Hearing Aids

By treating deafness associated with tinnitus, they can mask the buzzing by amplifying the surrounding sounds. In 8 out of 10 cases, they suppress the parasitic noise. By increasing the ability to communicate and decreasing the effort required to hear correctly, they reduce the stress associated with tinnitus.

White noise generators or “Tinnitus Habituation Therapy”: The treatment consists of introducing a low-intensity background noise in order to induce simultaneous habituation to the generator noise and the humming. This treatment is intended for people who do not have a hearing loss or in cases where the loss is very slight.

Tinnitus Maskers

They aim to mask the tinnitus frequencies by emitting another sound. However, replacing an annoying noise with another sound is not always understood by patients and tinnitus masking devices are used less and less.

Therapy

When the cause is not well identified, therapy consists of helping the patient to accept the reaction caused by tinnitus. The aim of this therapy is to accustom the brain to tinnitus and to suppress negative reactions, which can lead to depression. In some cases, antidepressant treatment may be considered as well as psychotherapy.

Other treatments:

Depending on the cause of the tinnitus, the ENT may possibly suggest medication or surgery (otitis media, ear cancer, acoustic neuroma, Meniere’s syndrome).

Alternative medicine can also relieve tinnitus (traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathy, phytotherapy, homeopathy, massage).

Preventive advice

• Relax and avoid unnecessary stress, as buzzing increases with fatigue and nervousness.
• Exercise regularly to prevent arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure, which can cause tinnitus.
• Review your medication: some medications have the side effect of causing tinnitus or intensifying the perception of existing tinnitus.
• Protect your ears from loud noises (concerts, tools, etc.). It is advisable to use custom earmolds adapted to different types of loud noises (consult your hearing care professional) or, failing that, foam or wax plugs.