Is “treatment” of tinnitus different from “management” of tinnitus?
From mindfulness to sound therapies, amplification of hearing to behavioral therapies, tinnitus management is not one-size-fits-all. It takes the collaboration of patient and audiologist to dive deep and unearth the best approach writes Dr. Heather Malyuk, Tuned’s Head of Audiology
Tinnitus affects tens of millions of individuals in the United States. Many of these individuals will hop online to search for a cure and, though they are often met with a staggering array of options that purport to “eliminate” tinnitus, are sorely disappointed when they find that one does not exist. Though a cure for tinnitus has not yet been discovered, many research teams around the globe are working very hard to find the holy grail of tinnitus treatment.
Tinnitus treatment implies a “fix” for tinnitus that will abolish the perception of the sound entirely. Depending on the cause of tinnitus, this might be a possibility for some. Perhaps the discontinuation of medication (a decision to be made in conjunction with the prescribing physician) will provide relief, or perhaps physical therapy for tinnitus related to a neck injury will. Even though these situations of complete tinnitus elimination are somewhat rare, it is essential to discuss the etiology of the tinnitus with an audiologist and follow proper referrals in case partial elimination is possible.
Tinnitus management is the chosen clinical approach for most individuals suffering from tinnitus and focuses on intervention for the life effects of tinnitus rather than the tinnitus itself. In other words, it seeks to manage the emotional and lifestyle symptoms that tinnitus can create rather than focusing solely on tinnitus. That being said, individuals who follow tinnitus management strategies often find that the overall perception of tinnitus becomes reduced over time as neural networks are recalibrated and trained to not pay attention to that pesky and distracting sound. From mindfulness to sound therapies, amplification of hearing to behavioral therapies, tinnitus management is not one-size-fits-all. It takes the collaboration of the patient and the audiologist to dive deep and unearth the best approach.
Tuned offers various options for tinnitus management and empowers patients and audiologists alike to work together to discover and personalize the management strategy that will work best for each unique patient.
