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Tinnitus Management and Relief ■ Educational Resources
Tinnitus: Treatment vs. Cure
Debunking the “Nothing Can Be Done” Myth
Tinnitus Treatment
Solutions is an independent
professional organization
comprised of audiologists
specializing in tinnitus
counseling and education
services. Our mission is to
address the gap in care that
exists for tinnitus sufferers.
There are many underserved
tinnitus patients. Many
are told to “just live with
it”, robbing them of hope.
Many are misinformed about
treatment options available
and are in need of solid
educational information
from trained, qualified
professionals who “get it”.
As the primary source of
support and information
for tinnitus sufferers and
their caretakers, we are
here to help patients find
relief. Services are offered
nationwide in the US,
Canada and UK.
Patients seeking medical treatment often search online for information
about an illness or condition. By simply typing in some symptoms
into a search engine, one can find a wealth of knowledge about a
disease or disorder. When it comes to tinnitus, a condition that affects
an estimated 1 in 10 adults, there are many websites with information
dedicated to helping sufferers. Unfortunately, one of the first details
encountered online is that “there is no cure for tinnitus.” Even when
consulting with a physician, patients are also told this disheartening
news. As a result, many stop looking for ways to find relief. Some feel
even more anxious, believing that this is a condition they will have to
live with indefinitely, possibly forever. In desperation, some turn to
marginally legitimate alternative solutions, hoping for a “miracle cure”
or that the “guaranteed results” label will prove true. After all, if there
is “no cure”, then what can be done? Fortunately, there are often ways
that tinnitus sufferers can find relief.
About Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external sound is present.
Tinnitus itself is not a disease; however, it is a symptom of a disease
or condition, and thus may be related to a range of underlying causes.
Most commonly, it is related to changes in the auditory system.
Tinnitus can become persistent if these changes are permanent in
nature, as with sensorineural hearing loss. A common symptom of
sensorineural hearing loss is tinnitus.
A symptom cannot be permanently eliminated without first addressing
the underlying disease process. For example, joint pain and stiffness
can be symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. There are options to manage
pain and stiffness, but managing those symptoms does not cure the
rheumatoid arthritis. However, simply because a condition does not
have a cure does not mean that there aren’t options for relief.
Prevention, Management, Treatment and Cure
In general, the way we address any medical condition usually focuses
on prevention, management, treatment or cure. For example:
• We are vaccinated in order to prevent us from getting certain
diseases;
• We manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or hearing loss;
Tinnitus Management and Relief ■ Educational Resources
• We treat conditions in many different ways including surgery,
psychotherapy, or allowing the body to heal itself;
• We seek to “cure” other conditions, such as using an antifungal
cream to eliminate athlete’s foot.
There are many diseases that rarely impact the general population due
to modern medicine; Viruses such as polio and measles are widely
prevented by vaccines, but these diseases have not been “cured” or
eliminated entirely– they can still be found in populations where the
vaccine has not been administered.
Similarly, many conditions can be adequately managed enabling the
patient to enjoy normal activities. Vision problems, for example are
often handled, or managed with glasses or contact lenses. Treatment
is when an intervention is used to improve a disease, condition, or
symptom of a condition with the goal of improving a patient’s quality
of life. For example, surgically removing an appendix, casting a
broken bone and allowing it to heal, or over time reducing a patient’s
depression through psychotherapy are all forms of treatment. The
condition or symptom may only be lessened as opposed to being
eliminated and in many cases, such as surgical or healing treatments,
the body is not returned to its original state, but is now in state free
of disease and as near to original as possible. The good news is that
most medical conditions have management or treatment options that
allow the patient to lead a normal life.
Take a moment to think about the meaning of the word “cure”. A
cure means that a disease, condition, or injury is eliminated and not
expected to return. Currently, noise induced hearing loss, ototoxic
damage to the hearing system and other auditory conditions which
cause permanent damage cannot be repaired. There is no medical
treatment that can eliminate sensorineural hearing loss. However,
a cure isn’t always necessary if the condition can be effectively
prevented or adequately managed. Hearing aids, for example, can be
very beneficial for managing hearing loss. Although there is no cure for
tinnitus, there are effective treatment and management options for it,
often enabling patients to find significant relief.
Sound Therapy
Sound therapy is currently the most effective treatment option for
tinnitus and can lead to relief through a process known as habituation.
A patient who habituates goes from perceiving the tinnitus as a
bothersome, stressful, loud, and possibly constant sound to one that
is noticed less frequently, and when noticed, is less bothersome,
stressful, or annoying. Thus the tinnitus becomes a non-intrusive neutral
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Tinnitus Management and Relief ■ Educational Resources
brain activity that no longer causes disturbance or distress in the same
manner as when it first presented.
Sound therapy works by presenting a specific type of healthy,
interesting, external treatment sound to the auditory system. Since the
therapeutic sound is real, it draws attention, reducing the emphasis
on the tinnitus. The auditory system, including the brain, now has a
different signal to process rather than the tinnitus.
While some patients notice immediate relief, in general it is realistic to
expect that sound therapy may be used for several months or longer
before habituation may occur, but every patient is different. Over the
course of treatment using sound therapy, many patients report that their
tinnitus seems less severe, less loud or even not noticeable. Eventually,
a patient suffering from tinnitus can improve to the point where the
tinnitus is no longer bothersome and an external sound source is not
needed. Relief from tinnitus is the goal and this can occur through
sound therapy and habituation.
If you, or a loved one, are suffering with ringing ears and are interested
in learning more about treatment options, please feel free to contact us.
Our team of tinnitus specialists is here to help, and is happy to answer
questions via phone or email.
• I n the U.S and Canada: Visit http://www.ttsrelief.com, or
call 855-984-6648 (855-9-TINNITUS), or email us at [email protected].
• I n the U.K: Visit http://www.ttsrelief.co.uk, or call 0800 077 6517, or
email us at [email protected].
U.S./Canada:
Phone: 1-855-9-TINNITUS
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ttsrelief.com
U.K:
Phone: 0800 077 6517
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ttsrelief.co.uk
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