One in five Americans suffer from “ringing in their ears” or tinnitus. Tinnitus isn’t usually a sign of a serious ongoing medical condition. The sounds patients perceive may just be their body at work.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in one or both ears that only the patient can hear since no external sound is present. It is the most commonly referred otological problem.

The sound can be intermittent or constant and patients often describe it as a ringing in their ears. The perceived volume can range from low to painfully loud. Some people also hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping and clicking.

The exact cause of tinnitus isn’t known but likely sources can trigger or worsen the condition. These include loud noises, excessive ear wax in the ear canal, certain medications, ear or sinus infections, jaw misalignment, cardiovascular disease, certain types of tumors, head and neck trauma, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, lyme disease, fibromyalgia and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Tinnitus is the most common service-connected disability of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Preventing Tinnitus

Wear ear plugs and/or ear muffs when mowing grass or attending concerts and sporting events where you know the noise will be loud over an extended period of time.

Everyone’s tolerance is different and you may not notice hearing loss for years so precautionary steps are easy and smart. If you’re standing three feet away from someone and you can’t hear what that person is saying, the noise may be damaging to your hearing.

Diagnosing Tinnitus

An ear, nose and throat specialist can determine if tinnitus is caused by a medical condition or if a medical treatment option might be recommended. A certified audiologist can conduct hearing tests and prescribe nonmedical treatments like masking, sound therapy and amplification.

Patients can feel better by managing tinnitus.

Managing Tinnitus

Most of the time there won’t be a threatening underlying problem. But no quick fix or cure either.

Sufferers should plan to spend 10-15 minutes a day managing and controlling their symptoms so they gradually have fewer bad ear days and more not-so-bad ear days.
Treatments that work for one patient won’t necessarily work for another. While we utilize a variety of treatment options, audiologists partner with patients so individuals get the most effective treatment strategy for them.

If you have tinnitus, review your medications with your doctor. Keep a log of what triggers your tinnitus and how that makes you feel.

White noise machines help a lot of people. Sounds of a waterfall, for example, will drown out the tinnitus. It also helps to reduce stress, get plenty of rest and eat a good diet.

Eliminate or reduce salt, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medications, tobacco and caffeine.

Educate yourself by visiting and/or joining the American Tinnitus Association.

Keep a log of what triggers your tinnitus and how that makes you feel. Then note any illogical thinking or reactions. For example, before I got tinnitus, I had a good life. Now, I don’t. More logical thinking to help you feel better would be my tinnitus got worse after the concert. I enjoyed the music but my tinnitus ruined a perfect evening.

You might also want to find a support group near you.

Neuromonics Treatment Device

That ringing or buzzing sound isn’t in your ears, and it’s not all in your head. Each person’s experience of tinnitus is unique – and very real. If chronic tinnitus is interrupting your life, now there’s new hope for you to reclaim your life.

Only the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment Device is clinically proven to offer long-term significant relief from tinnitus. This patented treatment method is FDA-cleared, noninvasive and customized for each patient to address the root causes of tinnitus.

Call Total Hearing Solutions at (317) 705-2732 to learn about the Neuromonics Treatment Device.

Can you imagine having ringing, buzzing, hissing or roaring in one or both ears? Continually or occasionally, pulsing or steady, ranging in severity from a soft buzz to a loud ring?!

Actor William Shatner talks about his tinnitus in this video. He’s one of 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic tinnitus, lasting longer than six months. Of those, 12 million have it bad enough to seek medical attention Two million can’t function on a day-to-day basis.

It’s often caused by exposure to loud noise, such as music or combat. More common in men than women, and more so as we get older.

Annoying, but usually not a sign of a serious problem.

There’s still no cure. But we can manage it, however.

Visit the American Tinnitus Association to learn how loud is too loud.

Total Hearing Solutions is a division of Northside ENT.

Hearing evaluations begin with patients wearing headphones or insert phones. This allows your audiologist to test how softly you can hear sound.

Then she’ll place a small box behind your ear to examine the inner ear. This will also help her test speech comprehension to know how well you can understand words with your current hearing ability.

After that, your audiologist will put this information together to know how much and what kind of hearing loss you have. If you’re a hearing aid candidate, she’ll ask about your lifestyle and where it’s most important for you to hear well.

This information helps in making the best hearing aid recommendation for your personal needs.

Hearing Aids

Hearing devices are available in a wide variety of styles, technology and prices. Years ago, people complained about how big hearing aids were. But they’ve become much smaller.

The majority of all hearing devices today have digital technology. Most reduce background noise and let you hear more naturally.

Digital technology offers many features such as noise reduction, directional microphones and the ability to connect to telephones or the television wirelessly. These features help to enhance voices in difficult listening situations.

The most popular hearing device is the small receiver-in-the ear or open style of hearing aid. This type of hearing device lets you hear more naturally because your ear canal is left open.

