Some people describe it as ringing in the ears. Others complain of a hissing sound or whistling sounds. The weird thing is no one else can hear it except you. People around you may think you’re crazy, but it’s a phenomenon called tinnitus. There are some new treatments for tinnitus.
How to Get Tinnitus Relief
Anyone with tinnitus wants relief from this annoying problem. It can be a consistent issue or be intermittent. Either way, it interferes with your life. Up until recently, researchers focused on hearing as the way to help, but now they are more fixated on the brain. What exactly does that mean?
Whether the tinnitus symptoms arose from excessive noise over time, a build-up of wax, certain medications, trauma, an inner ear disorder, or Meniere’s Disease, doctors decided to address the possible causes. Working with a hearing specialist like Southwest Florida Center For Hearing and Balance you may find that getting properly fitted hearing aids can reduce the symptoms of tinnitus, and you may hear better in general. That is the first step.
Two New Treatments for Tinnitus
Two new therapies have shown remarkable promise in giving the 50 million people in the US with tinnitus a chance at improvement. This therapy is known as bimodal neuromodulation and it has been researched in both the US and Ireland. It means modifying the flow of pathways in the brain. In other words, for many people bimodal means using two techniques: touch and sound stimulation help to manage tinnitus.
Neuroplasticity means your brain adapts when learning. When scientists tested bimodal stimulation, they used sound and electrical stimulation together, which resulted in neuroplasticity in those sections of the brain.
Lenire
This first new treatment is FDA approved. It uses a wireless headset and a tongue tip stimulator is placed in your mouth. The headphones produce calming music while the stimulator emits gentle electrical pulses that stimulate your tongue. There is no pain. The sounds and pulses collaborate to help recondition your brain and slowly you reduce focus on tinnitus.
Neosensory Duo
This therapy is quite remarkable. In this case it works through your wrist. Also FDA approved, you wear a device that looks like a watch, but the stimulation is on the wrist. The vibrations on the device are coordinated to the sounds you hear from a mobile app. Similar to Lenire, you are being stimulated via two methods and symptoms of tinnitus are reduced.
You must contact Southwest Florida Center For Hearing and Balance to have an evaluation and find out which of these devices are the best choice for you.
By shifting the focus from the sounds of tinnitus, patients can get relief.
Successful Results
Neither of these therapies is a cure for tinnitus, but they retrain the brain to reduce the symptoms.
Both treatments had positive results.
- The National Institute of Health after the first Lenire trials found over 70% were happy with their results.
- With Neosensory Duo, the participants in the study who had the worst tinnitus had the largest amount of improvement.
If you suffer from tinnitus, contact an experienced audiologist like Southwest Florida Center For Hearing and Balance to try one of these new therapies. Call 239-946-5409 to schedule an appointment in Fort Myers, FL today.
Sources: Tinnitus – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic
Tinnitus (Ringing in Ears): Causes & Treatment (clevelandclinic.org)
