Tinnitus is not a psychiatric phenomenon. It is difficult to develop meaningful statistics on the incidence of tinnitus because there has been difficulty arriving at a uniformly accepted precise definition of this phenomenon, but according to a study in 2003, there are 50 million people in the United states who have tinnitus. Twenty percent of this group finds that the ringing is intrusive. That is ten million people in the United States. One quarter of these, approximately two and half million Americans are disabled from their tinnitus. Treatment Options: Our goal at The Hearing Doctor, Inc is for tinnitus to no longer be an issue in the lives of people with this potentially disabling condition. This goal does not mean that the patient has to "learn to live with tinnitus" or "cope with tinnitus," Learning to live with tinnitus means that the tinnitus sufferer continues to be aware of this annoying stimulus, but deals with it so that he or she can move on with life. Rather, we wish to make tinnitus "like a pair of pants," an entity about which our patients are completely unaware most of the day and even when they are aware of it, it does not bother them. Dr. Marghzar at "The Hearing Doctor" selects an appropriate protocol, based on each individual's neurophysiological, and audiological findings, shown to be effective in over 80% of his patients. Treatment protocols are selected from the following treatment options: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT, aka Habituation) - This treatment is based on the Jastreboff model of tinnitus. It employs the use of broad band noise generators that produce a soft external sound that does not mask the tinnitus while emphasizing an intense informational program ("directive counseling") to neutralize subconsciously negative responses associated with tinnitus. This can be done with the Widex Mind hearing aids or General Hearing Instruments Tranquil-Jazz Duo Combination devices, should there be a hearing loss associated with tinnitus. Directive counseling is an integral part of TRT. Masking - covers the tinnitus signal with a more acceptable external sound. This method is used for patients with significant hearing loss and tinnitus, for initial stages of treatment of severe tinnitus, or for patients with previous success with masking. Several maskers are available from General Hearing Instruments, Starkey, or Amplisound. Neuromonics - This is a new technique developed in Australia that uses both counseling and music to reduce the annoyance and perception of tinnitus. It uses a Walkman-like processor that patients wear for one hour per day. Some studies show that Neuromonics treatment can significantly help patients in 6 months. FDA approved the special device (called Oasis) in June of 2005. In the June, 2008 The ENT Journal published a study the reported 80% success when subjects were treated with Neuromonics. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - The way one thinks about his/her tinnitus determines how he/she feels about it. When we modify the response by changing the distorted thought processes commonly associated with tinnitus, patient's emotions toward tinnitus change. This in turn makes the patient notice the annoyance of the tinnitus less than before. Most treatments use CBT in one way or other. We modify CBT to address each patient's need. In some cases, patients need to use some form Of sound therapy along with CBT. Meditation and Relaxation - used to distract the patient from constant monitoring of the tinnitus. This treatment modality is employed for the type of tinnitus that fluctuates, when patient has high stress level, or feels anxious. Distraction and desensitization Exercises - Used to break the vicious cycle of tinnitus and in case of hyperacusis to enhance loudness tolerance.
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