result of exposure to For loud noises, it is noted that tinnitus may disappear on its own without the need for any intervention sometimes, and it is worth mentioning that it is resorted to treating the main cause that led to the occurrence of tinnitus if it is caused by an underlying health problem, but if it continues after treatment. The same procedures are used if it was caused by noise, and it is worth mentioning that recovery is not inevitable. In many cases, tinnitus may not disappear and its severity may not decrease despite taking measures that help in this and regardless of the cause that led to its occurrence. Likewise, there is no single method that can be adopted to overcome tinnitus in all cases, which forces many to try different types. Of the techniques in order to detect the most appropriate and effective ones for the person, and in fact, no type of medicine, nutritional supplement, or herbal prescription has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (in English: Food and Drug Administration) to treat tinnitus.

Treating the underlying health condition

First, the doctor will detect the underlying health condition of which the ringing may be a symptom. After identifying the problem, the doctor will follow methods that will alleviate this condition, including the following:

• Removing earwax from the ear affected by tinnitus, as this will reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
• Treatment of vascular disorders. The treatment plan may include the use of drug treatments, surgery, and other treatments.
• Changing the type of medications a person uses, and their use may be stopped or their dosage reduced. This is done if tinnitus occurs as a side effect resulting from the use of a specific type of medication.
• In cases where tinnitus is caused by an ear infection, the doctor prescribed antibiotics and ear drops containing hydrocortisone to relieve itching and infection.
• Surgery, which is used in rare cases; Such as tumors, cysts, or otosclerosis, which is represented by the presence of calcium deposits on the ear bone.

Tinnitus reshaping treatment

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (in English: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy), which involves teaching the patient how to adapt to and deal with tinnitus. This treatment is similar in principle to focusing when it rains, as the person’s attention and focus are greater towards raindrops with It begins to fall, but as it continues and time passes, it is not given the same attention as it was at the beginning. It is worth mentioning that the effectiveness and success of tinnitus preservation therapy in treating tinnitus is considered high, reaching approximately 80%. Regardless of the cause that led to its occurrence and whether tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss or not, its effect continues in the long term, and it is considered one of the treatments that is not accompanied by any side effects. In general, tinnitus restructuring treatment includes two main therapeutic steps, which we will explain below. :

• Teaching the brain how to ignore noise by wearing devices behind the ear that generate wide-range noise that will distract the patient away from tinnitus.
• Teaching the patient how to ignore noise by following psychotherapy techniques to relieve his anxiety, including deep relaxation exercises and ways to control psychological stress.

Auditory therapies

In English: Acoustic Therapy is based on the production of sounds externally in order to mask the noise, or prevent or change the production of tinnitus in the ear. This in itself contributes to providing comfort for some people. In fact, auditory treatments include six main methods that stimulate sound, we explain it as follows:

• Tinnitus instrument, which is a combination of hearing aids and sound generators.
• Hearing aids, which work to stimulate areas of the ear and brain that are unable to receive appropriate stimulation as a result of hearing loss, and their principle is to amplify sound and other noises present in the environment.
• Portable or tabletop sound generators.
• Home masking, such as using electric fans, radio, or television.
• Music therapy.
• Tinnitus masker, or what is known as a sound generator, which represents an electronic device at the level of the ear that is placed inside a hearing aid box so that it produces white noise; These are sounds that can be used to cover up other annoying sounds surrounding an individual's environment.

Hearing aids

Hearing aids are used in cases where a person suffers from tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss, as this technology contributes to controlling external sounds well, and this in itself makes it easier for the person to hear sounds and thus reduce hearing the ringing.

Cochlear implant

The patient is resorted to cochlear implant surgery in cases where the person suffers from tinnitus accompanied by severe hearing loss, as this procedure enables the patient to bypass the damaged part of the inner ear and send electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve, and this results in: The procedure is to use a specific device that will mask tinnitus and stimulate changes in the neural circuits by emitting external sounds.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy involves undergoing specific sessions for a fairly short period, such as undergoing these sessions on a weekly basis for a period ranging from two to six months. In its beginning, this treatment improves the quality of life and reduces the feeling of discomfort caused by hearing tinnitus. However, it is unable to reduce the production of these sounds, and cognitive behavioral therapy relies on the use of specific techniques in order to change the way patients think and enhance the response to the resonance. The most prominent of these techniques are cognitive restructuring and relaxation, which includes building coping skills by having patients keep a diary in which they write down the household chores they should do.

pharmacological treatments

As mentioned previously, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any type of medication to treat tinnitus itself, but doctors may resort to prescribing certain types of medications in order to control several disorders that may cause the severity of tinnitus to worsen in some cases. Such as anxiety, depression, and stress, and this includes prescribing antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. Among the most prominent antidepressants used in cases of tinnitus are the following:

• Clomipramine.
• Desipramine.
• Imipramine.
• Alprazolam.

Some tips to relieve tinnitus

In fact, it is worth immediately turning to an audiologist in cases where a person suffers from tinnitus that affects his ability to hear sounds around him, as the specialist follows specific diagnostic procedures and methods that enable him to uncover the real causes behind the suffering from tinnitus. Including physical reasons, taking into account that the reasons behind this vary to different degrees; Starting from blockage of the ear canal with wax and ending with certain pathological conditions that require specific treatments, in this context it is indicated that improving the ability to hear real sounds in the beginning contributes to reducing the need to follow methods and means concerned with overcoming the problem of tinnitus. Likewise, the audiologist plays It plays a role in determining the times when a person suffers from tinnitus and asks questions to determine whether the severity of tinnitus gets worse during the night. In this regard, it is indicated that noise and the production of sounds are less at night compared to during the day, and therefore the ability to hide the constant ringing in the ears is Less at night. The doctor may recommend white noise in order to distract the person from the ringing in his ears. There are many guidelines and tips that doctors recommend following in order to alleviate tinnitus, which we explain below:

• Quitting bad habits that would harm the human body; Such as smoking or alcoholism, and it is worth mentioning that these habits have a negative impact on the ability to hear in addition to their impact on other organs of the body, and therefore it is recommended to quit smoking and make sure to follow a healthy, balanced diet.
• Practicing meditation and relaxation exercises, as previously mentioned, this will improve the ability to cope with tinnitus better, and it also contributes to reducing stress levels and improving the person’s general mood. It is worth mentioning that meditation and relaxation exercises are important in cases where people suffer from In which a person suffers from tinnitus associated with decreased blood flow in the inner ear; As it may play a role in improving blood circulation in the human body.
• Make sure to protect the ears from any harm or harm they may be exposed to, including protecting them from intense noise. This entails taking care to avoid being in places that are very noisy and full of noise. It is also recommended to make sure to wear protective earplugs in order to relieve the resulting pain. About tinnitus and achieving protection from noise-related hearing loss.