New Research Into Tinnitus Leads to New Treatment Options

Man gets tinnitus relief with hearing aids.

Tinnitus has been present for a long time. But it may be the first time you have had to deal with it. Usually, though not always, tinnitus reveals itself as an incessant buzzing or ringing in the ears. Often, the sound is very intense. Regardless of how tinnitus manifests for you, this point is most likely true: if tinnitus is bothering you, you might be searching for some new ways to deal with your symptoms.

In that, you’re in luck because while tinnitus does not yet have a universal cure, there are a few new therapies that can help you deal with symptoms. Some of those therapies even concern your tongue.

Newest Approaches to Tinnitus

Arguably the most novel tinnitus therapy to hit our radar appears to offer quite a bit of potential, even if it seems a little strange at first. This device, designed at the Trinity College School of Medicine in Dublin, stimulates both the tongue and ear. Technically, it’s called bi-modal neuromodulation.

The results were fairly striking with this device according to the first tests. 12 weeks was about how long most people were treated. Over those 12 months, those same individuals observed a dramatic decrease in tinnitus symptoms. But until the testing phase is completed it won’t be generally available.

How Can I Find Relief From my Tinnitus Now?

Naturally, it takes years for devices to go from research and development to patient accessibility. So how can you deal with your tinnitus now?

Luckily, there are some newer tinnitus therapy devices available today. And one of the best new methods of managing tinnitus is something you’ve probably already heard of: your hearing aid.

Here’s how it works:

Your hearing aid can provide you with something else to listen to. One reason why tinnitus becomes more obvious as you lose your hearing is that the ringing is the only thing that stays loud while everything else gets quieter. The volume of the exterior world is raised by hearing aids. By boosting the volume of outside sounds, your tinnitus sounds will often vanish into the background.

Your hearing aid can mask the noise. A masking device could be the way to go if your hearing loss is minor. A masking device basically looks like a hearing aid. And most hearing aids can be enhanced with masking technology. Your tinnitus symptoms can be masked by sounds produced by this kind of technology. Sometimes this will be a tone, in other cases, it may be some white noise. Whatever will best hide the humming in your ears.

This is, obviously, just the beginning. We can show you devices that work best with tinnitus. Contact us.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.