Tinnitus advice

Symptoms, causes and how to prevent and treat Tinnitus

Tinnitus

Tinnitus, that is intermittent or constant ringing in one or both ears, or inside your head, affects 1 in 10 people in the UK.

It affects all ages and can be a symptom of other underlying conditions so should never be ignored.

People with tinnitus are often told that there is nothing that can be done and that they just have to learn to live with it. This is not the case. Whilst there is no cure, treatment options are available and tinnitus can be managed to the point where it is no longer a concern.

The symptoms of tinnitus

Classically, tinnitus is a continual ringing, buzzing or hissing sound in the ear, and it can vary in severity. Symptoms of tinnitus can begin suddenly or gradually.

Tinnitus affects people in different ways and can leave them feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or tense. It can also lead to insomnia and difficulty sleeping. As stress is a contributing factor in worsening the symptoms of tinnitus, sufferers, unfortunately, find themselves in a vicious cycle of cause and effect they can’t break free from.

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Causes of tinnitus

Tinnitus causes are not fully understood and unfortunately, the condition can develop without any obvious cause or explanation. However, common causes of tinnitus can be:

Exposure to loud noises
Infection in the ear or from a common cold
Injury to the ear or head
Hearing loss
Side effects of medication
Stress
Earwax blockages

How to help prevent tinnitus

Prevention is better than cure so the simplest way to lower the risk of tinnitus is to protect your ears from damage. This means not only damage from loud noises, by wearing earplugs or ear defenders, but also damage from infection. Our ears have natural self-protection and self-cleaning process in the form of ear wax. Inserting objects like cotton buds into the ear canal only serves to risk damage to the eardrum, increases the risk of infection and possibly pushes earwax further down into the ear channel, compacting it.

If you experience an ear infection, it’s important not to leave it untreated. Quickly clearing up any infection reduces the risk of any long-term damage that could lead to tinnitus, so always consult your GP if you suffer from symptoms of ear infection or earache.

Treating tinnitus

Whilst there is no cure for tinnitus, there are ways to help manage it and the impact it has on your life:

As difficult as it may be, try to relax! Stress and anxiety can make tinnitus worse
Consider counselling to help you cope with tinnitus – the British Tinnitus Association can help you in finding a local hearing therapist
Relieve the symptoms with sound therapy, that gives you something else to listen to and distracts you from the constant buzz or hum of your tinnitus.
Book a free hearing test with your True Tone local audiologist who can advise you on hearing aids specifically designed to help tinnitus sufferers and which may help you through amplification. A lot of people suffering from tinnitus find hearing aids helpful in amplifying the sounds in their surrounding environment as well distracting the brain from hearing the tinnitus sounds

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What our patients say

RW

“A big thank you to Katie for testing and supplying hearing aids for me. Best thing I’ve ever done! It was a great service, great after-care, and nothing was too much trouble.”

Stuart Dobson

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CM

“Huge thanks for a great experience when I had hearing aids fitted. Your patience, caring, and time taken with me was exceptional. Your lovely, cheeky personality made all the difference to me and put me at ease. Good to know that I can contact you anytime and very convenient to have your hearing aid clinic in my local opticians. Thank you.”

Paddy Miskelly

“Myself and my wife go to see Katie most helpful explained everything in simple terms would highly recommend to anyone”

Dawn Gage

“I attended True Tone hearing to have a hearing test done, from the outset I found Katie friendly, very professional and also reassuring during the test ensuring I felt at ease.“

Alan McNiece

“Was very impressed by Ciara, her knowledge, wisdom and understanding of hearing issues was first class, put me through a full range of tests, and explained everything with thoughtfulness and kindness. Highly recommended,”

Harry Childs

“Before meeting Shane Thompson at True Tone, I spent around £5,000 over 5 years with two leading audiologists, without any real improvement in my hearing. Shane gave me an extensive hearing test and helped cure an ongoing ear infection for me. His extreme care and attention, with my new True Tone hearing aids, has given me back a level of hearing I thought I wouldn’t have again.”

Pat O'Hare

“Just had a wonderful customer service experience with your Audiologist, Ciara, in your Newry, Co Down clinic. A relatable, understanding and very professional audiologist. I will be recommending Ciara and her service far and wide. Thank you so much for a very positive experience.”

Gerald Hewitt

“Ciara deserves 5 stars for her professional manner, clear analysis, excellent advice and friendly disposition. Highly recommended.“

Mairead Diamond

“I am delighted to leave a review for Katie, Optometrist at BH McKeague, Ballymena. I was very unsure about choosing my hearing aids and about how these would perform better than my NHS ones. I cannot believe how good my Starkey AI bte hearing aids are. Katie had such patience, gave me very explicit instructions and I was completely confident I had chosen the right ones. Having no batteries was a big plus. I know if I have any issues Katie has assured me to get in touch at any time.“

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