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Malady of Tinnitus: more methods of treatment & exploring masking methods
Part 4 |
Tinnitus: More Methods of Treatment
There are various methods of treating tinnitus. Because there are different kinds of tinnitus, and everyone is an individual, some treatments work for some folks, but not for others. You have to experiment and see what works for you, if you suffer from this symptom.
Some unconventional and common sense methods explored
There is quite a variety of treatments and methods that have proven effective in bringing relief for some suffers. Some may seem unconventional, but the general attitude is, if it works for you, great! Among these successful methods used to address tinnitus are various forms of masking, cognitive behavioral therapy, TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy), temporomandibular joint and musculoskeletal therapies. Even St. John's Wort, Xanax, and Ginko biloba have proven effective for some. In addition, many tinnitus suffers have found it very beneficial to refrain from caffeine, salt, cider vinegar, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. They also report that avoiding certain perfumes, cleaning chemicals, antiseptics and suntan lotions helped. Aspirin seems to aggravate tinnitus as well as other aspirin-type medications such as ibuprophen, Midol, Pepto Bismol and Aleve, as well as some antihistamines.
There is an array of advertisements for a variety of products claiming to provide tinnitus relief: homeopathic medicines, vitamin supplements, bracelets, laser therapy, etc. Remember, there is no certain cure for tinnitus, but many of these methods do provide relief for some folks. You just have to see what works for you. You may find that a combination of things work best. Even if you cannot completely eliminate or mask the tinnitus, being able to provide some relief is a good thing.
Various masking methods of treatment
Dr. Jack A. Vernon, Professor Emeritus, Oregon Health & Science University writes a Question and Answer column in Tinnitus Today. He has been called "the father" of modern tinnitus masking. He feels strongly that tinnitus suffers should not feel that masking needs to completely cover the tinnitus, but they should instead think of masking as a "relief" from the disorder. Dr. Vernon views masking as "immediate achievement of some degree of relief from tinnitus through the use of external sound."
The value of external sounds
This external sound may come from a variety of sources—tabletop devices that make sound, sounds in the environment, hearing aids, tinnitus maskers one wears, tinnitus instruments (combination hearing aid/masker). Today, there are also "tinnitus distractors" which generate soothing sounds that distract from the tinnitus and make it more manageable.
The value of high-frequency masking
Ultra high-frequency masking is a type of masking which produces sounds above which the human ear can hear. These sounds are delivered to the inner ear via bone conduction (through the bones of the head, not through the ear canal). Believe it or not, even though most of the sounds we hear travel through our ear canals, a lot of the sounds we hear penetrate our skull.
One device that uses high frequency masking is the HiSonic TRD. It has a sound range of 19,250-27,00 Hz! One needs to experiment with it to find the right spots to place the headset that will work best to mask the tinnitus.The device is unobtrusive.The battery unit is the size of a pager. There is a wire that goes from that unit to the headset.
A tabletop sound generator
Another kind of masker is a tabletop sound generator. One such product is the MicroTek model 321Q. The frequency range is 500-16,000 Hz. It has a volume control and sleep timer that can be set for 1/2, 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours.
Tinnitus sufferers need to remain open-minded when it comes to finding relief. It's erroneous to have the philosophy that any treatment that falls short of complete relief is not worth trying. Sometimes, one may need to use several methods. Any legitimate tinnitus treatment is there to provide relief from the torment and aggravation of tinnitus. Experiment to see what methods work best for you. |
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| (Article 0706, Part 4. Originally published October/November 2006) |
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