Tinnitus can vary in the way it sounds, its severity, as well as its annoyance. Ringing, chirping, or even clicking sounds may occur a few times a month or many times in one day; for a few moments or hours; or can even be constant. For some individuals, tinnitus may also have a pulsating or repetitive pattern. Mild tinnitus is common – about 10 percent of the population have it all the time and, in up to one per cent of adults, this may affect the quality of their life.

The precise cause of tinnitus is still not fully understood. It is a symptom generated within a person’s own auditory pathways, but tinnitus itself is not a disease or an illness.

If you think you have tinnitus or experience prolonged or constant tinnitus your first point of call should be to visit your GP. Tinnitus is rarely an indication of a serious disorder, but it is wise to see your doctor if you think you might have it. Should something treatable be causing it, you might be referred to a specialist.

Tinnitus can be an involved and individual issue to manage and no ‘magic wand’ treatment exists. There are however many treatment options available to help you understand your tinnitus better and provide relief. Your GP or hearing healthcare professional may discuss one of the following:

• Lifestyle changes: tinnitus triggered or aggravated by stress, could be managed by seeking further support to deal with the cause of the stress. Changes in diet and exercise routines may also be recommended by your GP.

• Hearing aids: those with hearing impairment may find that wearing a hearing aid can help mask their tinnitus via additional amplification.

• Sound therapy: deliberate use of sound to reduce the perception or awareness of tinnitus or alleviate the distress associated with it can be classed as sound therapy. Some people feel it brings about actual changes in sensitivity in the hearing parts of the brain while others think it acts as a psychological distraction or an aid to relaxation. What is clear is that most people with tinnitus use it in some form or other. Sound therapy can be used as a self-help technique or as a component of a broader tinnitus management programme at a hospital or clinic. Sound therapy is one of the easiest things you can do for yourself if you don’t need professional help or are unable to access it. There are a broad range of devices available on the market geared at providing background noise geared to reduce the perception of tinnitus. These can include:

• White noise generators worn in or on the ear itself
• Sound generator devices producing sounds such as rain or sea surf or even white noise
• Pillow speakers or sound pillows connected to sound generators or an existing sound system

A counselling or therapy programme from a suitably trained professional will help provide understanding about tinnitus and help exploring individual coping mechanisms.

Overall, most treatment plans agree that ‘habituating’ to the tinnitus should be the ultimate goal. By ‘habituating’, it is meant that one will learn to accept and cope with their tinnitus, giving it less importance and lower priority, allowing more freedom to focus on other matters in one’s life.

The British Tinnitus Association is a useful resource for further information about tinnitus itself, as well as possible support groups in your area.

Article by Joan McKechnie, BSc Hons, Audiology & Speech Pathology. Joan works for HearingDirect.com.