This hearing aid is so small, it’s hard to see. So people look at you and not at your hearing aid.

You can also choose in-the-ear hearing aids. Some completely fill your ear while others may be mostly in your ear canal. Some are completely in your ear canal, requiring a small removal line to remove it.

Now you know what a hearing test is like and what types of hearing aids are available.

Total Hearing Solutions is a division of Northside ENT.

Hearing Aids Increase:

• Earning power
• Communication in relationships
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
• Ease in communication
• Emotional stability
• Feelings of control over life events
• Perception of mental functioning
• Physical health
• Group social participation

Hearing Aids Reduce:

• Discrimination toward the person with hearing loss
• Hearing loss compensation or pretending you hear
• Anger and frustration in relationships
• Depression
• Feelings of paranoia
• Anxiety

Hearing means quality of life.

You may be interested in learning more about expectations for hearing aids or seeing a certified audiologist.

Alexander Graham Bell Association For the Deaf, Inc.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation Grad. Student Scholarship

Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation

Exceptional Nurse Scholarships

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults

Hike Fund, Inc.

John Tracy Clinic

National Technical Institute for the Deaf Scholarship Listings

Sertoma International

Let us know if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a certified audiologist.

For a doctor, treating patients is everything. Our doctors have cared for many of your children and grandchildren. Our patients are family.

The last thing we want to do is tell our patients we can no longer care for them. We want to continue taking care of our Medicare patients.

Please understand that Medicare is already one of the lowest paying insurance plans in which most physicians participate.  However, your doctors stand to face a 22-25% immediate reduction in payments from Medicare unless Congress acts to permanently correct a flawed formula that determines Medicare reimbursement rates.

Even though the new healthcare bill promises to cover more patients, big problems still exist. The healthcare bill didn’t fix Medicare, the government’s largest healthcare program.

Congress must fix Medicare now, so Medicare patients can have the doctors they need when they’re sick. They deserve to receive the care they’ve been promised.

Congress must focus on this problem it’s been putting off for more than 10 years.

A statewide effort is now underway to collect a million signatures. The petition drive asks Congress to stop the Medicare meltdown so patients can choose their doctors and their doctors can stay in the program.

We can’t collect your signature on a petition because of government regulations. So instead, we’re sharing this information with you.

Please make your voice heard.

Sign the petition, asking Congress to continue its work and fix the crumbling foundation of our healthcare system.

Let your representative know how you feel. Members of Congress listen to their constituents.

Let us know if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a certified audiologist.

The greatest generation must have learned from their experience and taught their children well. Thirty-one percent of boomers across all age groups had a hearing impairment, compared to 58 percent of their parents at the same age.

This suggests that we can do something to delay hearing loss.

How Hearing Loss Can Happen

The little hair cells in our inner ears can be permanently damaged when a loud sound is near over a period of time.

Regular exposure to noisy manufacturing and mining workplaces can also cause permanent hearing loss.

How We’re Reducing Hearing Loss

We now have stricter rules about workplace noise exposure and fewer young people work in mining and manufacturing.

Smoking leads to chronic cardiovascular disease, which can also cause hearing loss. Long ago, smoking was glamorized. Today, we know better and people just don’t smoke as much.

Infection and inflammation can also cause hearing loss, so better health care and antibiotics may be helping as well.

It feels good to know we can delay hearing loss.

Let us know if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a certified audiologist.

SlimTube

Everyday life becomes more difficult with hearing loss. Conversations with loved ones, meetings, phone calls and watching TV can be challenging.

In many cases, people isolate themselves. They tend to feel more sadness, fear and anxiety than hearing aid users. Hearing loss that’s not corrected can also lead to fatigue, headaches and stress.

Do you remember the large, beige hearing aids from long ago? Today’s models not only work better, but are amazingly small. No one else needs to know.

Let us know if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a certified audiologist.

Finally, a new discovery for quiet relief!

That ringing or buzzing sound isn’t in your ears, and it’s not all in your head. Each person’s experience of tinnitus is unique – and very real. If chronic tinnitus is interrupting your life, now there’s new hope for you to reclaim your life.

Only the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment Device is clinically proven to offer long-term significant relief from tinnitus. This patented treatment method is FDA-cleared, noninvasive and customized for each patient to address the root causes of tinnitus.

Total Hearing Solutions, a division of Northside ENT, will host a free seminar on Tuesday, June 22, 6-7 p.m. A certified audiologist and board certified otolaryngologist will answer questions at Northside ENT, 12065 Old Meridian St., Suite 205, in Carmel.

To RSVP, call Tammy Johnson at (317) 705-2700.

Let us know if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with a certified audiologist.

Total Hearing Solutions offers this patented treatment method.

FDA-cleared, non-invasive, and customized for each patient to address the root causes of tinnitus disturbance.

Click here to schedule an appointment.

Click here to fill out the Tinnitus History Questionnaire

Click here to fill out the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ)