Tinnitus is not new. 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. Regardless of how tinnitus manifests for you, this point is probably true: if tinnitus is troubling you, you may be looking for some new ways to manage your symptoms.
In that, you’re lucky because while tinnitus does not yet have an overall cure, there are a few new therapies that can help you manage symptoms. Your tongue is even involved in some of those therapies.
The Newest Way to Manage Tinnitus
One of the newest treatments for tinnitus sounds a little odd at first but does seem to show some promise. Both the ear and the tongue are stimulated with this device designed at the Trinity School of Medicine in Dublin. The technical term is bi-modal neuromodulation.
As outlined by the first tests of this device, the results were rather impressive. 12 weeks was about the duration that most individuals were treated. Those same people noted a significant decrease in their tinnitus symptoms, and the results continued for up to twelve months. But until the testing phase is finished it won’t be publicly available.
How Can I Get Tinnitus Relief Now?
Unfortunately, it will probably be quite some time before novel solutions such as this are widely accessible. So how can you control your tinnitus right now?
Luckily, there are some newer tinnitus management devices available now. And one of the best new ways to manage tinnitus is something you’ve most likely already heard of: your hearing aid.
Here’s the way it works:
Everyday sounds are boosted by hearing aids. One reason why tinnitus is more noticeable as your hearing wanes is that the ringing is the only thing that stays loud while everything else becomes quieter. The volume of the outside world is boosted by hearing aids. By increasing the volume of outside sounds, your tinnitus sounds will often disappear into the background.
There is a sound masking device comparable to a modern hearing aid. If your hearing loss is relatively moderate, then a masking device may be the best way to address your symptoms. A hearing aid has a comparable appearance to a masking device. And most hearing aids can be augmented with masking technology. This technology can produce sounds designed to mask your tinnitus symptoms. Whatever the best sound is to mask the ringing in your ears will be used, from white noise to a specific tone.
Of course, this is just a starting point. We can show you devices that work best for tinnitus. Contact us.