TINNITUS TREATMENT

Tinnitus Evaluation & Treatment
in Fayetteville, AR

Tinnitus is a condition that afflicts millions of people, some with hearing loss and some without. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of information and treatment options for patients. Wolfpack Hearing Clinic offers tinnitus treatment to Fayetteville, AR and the surrounding areas.

There are two types of tinnitus:

Subjective: Only the patient hears noises. This is usually influenced by hearing loss however, many things can cause subjective tinnitus. Over 99% of cases are subjective.
Objective: This is caused by noises heard by other people as well as the patient. Sounds that are caused by internal workings, including blood flow and musculo-skeletal systems. This type of tinnitus is very rare, making up 1% of cases.

In both cases there are reports of the patient hearing the following sounds: buzzing, ringing, hissing, static, crickets, whooshing, roaring, screeching, pulsing, ocean waves, dial tones, music, & Much more

There are three descriptions to how a patient can experience tinnitus:

Tonal: Tonal tinnitus is non-stop sound in a defined frequency, commonly a subjective type of tinnitus. The volume of tonal tinnitus can fluctuate.
Pulsatile: Patient describes this as a pulsing sound, most times the pulsing noise matches the patients heartbeat. This is commonly associated with objective tinnitus.
Musical: Patient experiences the perception of singing and music. This is a very unique symptom.

Our audiologist will incorporate tinnitus loudness and pitch matching tests during your evaluation. Treatment options include hearing aids with tinnitus masking options and rehabilitation programs such as tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT).

Frequently Asked Questions About Tinnitus

WHAT IS TINNITUS?

Tinnitus is the medical term used when a patient perceives a non-existent sound in one ear or both. Often times it’s described as a ringing sound, however other patients have mentioned sounds including whistling, whooshing, buzzing, screaming, and more.

WHO GETS TINNITUS?

People of all ages can get tinnitus. It's more common in people who have hearing loss or addition hearing problems. These hazards are more likely to cause individuals to experience tinnitus:

Working around/with loud machinery
Exposure to loud bangs and excessive noises
Constant exposure to loud music
Overuse of headphones

WHAT CAUSES TINNITUS?

Tinnitus is caused by a number of things; sometimes it's difficult to discern what is the root cause. The reported conditions include TMJ, hypertension, excessive earwax, diabetes, and exposure to loud noises, drug side effects, vascular issues, and foreign objects in the ear, tumors, hearing loss, and Meniere's disease.

WHAT DOES TINNITUS SOUND LIKE?

The American Tinnitus Association has created a collection of commonly reported tinnitus sounds.

https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts/symptoms

Please be aware, similar to tinnitus, the recordings provided are annoying and loud.

HOW DO YOU TREAT TINNITUS?

Treating tinnitus is done on a case-by-case basis. Our experienced team is happy to help you find the treatment that suits your tinnitus. The first step in treatment is determining what is causing your tinnitus then treating the underlying condition.

If the cause is an excess of earwax, we’ll clean out your ears.
If it’s caused by an ear infection your tinnitus treatment may include medicated ear-drops.
In rare cases, your tinnitus can be caused by a tumor, otosclerosis, or cyst that will require surgery.
TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome) can also be the cause of your symptoms. Treatment for TMJ will require a dental specialist.
Tinnitus can be brought on as a side effect to medication as well, is sure to ask your doctor.
Hearing loss can also be an underlying cause of tinnitus. Treatment would include a hearing consultation and potentially hearing aids.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY TINNITUS?

If you've experience tinnitus, you are far from alone! Nearly 15% of the general public has reported experiencing some form of tinnitus, that's over 50 million people! Around 20 million people deal with continuous, chronic tinnitus. 2 million people have extreme cases.

Schedule a consultation today.

Receive a complimentary tinnitus evaluation!