Tinnitus Treatment
People with tinnitus hear sounds that are not physically present. More than 50 million Americans experience tinnitus symptoms, from occasional episodes to chronic cases.
Do you experience roaring, buzzing or ringing in your ears? Come to Hearing Associates for tinnitus treatment, and our audiologists will help provide a solution to suit your needs.
What is Tinnitus?
It’s a condition that’s characterized by the perception of buzzing, ringing, humming or whooshing that doesn’t have an external source. Typically, only you can hear the noise and it’s often a symptom of an underlying issue. You can develop tinnitus in one or both of your ears and it can fluctuate, go away or worsen over time. Symptoms can present in people of all ages, depending on the cause and level of noise exposure. Tinnitus is diagnosed through physical assessments, medical history reviews and hearing tests. There is currently no cure for tinnitus, but there are a variety of management options to ease discomfort.
Tinnitus Symptoms
Tinnitus can present a variety of symptoms, but usually includes phantom sounds in your ears or head, such as:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Rushing or whooshing
- Humming or whistling
You may also experience differences in pitch and volume. Tinnitus can create sleep disturbances and make it difficult to concentrate, especially in quiet environments.
Tinnitus Causes
Tinnitus can be caused by:
- Short- or long-term exposure to loud noises
- Hearing loss
- Ototoxic medications
- Earwax buildup
- Ear infections
- Head and neck injuries
- Meniere’s disease
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Muscle spasms in your ears
- Chronic conditions like diabetes, thyroid issues and lupus
Types of Tinnitus
There are several types of tinnitus, which are mainly categorized as subjective or objective. Each condition requires a specific diagnosis to ensure you receive appropriate treatment.
Subjective Tinnitus
Subjective tinnitus is the perception of a noise that doesn’t have an external source and isn’t heard by others. It’s the most common form of tinnitus and is caused by noise exposure, age-related changes and hearing loss.
Objective Tinnitus
This type of tinnitus is characterized by ringing that is also heard by someone other than the affected person. Objective tinnitus is rare and can be perceived with a stethoscope. It’s often rhythmic and caused by abnormal blood flow or spasms in your ears.
Neurological Tinnitus
Neurological tinnitus occurs when there are dysfunctions within your auditory pathway to your brain. Unlike other types of tinnitus that result from damage to your inner ear, a neurological case is caused by neurodegenerative issues and head trauma.
Somatic Tinnitus
You may experience somatic tinnitus with specific body movements or sensations in your head, neck and jaw. That’s often due to issues with coordination between your auditory and sensory systems. Somatic tinnitus can be caused by muscle tension, jaw joint conditions and spine disorders.
Our Tinnitus Evaluation and Treatment Process
Treating tinnitus first requires a thorough evaluation and discussion to determine the cause of your discomfort. Our audiologists review your medical and family history to identify potential risk factors before conducting different assessments to decide on the best treatment. Your input is essential during this step, so it’s important to provide as much detail about your conditions as possible.
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) Assessment
The Tinnitus Functional Index measures the severity of your symptoms and helps your audiologist determine the right treatment. The assessment includes questions rated on a numbered scale to understand how tinnitus affects you. Bring the completed form to your next appointment to help guide your treatment plan.
Comprehensive Hearing Test
You’ll undergo a hearing assessment during tinnitus treatment to determine if you have underlying hearing loss. Understanding the cause helps your audiologist identify what’s contributing to the ringing in your ears.
Advanced Evaluation
During your evaluation, you’ll discuss the characteristics of your tinnitus, including the frequency of your episodes. That can help you identify a pattern of behavior or trigger that contributes to a tinnitus spike. This assessment also rules out other medical conditions that could be contributing to it.
Customized Tinnitus Treatment Plan
You’ll have access to a variety of tinnitus treatment options, including sound therapy, hearing technology, tinnitus retraining therapy and lifestyle changes. Your treatment may require one or a combination of the following options.
Tinnitus Treatment Options
Because your brain interprets tinnitus as something “bad,” disrupting the negative emotional signals associated with the sounds can help ease your discomfort. The results of your tests and evaluations will guide your care plan to help you manage your tinnitus symptoms. It’s also important to evaluate your lifestyle goals, such as lessening the daily impact of your condition or treating the underlying causes. Hearing Associates offers the following options:
Lenire Neuromodulation
Hearing Associates offers Lenire by Neuromod Devices to help ease your tinnitus symptoms. Lenire is an FDA-approved medical device that provides bimodal treatment using a set of wireless headphones and a small device that sends gentle electrical stimulation through your tongue. It helps regulate the neural activity in your brain’s auditory cortex that can create or worsen the ringing.
