Tinnitus is nothing new. But perhaps it’s new to you, like a noisy used car you can’t return. A constant buzzing or ringing is commonly how tinnitus manifests but not always. The sound can be, at times, very loud. Symptoms vary considerably, but here’s the point: you are most likely searching for new ways of coping with your tinnitus if it’s something that’s bothering you.
In that, you’re lucky because while tinnitus does not yet have an overall cure, there are a few new treatments that can help you manage symptoms. Your tongue is even involved in certain of those treatments.
Newest Approaches to Tinnitus
Arguably the most novel tinnitus treatment to hit our radar does indeed offer quite a bit of promise, even if it seems a little strange at first. Both the ear and the tongue are stimulated with this device designed at the Trinity School of Medicine in Dublin. Technically, it’s called bi-modal neuromodulation.
According to the first tests of this device, the results were rather striking. 12 weeks was about the duration that most individuals were treated. Over those 12 months, those same individuals noticed a dramatic reduction in tinnitus symptoms. But this kind of therapy is still in the testing phase and not generally available yet.
What Can I do Now to Get Tinnitus Relief?
Of course, it takes years for devices to work their way from research and development to patient availability. So maybe you’re curious about what can be done now to help manage your tinnitus.
Fortunately, there are some newer tinnitus management devices available now. And the most common way to manage your tinnitus is a modern hearing aid.
It works like this:
Your hearing aid can give you something else to listen to. One reason why tinnitus is more apparent as your hearing wanes is that the ringing is the only thing that stays loud while everything else becomes quieter. The volume of the exterior world is raised by hearing aids. By raising the volume of external sounds, your tinnitus sounds will often vanish into the background.
There is a sound masking device comparable to a modern hearing aid. A masking device may be the answer if your hearing loss is minor. A masking device basically looks like a hearing aid. And many hearing aids can be enhanced with masking technology. This technology can emit sounds specially designed to mask your tinnitus symptoms. Whatever sound will best mask the ringing in your ears will be used, from white noise to a specific tone.
This is, of course, only the beginning. We can help you discover the best option for you so call us for a consultation.