Tinnitus has been around for a long time. But it might be the first time you have had to cope with it. Usually, though not always, tinnitus reveals itself as an incessant ringing or buzzing in the ears. Sometimes, the sound is very overwhelming. Symptoms fluctuate significantly, but this is the point: if tinnitus is bothering you, you may be looking for some new ways to deal with your symptoms.
In that, you’re in luck because while tinnitus doesn’t yet have an overall cure, there are a few new treatments that can help you deal with symptoms. Certain of those therapies even involve your tongue.
Newest Approaches to Tinnitus
Possibly the most novel tinnitus therapy to hit our radar does indeed offer a lot of potential, even if it sounds a little strange at first. This device, developed at the Trinity College School of Medicine in Dublin, stimulates both the ear and the tongue. Bi-modal neurostimulation is the technical term for this method.
As outlined by the first tests of this device, the results were rather optimistic. 12 weeks was about the duration that most individuals were treated. Those same people detected a substantial decrease in their tinnitus symptoms, and the results continued for up to twelve months. But this kind of therapy is still in the testing phase and not widely available yet.
How Can I Get Relief From my Tinnitus Now?
Naturally, it takes a while for technology to work their way from research and development to patient availability. So how can you manage your tinnitus right now?
There are, fortunately, some tinnitus therapy devices that has recently been released. And one of the best new ways to manage tinnitus is something you’ve likely already heard of: your hearing aid.
It works like this:
External sounds are boosted by hearing aids. When you start losing your hearing, the sounds of the outside world get quieter and that can make the internal sounds of tinnitus become louder. The volume of the outside world is raised by hearing aids. That doesn’t change the volume of your tinnitus, but it could make the ringing less noticeable.
Your hearing aid can mask the sound. If your hearing loss is relatively minor, then a masking device might be the best way to treat your symptoms. A hearing aid has a similar appearance to a masking device. And masking technology can be combined with modern hearing aids. This technology will emit sounds specially designed to mask your tinnitus symptoms. In some cases this will be a tone, in other cases, it may be some white noise. Whatever is going to best hide the ringing in your ears.
Of course, this is only a starting point. We can demonstrate devices that work best for tinnitus. Give us a call.
