Tinnitus is a big deal for around 7% population is complaining about perception of ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or other noises in ear without presence of any external sources of sound. Initially, they try to manage and they don’t give more attention towards sounds but, gradually, the perception of Tinnitus becomes permanent and severe. Patient with tinnitus visits to doctors and takes medicine to settle down their tinnitus. Some tinnitus sufferers feel tinnitus is a big deal. Tinnitus has worst effect on tinnitus sufferer’s quality of life in terms of enjoying social activities, sleep disturbances, unable to concentrate, irritability, annoyed etc.

What Doctors thinks about tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a big deal, not only for patients but also for medical sciences. Doctors are trying to seek the best treatment approach for tinnitus sufferer. What doctors think about tinnitus is very important to take in concern. Doctors always try to give best treatment to tinnitus sufferer. Once patient visits to doctor, then doctors follow a systematic treatment approach. They recommend patient to go for full diagnostic approach. Where patient undergoes for audiological test for hearing checkup. Once test being done, the patient again visits to doctor. Based on report, doctor suggests the treatment approach. They prescribe medicine. And if required, then suggest hearing aid trial also. They analyze whether tinnitus is associated with hearing loss or tinnitus is without hearing loss. Doctors suggest the sound therapy for severe tinnitus patients. They may conduct counselling to patients to go for masker or habituation – neuromodulation therapy approach.

Is masker benefited for tinnitus?

Tinnitus maskers are simple white noise machines which are used to add natural or artificial sound into a tinnitus sufferer’s environment in order to mask or cover up the internal sound that is tinnitus. The maskers can partially or fully mask the perception of tinnitus and give relaxation for temporary until they wear sound masker, not only hearing aid with masker will mask the perception of sound but also any environment noises including music player, FM system, Fan noise( electric fan, table fan),Television. These noises are also capable to do masking of perception of tinnitus. In general, the most effective masking sounds are those that elicit positive emotional responses in the patient. Sound masking devices are only effective during or immediately after active use. They have very limited long-term effectiveness in reducing perception of tinnitus.

Does Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) have effective role in tinnitus treatment?

Tinnitus retraining therapy has two basic component that is counselling + tinnitus therapy. Both has to be done together. Tinnitus therapy has two ways of treatment, i.e. habituation and neuromodulation principle. By tinnitus retraining therapy, brain can be retrained or remapped for particular sound. There are different ways of tinnitus therapy by which patients no longer complain for perception of tinnitus after a duration.

• Habituation: Habituation theory helps tinnitus sufferer to become habituate for internal sound by external noise generator. By continuous external noise, the brain reclassifies tinnitus as an unimportant sound that should can be consciously ignored. And patient becomes habituated for perception of tinnitus and starts indulging himself/herself in day to day activities without putting any more attention towards tinnitus.

• Neuromodulation: Brain retainer devices helps the tinnitus sufferer to rapid settlement of perception of tinnitus. These devices are used to decrease abnormal hyperactivities of neurons that cause tinnitus and provide long term relief to patients with tinnitus. The use of specialized sound by devices to minimize the neural hyperactivity is thought to be the underlying cause of tinnitus. These devices are worn temporary for long term relief.

The best treatment approach for tinnitus: 

As tinnitus is a big deal for patients as well as for doctors. Since last many years, team of doctors’ scientist are trying to seek the long term treatment or relief from perception of tinnitus along with medications and counselling part. At least some kind of relief from tinnitus itself gives a hope to doctors. Tinnitus may vary in severity. So, treatment also varies based on severity. Innovation in medical sciences has developed something for tinnitus which are helpful for tinnitus sufferer. Other than medicines and counselling, there are some therapeutic devices available which are helpful in tinnitus relief. Devices may be worn continuously or may be worn temporary basis.

Therapeutic approach for tinnitus is now days extensively using by audiologists and doctors. Our brain has a huge numbers of neurons and a complex system of different areas. We need to be specifically target the problem for best treatment approach. However there are several maskers and therapeutic devices available but still research is going on. 

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