During the 60-minute treatment session, you listen to soothing sounds through your headphones while pressing a stimulator to the tip of your tongue. You can adjust the electrical stimulation via a handheld device. Our audiologists will walk you through the process and schedule follow-up appointments to track your progress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Oto)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment to help you manage emotional distress caused by tinnitus. Oto is a structured tinnitus support program that can be accessed via a mobile app, providing guided cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help you better cope with the emotional effects of ringing in the ears. The program features 10-minute sessions designed to help you gradually habituate to your symptoms and manage your response to them in a healthy, constructive way.
While the core program is designed to be completed over 12 weeks, participants now receive unlimited access, allowing you to revisit sessions and tools whenever you need ongoing support.
Hearing Aids for Tinnitus
Around 80 to 90 percent of individuals with tinnitus also have some degree of hearing loss. Research has shown that hearing aids can provide tinnitus relief by delivering more sounds to your brain, reducing the perception of the ringing or buzzing. If regular amplification alone isn’t enough, hearing aids also have built-in masking features that your audiologist can adjust to your needs.
Sound Therapy
Sound therapy is a common treatment used to manage the effects of tinnitus because it helps reduce brain sensitivity to the internal sounds. It encompasses a variety of techniques, so you can customize your approach to suit your needs. You can use ambient noise, like music or a fan, to prevent your brain from focusing on a single sound source. Formal sound therapy involves habituation to retrain your cognitive response to your symptoms.
Why Early Tinnitus Treatment Matters
Understanding the cause of your tinnitus can bring you peace of mind. Addressing the underlying cause of the ringing helps reduce its impact on your daily life, supporting better communication and allowing you to engage with others more effectively.
You can also decrease the effects of listening fatigue by treating your tinnitus early on. Hearing aids and sound therapy make sounds clearer and easier to understand, regardless of the ringing in your ears, so your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to understand.
Addressing your tinnitus allows you to manage feelings of stress and anxiety that can accompany the condition. That improves your mood and mental well-being.
Trust Hearing Associates for Tinnitus Treatment
Understanding tinnitus can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to work with experts so you can put your mind at ease and enjoy the sounds around you. Our expert audiologists are trained in various tinnitus diagnosis and management techniques. You can count on our team to walk you through the process, from your first appointment to follow-up sessions. Contact us when you’re ready to make your appointment.
FAQs
You can pronounce it one of two ways: TIN-uh-tus or tih-NIGHT-us.
Yes, especially if you live with untreated hearing loss. Repeated exposure to loud sounds and failure to address underlying health conditions can worsen your tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus spikes can also affect your ability to ignore the ringing, leading to increased awareness and discomfort.
Nearly 27 million U.S. adults (11.2%) report tinnitus each year. Globally, about 1 in 10 adults live with ongoing tinnitus, and roughly 2.3% experience it at a disabling level.
No. Damage to the hair cells in your inner ears is permanent. You can treat the underlying symptoms that exacerbate your condition to manage the ringing.
It varies, depending on the cause and extent of damage to your inner ear and auditory nerve. Some people experience symptom resolution with treatment while others face chronic tinnitus throughout their lives.
Yes. Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss—when the brain doesn’t get enough sound input, it can create the ringing you hear. Hearing aids restore the missing sounds, reducing the brain’s need to “fill in the gaps,” which can make tinnitus less noticeable. Many devices also include sound therapy or masking features, and studies show most users experience relief.
The following lifestyle tips can help you manage your tinnitus:
- Avoid loud noises or wear ear protection.
- Manage your stress levels.
- Stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
- Exercise to promote good circulation
- Reduce salt intake.
- Avoid ototoxic medications.
You may need to visit your audiologist once every few months following an initial diagnosis to assess the effectiveness of your treatment plan. It’s also important to schedule a yearly hearing evaluation to monitor for signs of hearing loss progression.
Yes. About 1–2% of people experience tinnitus severe enough to disrupt daily life. Counseling and mental health resources, including services designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, can be important in managing this impact.
While these don’t cause tinnitus directly, they can intensify symptoms:
- Stress, anxiety, or depression
- Poor sleep or insomnia
- Loud noise exposure without ear protection
- Certain medications (ototoxic drugs, high-dose NSAIDs)
- Diets high in salt, sugar, caffeine, or alcohol
Yes. Strategies that may help include:
- Wearing ear protection in noisy settings
- Tracking symptoms with apps
- Using guided relaxation or sleep apps
- Limiting stress and practicing healthy sleep routines