Tinnitus That annoying ringing in the ear
Tinnitus is the high-pitched ringing in your ear that others cannot hear. The condition usually does not indicate any serious health issue. Nevertheless, it can be very annoying.
Repeated exposure to loud noises is one of the most prominent reasons for the condition. That is why, more and more Bangladeshis are suffering from it due to increasing sound pollution.
Associated problems of tinnitus can be many, including depression and sleeplessness.
There is no absolute cure for this but the condition can be managed through various conventional and unconventional methods. A combination of techniques might have to be tried to find out what works for one.
The approaches which were found to be most effective are behavioral strategies and sound-generating devices, often used in combination, according to an article of Harvard Health Publishing.
The following methods are suggested by experts:
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)
CBT uses techniques such as cognitive restructuring and relaxation to change the way patients think about and respond to tinnitus. Therapy is generally short-term.
TINNITUS RETRAINING THERAPY (TRT)
This technique is based on the assumption that tinnitus results from abnormal neuronal activity. The aim is to habituate the auditory system to the tinnitus signals. The main components of TRT are individual counseling -- how the auditory system works, how tinnitus develops, how TRT can help, and sound therapy.
MASKING
Masking devices, worn like hearing aids, generate low-level white noise (a high-pitched hiss, for example) that can reduce the perception of tinnitus and sometimes also produce residual inhibition (less noticeable tinnitus for a short time after the masker is turned off.)
A specialised device isn't necessary for masking. Most of the time, playing music or having a radio, fan, or any machine on in the background is enough.
BIOFEEDBACK AND STRESS MANAGEMENT
Tinnitus is stressful, and stress can worsen tinnitus. Biofeedback is a relaxation technique that helps control stress by changing bodily responses. Electrodes attached to the skin feed information about physiological processes into a computer, which displays the output on a monitor.
Patients learn how to alter these processes and reduce the body's stress response by changing their thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques may also help.