If you are among the many individuals dealing with tinnitus, you are probably familiar with the annoyance of continually hearing ringing, buzzing, or other sounds in your ears. However, there are numerous strategies to deal with this condition. These range from basic lifestyle adjustments to more sophisticated medical treatments, ensuring an option for everyone.
Dr Mahesh Meda, visiting ENT consultant at Narayana multispeciality, Bengaluru, says there is no clear identifier tinnitus, hence no specific treatment. Several diagnostic criteria are used to see whether it is related to the ears or the brain.
When only the ear is involved, it is referred to as peripheral tinnitus and when the brain is involved, it is referred to as central tinnitus.
“One can unintentionally damage the nerves while using the earbuds for ear cleaning and those nerves are directly connected to the brain causing peripheral tinnitus” says Dr Meda. There are factors like anxiety, depression, loud music exposure, occupational sound exposure, and commuting in traffic noise for longer that can lead to central tinnitus.
Ways to manage
Tinnitogram, a hearing assessment method, can help identify most factors that have caused tinnitus. “But it is somewhat on the costlier side and its availability in the hospitals is less,” Dr Meda.
The ear canal contains two kinds of hair cells— mobile and stationary— that play a role in detecting sound waves. These hair cells vibrate in response to sound waves. Dr Meda suggests taking calcium supplements in combination with multivitamins to promote healthy hair cells.
Listening to music or radio at low volume helps to manage sleep disturbance caused by tinnitus. Good nutrition also plays a crucial role. Dr Jitendra Mohan Hans, otolaryngologist, Dr Hans Centre of Hearing Care and Vertigo, Delhi, advises using high-quality earphones and avoiding loud or prolonged music. Dr Meda suggests listening to soothing sounds, but everyone’s preferences are different. Hearing aids can be helpful but are costly and only manage the ringing instead of curing it.
Learning not to hear
Sowmya Nayak, tutor of audiology at St. John’s Hospital’s ENT department in Bengaluru, says the most common treatment for tinnitus is counselling individuals using the principles of tinnitus re-training.
“We train them to learn to ignore the sound. Many with tinnitus say that they experience (the buzzing or ringing sound) louder when they are in a silent environment, and less when there are other noises. So, we teach them to focus on environmental sounds,” she says.
“The first thing we do is try to inform them about tinnitus. Once an MRI has ruled out the possibility of a brain tumour or once they know that the condition is harmless, it gives them relief,” Nayak adds.
Apps, pillows, devices
Those with hearing loss can use a hearing aid for sound enrichment as prescribed by the doctor. Boosting the volume of low level everyday sounds can also serve as an alternative, says Nayak.
A few companies sell background noise generators, including pillows with embedded sound generators to help those who have trouble sleeping. However, individuals should not expect too much of such devices, says Nayak.
“They expect the tinnitus to go away completely because they have spent so much money on these, but the whole purpose of noise is to keep [the tinnitus] at a [manageable] level. They should be counselled on what they can expect from such devices,” she says. Apps that generate peaceful sounds like that of birds chirping, are also useful, adds Nayak.
There are also cochlear implants that send electrical signals to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Though, they are not necessarily prescribed for tinnitus, they have been shown to help alleviate its symptoms.
Treatments depend entirely on the condition leading to tinnitus. Dr Soniya Gupta, lead audiologist and clinical researcher at Dr Spectra Wellness Private Limited, Delhi, says her team uses an acoustic neuromodulation therapeutic device, TinnitusRelief, which reduces the hyperactivity of neurons responsible for tinnitus, hyperacusis and dizziness. They have used it to treat over 5,000 affected people by customising the frequency for each person, she says.
Another option is acoustic neural simulation, which uses an electrical charge on neural circuits to desensitise the person from the experience of tinnitus.
