Tinnitus which is often described as “ringing in the ears” is the perception or “hearing” of sounds in the ears or head in the absence of an external noise. The actual mechanisms or cause of tinnitus are not yet fully understood. Tinnitus is real and not an imagination.

What aggravates tinnitus?

• Exposure to loud noise – Exposure to loud sudden noise or long term noise exposure can damage your hearing and also result in tinnitus.
• Some medications – Some antibiotics, anti-depressants, blood thinners, drugs for arthritis and rheumatic diseases can cause tinnitus or make your existing tinnitus worse.
• Stress and fatigue.

How is tinnitus managed?

• Hearing Aids – Tinnitus is often associated with a hearing loss, sometimes people with normal hearing can also have tinnitus. In the presence of a hearing loss, good quality hearing aids can take away the strain of listening and provide distraction from the tinnitus by allowing you to hear more environmental sounds from the outside world.
• Tinnitus retraining therapy - providing auditory therapy to reduce the perception of tinnitus.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy – This form of therapy is offered by Clinical Psychologists by teaching ways to focus attention away from tinnitus and achieving control over one’s stress levels.
• Therapeutic noise generator – This is a device which produces a blend of noise which stimulates the fibres of the hearing nerve helping to deviate attention away from tinnitus.