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Tinnitus

People living with tinnitus don’t know what silence is anymore. They hear a noise, often described as a whistling or buzzing sound. It can be perceived on the right or left side, in both ears, in the head. It can be loud or soft and the intensity can vary. It can be continuous or occasional. Often, stress, anxiety, tiredness and exposure to noise aggravate the perception of tinnitus.

Understand helps you live better with tinnitus!

What is tinnitus

Tinnitus is a sound that you are the only one to hear. The sound varies between individuals and can also vary in the same individual (whistling, buzzing, pulsations, etc.). Tinnitus can be heard in one or both ears. It can be continuous or occasional, low or high intensity and in different tones. They may be present in both a hearing-impaired person or a person with normal hearing. Most people have already experienced the sensation of hissing or ringing in the ear.

Causes of tinnitus

Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a sign that something is not right in the ear or the auditory system. Several causes are possible:

  • Hearing loss
  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Medication
  • Certain diseases (Ménières, tumor, etc.)
  • Fatigue, anxiety, stress, depression
  • Pain in the neck, shoulders or jaw
  • Heart issues

Consequences of tinnitus

Tinnitus can have a direct impact on:

  • Thoughts and emotions. The way you think about your tinnitus will influence your emotional reaction to it. Negative thoughts may naturally lead to feelings of embarrassment, depression, anxiety or even anger. Tinnitus does not have to interfere with your enjoyment of life. Our professionals understand tinnitus and can help you. You can have an impact on your reaction to tinnitus.
  • Hearing. Some people report that their tinnitus compete with the things they are trying to hear. Most people with tinnitus also have a hearing loss, and it is not always easy to tell if hearing difficulties are due to hearing loss or tinnitus. There are many things you can do to improve your condition, such as using listening strategies and hearing aids often improve hearing and tinnitus!
  • Sleep. It should be easy for everyone to enjoy a good night’s sleep. Many patients with tinnitus report difficulty falling asleep. It can also be more difficult to get back to sleep after waking up in the night. Several methods can be used to improve your sleep experience. Most people with tinnitus receive sound therapy during sleep.
  • Concentration. Some types of tinnitus can be very distracting. Many people with tinnitus are reporting difficulty concentrating when reading a book or the newspaper, for example.
  • Overall effect. These direct effects on your thoughts and emotions, hearing, sleep and concentration can lead to secondary problems in activities of daily life, particularly in the family, at work, with friends and in leisure activities. The purpose of any support for tinnitus is to limit the impact of tinnitus on your life, so you can enjoy every day.

Treatment of tinnitus

Although there is no surgery for the majority of tinnitus, there are several treatments that can reduce the sensation of tinnitus. 

A tinnitus is a buzzing, hissing sound that can be perceived only by the person affected. 

Some causes of tinnitus can be treated : ear wax buildup, allergy, infection, etc. However , tinnitus is most often linked to damage to the ear, or of unknown cause. In these cases, treatment becomes more difficult. No drug or surgical treatment can remove tinnitus. You must be very careful: there is no miracle solution, as we often see on television or on the web.

Your audiologist can still offer you some proven solutions to help live with the impacts of tinnitus on your life.

    • Counseling. Several counseling approaches can help people with tinnitus. In all cases, explanations of the mechanisms of tinnitus will be offered. We will also present you with all the possibilities open to you and answer all your questions. We will adapt our approach to offer the best possible treatment for your needs.
    • Maskers. Many patients report that their tinnitus is greatly diminished by the presence of background noise. The noise may be present in the environment (eg. fan noise). It is also possible to purchase a discrete device, worn in the ear, which produces a sound that will mask your tinnitus. The sound masking will be determined with your audiologist to effectively hide your tinnitus.
    • Hearing aids. Tinnitus can often be caused by hearing impairment. By improving your hearing, wearing hearing aids impacts your tinnitus in many ways. Consult your audiologist for more information.

Tips for people with tinnitus

  • Learning to manage your tinnitus. The more you know and understand about your tinnitus, the better you can manage it. 
  • Relax. Tinnitus is often aggravated by stress. 
  • Avoid aggravating factors. Some people notice that their tinnitus worsens when taking alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, sweet foods, foods containing quinine, etc. Pay attention to products that affect you and try to avoid them.
  • Do not aggravate your tinnitus. Noise exposure can aggravate your tinnitus. Wear hearing protection in noisy situations can help prevent worsening.
  • Continue to communicate. If your tinnitus complicates communication with your loved ones, communication strategies can help you.