Frank's Advice on Tinnitus
Monday, 02 January 2012 11:32
Tinnitus is an abnormal noise or noises that you can hear most of the time but does not come from outside your ear
Tinnitus can sound like ringing,buzzing,whistling,roaring,hissing,like a fridge running,etc. It may pulsate or come and go. The noise can be more prominent when in a quiet place eg. at bedtime.
Tinnitus is quite common and up to 1 in 10 people have mild symptoms while 1 in 100 have more severe problems which can affect their quality of life.
Tinnitus can manifest itself from unknown causes within the nerve pathway from ear to brain, but can be caused by external conditions . These include Old Age, Meniere's Disease, Medicines, Injury, Infection and,in younger people, loud noises such as rock concerts and your earphones too loud on your I-Pod.
In Barrow, many older and retired Shipyard workers have Tinnitus from working in a noisy environment, so ear protection is essential even at home when DIYing (Your Murray's Pharmacist can explain) Note- if you have one-sided Tinnitus you should see your Doctor.
Tinnitus itself is incurable but there are some successful treatments you can use to help cope with the constant noise.
Listening to alternative sounds such as radio etc. can help. Also a device such as a sound generator could help. Ask your Murray's Pharmacist.
At bedtime, Tinnitus can be very troublesome and it helps if you use a radio, or similar, to mask the noise, till you go to sleep. Some people use a speaker under the pillow and you can even buy a pillow with a speaker in it!
If you have any deafness, a hearing aid can help as sounds are enhanced, helping to mask noise as before.
If you are stressed or depressed, this makes Tinnitus worse, best to consult your Doctor.
For really severe Tinnitus, a treatment called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TNT) can help. This is available at specialist Audiology Centres, so ask your Doctor for more information. Basically it involves training to avoid the noise.
For Information, ask your Murrays Pharmacist.
Also The British Tinnitus Association on 0800 018 0527 www. tinnitus.org.uk
The RNID Tinnitus Helpline 0808 808 6666 www.rnid.org .uk
