Columbia basin hearing center

Kennewick: (509) 736-4005   |   Walla Walla: (509) 876-4541

New Hope for Ringing Ears

IMG_0040 webIMG_0029 webBy Neil & Shannon Aiello, Doctors of Audiology, Columbia Basin Hearing Center

What is Tinnitus?

Approximately 50 million people in the United States experience some sort of noise inside their ears or head when no external sounds are present. The sensation can be constant, intermittent, as well as varying from one type of sound to another. The sounds can also vary from day to day or hour to hour causing patients a great deal of frustration.

Tinnitus is the name used to describe this sensation, and is pronounced “tinn-i-tuss”. Tinnitus is not a disease itself; but rather it is a symptom of something else; which is almost always benign.

Many Audiologists have received advanced training and certification in Sound Therapy with new tinnitus management systems. These new methods ultimately give hope to those people who have been previously told ”You have to learn to live with it.”

What Causes Tinnitus?

There are many known causes including excessive noise exposure, sensorineural hearing loss, head/neck injury, ototoxic medications, and a variety of other medical conditions. Of the 50 million sufferers, there are 16 million whose tinnitus is significant enough that they seek medical treatment for the condition.

With the ease of access to information on the internet, and lack of current information provided to many physicians, many of these patients have obtained inappropriate or inaccurate information about their tinnitus condition.

We have sadly seen many patients that have invested significant monies in supplements or other tinnitus “treatments” that ultimately have proven ineffective.

A Unique Treatment Model

The good news is that many Audiologists have recognized the need to properly diagnose, counsel, and treat patients suffering from tinnitus. The Doctors of Audiology at Columbia Basin Hearing Center are members of the Tinnitus Practitioners Association, and have received extensive training and certification on “best practices” for evaluating and managing patients with tinnitus.

CBHC successfully uses Sound Therapy in combination with a variety of new tinnitus management devices to help countless patients understand what tinnitus is, why it is there, and what can be done to control it. We have seen substantial improvement in our patient’s lives utilizing this focused approach. Additionally, Behavioral Modification Therapy, used in conjunction with Sound Therapy, has also shown significant positive outcomes as well.

New Tinnitus Management Devices

Newer tinnitus management tools, such as Xino Tinnitus Instrument, Widex ZenTM and “Sound CureTM Serenade”, in combination with CBHC’s extremely effective treatment model have greatly improved results, when compared to previous methods used to treat patients suffering from tinnitus.

Developing a personalized treatment plan based on a patient’s severity of tinnitus and impact on quality of life — as well as technology needs — has resulted in patients having profoundly improved quality of life following treatment.

The Time Is Now

It is true, that there is no cure for tinnitus, but Columbia Basin Hearing Center doctors have successfully helped people manage their tinnitus problem that often has controlled their lives for years.

Instead, our patients have taken control of their tinnitus, making it a manageable condition for which they are able to deal with and live a “normal” life again.

For those patients living with tinnitus, we strongly recommend contacting a CBHC Doctor of Audiology who has obtained specialized training and certification in tinnitus assessment and management. There has never been a brighter time to pursue new tinnitus options.

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