Roughly 50 million Americans have tinnitus. It’s a condition characterized by ringing, whooshing, buzzing or clicking in the ears.
It’s often caused by hearing loss, although it can also stem from medications, allergies, heart disease and jaw and neck problems.
Types of Tinnitus
There are four types of tinnitus:
Subjective tinnitus: This is the most common form of tinnitus. The perceived noise is only heard by the affected individual and can be impacted by noise exposure. It’s usually traced to auditory or neurological problems.
Objective tinnitus: This rare form of tinnitus is perceptible to the affected individual and an examiner. Involuntary muscle spasms or vascular deformities usually cause it.
Neurological tinnitus: Disruptions in the brain’s auditory functions can cause this type of tinnitus. Damage to the hair cells in the inner ear or auditory nerve can create a persistent ringing.
Somatic tinnitus: This condition is affected by the body’s sensory system. Sensory signals generated by the musculoskeletal system agitate somatic tinnitus, especially the muscles under the ears.
What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be caused by various neurological and physical factors, including:
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- Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
- Ear or sinus infections
- Meniere’s disease
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- Muscle spasms in the ear
- Cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and blood vessel disorders
- Chronic conditions such as diabetes, thyroid issues and autoimmune disorders
- Head or neck trauma
- Excess ear wax
- Medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, certain antibiotics, diuretics and drugs used to treat cancer
Tinnitus Treatment Options
Although there is no cure for tinnitus, Audio Help Hearing Centers offers treatment options to ease your tinnitus symptoms so you can learn to live with tinnitus in a way that will improve your quality of life.
The first step toward successfully managing your tinnitus is a comprehensive hearing evaluation at one of our three locations in New York City or our offices in Scarsdale, New York and Stamford, Connecticut. Our expert audiologists will diagnose your tinnitus and degree of hearing loss to determine if that’s causing the ringing in your ears.
We also thoroughly evaluate your family and medical history to narrow the possible causes of your tinnitus symptoms.
Hearing aids are a viable treatment option for tinnitus because they amplify and clarify ambient sounds and speech, making the ringing or buzzing in your ears less noticeable. Some hearing aid brands also offer masking programs to cover the buzzing or clicking.
Wearing hearing protection is another important part of treating your tinnitus. Noise exposure can aggravate your condition and may worsen your hearing loss. Audio Help Hearing Centers offers a wide variety of hearing protection to suit your needs.
Ear Wax Removal and Tinnitus Relief
In some cases, tinnitus is caused or made worse by ear wax buildup. When ear wax blocks the ear canal, sound cannot travel normally, which can trigger ringing, buzzing, or humming sounds.
Safe, professional ear wax removal can restore normal sound flow and may reduce or even eliminate tinnitus symptoms caused by blockage. While ear wax removal is not a cure for all types of tinnitus, it is often an important first step in treatment. An audiologist can examine your ears, remove impacted wax safely, and determine whether ear wax is contributing to your tinnitus.
Tinnitus Treatment in NYC, Scarsdale & Stamford
Audio Help Hearing Centers has five convenient locations, so you’ll have no trouble finding tinnitus treatment near you. For more information about Audio Help Hearing Centers services and tinnitus, call 888-832-9966
- Chelsea Village Office, Zip Code – 10014
- Columbus Circle Office, Zip Code – 10019
- Park Avenue Office, Zip Code – 10028
- Scarsdale Office, Zip Code – 10583
- Stamford Office, Zip Code – 06905
Our aural rehabilitation classes provide a supportive setting where we administer tinnitus retraining services to address any issues you may experience with hearing loss. Visit our frequently asked questions for additional information on general and hearing aid questions.
A Closer Look at Tinnitus Treatment Options
There is no single cure for tinnitus, but the right combination of therapies can lower how loud and how distracting it feels. Your audiologist builds a plan around what is driving your tinnitus and how much it affects your daily life.
- Sound therapy. Low-level background sound, played through a small device or a hearing aid, makes the ringing stand out less. Over time your brain learns to push the tinnitus into the background.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This pairs sound therapy with structured counseling. The goal is habituation, so you notice the sound less and react to it less, usually over several months.
- Tinnitus-masking hearing aids. When tinnitus comes with hearing loss, hearing aids do two jobs at once. They restore the everyday sounds you are missing and add a built-in masking signal tuned to your tinnitus.
- Counseling and coping strategies. Sleep, stress, and caffeine all change how loud tinnitus feels. Small changes to your routine often make the therapies above work better.
What to Expect at Your Tinnitus Evaluation
Your first visit starts with a full hearing test, because tinnitus and hearing loss so often travel together. Your audiologist reviews your history, checks your ears, and measures the pitch and loudness of your tinnitus so it can be matched to the right therapy.
You will leave with a clear explanation of what is happening and a written plan for the next steps. Most people are seen within a week, and you do not need a referral to book.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tinnitus
Is tinnitus permanent?
Sometimes it fades on its own, and sometimes it stays. Even when it stays, treatment can make it far easier to live with.
Can hearing aids help my tinnitus?
Yes. If you have hearing loss, hearing aids often reduce tinnitus by bringing back the sounds your ears are missing, and many models add a masking feature.
Does tinnitus mean I am losing my hearing?
Not always, but it is a common early sign. A hearing test is the fastest way to find out.
How soon can I be seen?
New patients are usually seen within a week at our New York City, Scarsdale, and Stamford offices.