Tinnitus isn’t new. But perhaps it’s new to you, like a loud used car you can’t return. A relentless ringing or buzzing is commonly how tinnitus is experienced but not always. Often, the sound is quite overwhelming. Symptoms fluctuate considerably, but this is the point: you are probably looking for new ways of coping with your tinnitus if it’s something that’s troubling you.
Fortunately, new therapies and treatment options are being formulated that aren’t cures for tinnitus but can help you deal with it. Your tongue is even involved in some of those treatments.
The Newest Way to Handle Tinnitus
Possibly the most novel tinnitus therapy that we’ve seen appears to offer a lot of potential, even if it seems a little unusual at first. This device, developed at the Trinity College School of Medicine in Dublin, stimulates both the ear and the tongue. Technically, it’s called bi-modal neuromodulation.
The results were fairly striking with this device based on the first tests. 12 weeks was about how long most individuals were treated. Within those 12 months, those same individuals observed a dramatic reduction in tinnitus symptoms. But until the testing phase is complete it won’t be generally available.
What Can I do Now to Get Tinnitus Relief?
Naturally, it takes a while for devices to work their way from research and development to patient accessibility. So how can you deal with your tinnitus now?
There are, luckily, some tinnitus management technology that has recently come onto the market. And one of the best new methods of managing tinnitus is something you’ve most likely 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 is more obvious as you lose your hearing is that the stays loud while everything else becomes quieter. The volume of the outside world is boosted by hearing aids. That doesn’t change the volume of your tinnitus, but it could make the ringing less noticeable.
There is a sound masking device similar to a modern hearing aid. If your hearing loss is relatively mild, then a masking device may be the best way to treat your symptoms. A hearing aid has a similar appearance to a masking device. And most hearing aids can be enhanced with masking technology. This technology will emit sounds designed to mask your tinnitus symptoms. In some cases this will be a tone, in other situations, it may be some white noise. Whatever will best hide the humming in your ears.
Of course, this is just a starting point. We can help you find the best choice for you so get in touch with us.