Overview:

Have you recently experienced a head or neck trauma and are hearing a ringing in your ears? Or have you been experiencing tinnitus for quite some time and are ready to get back to feeling better? A tinnitus assessment and management session with us might just be what you need for overall wellness. Here’s everything to know about tinnitus assessment and management.

What is Tinnitus Assessment and Management?

Tinnitus is an auditory experience where a constant or recurring non-external sound can be heard in the ears or head. Also known as ringing in the ears, patients with tinnitus may sometimes experience different sounds such as buzzing, whistling, humming, roaring, or beating.

Trained professionals known as audiologists or ENT physicians are equipped to effectively assess and help patients manage their symptoms of tinnitus. Each patient experiences tinnitus differently, and its onset can be caused by several different reasons, including noisy work environments, heart disease, damage to the inner ear, sinus infections, and trauma to the head or neck. Some patients may also have tinnitus due to the onset of hearing loss.

What Are the Benefits of Tinnitus Assessment and Management?

There are multiple benefits to a tinnitus assessment and management by a trained audiologist at Emanuel Kontos, DMD. First off, an assessment can help a patient determine the cause of their tinnitus, which is unique to each person. Depending on its original cause, your tinnitus may be permanent or temporary.

Temporary tinnitus resolves itself in a few days and occurs in patients that take certain medications, attend loud musical concerts, or consume caffeine and alcohol. A patient is diagnosed with permanent tinnitus if they have been experiencing it regularly for at least a year. Temporary tinnitus can also become permanent if a patient is subject to stressors on a repeated basis.

Several forms of tinnitus management exist, such as:

• Tinnitus maskers to help your brain adjust to and ignore your recurring tinnitus noises
• Meditation and deep-breathing techniques to calm your mind and heart rate, especially in the case of patients with depression, heart disease, and anxiety
• Hearing aids, especially in patients experiencing hearing loss
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), for patients with mental health disorders

What to Expect During a Tinnitus Assessment and Management Session

If you’ve never had a tinnitus assessment and management session before, you might be wondering what to expect. A trained audiologist or otolaryngologist at Emanuel Kontos, DMD will begin by asking you a series of detailed questions to determine your current health status, including mental and emotional well-being. From there, a physical examination is common to your head, neck, and ears; sometimes, an imaging appointment may also be appropriate.

Several diagnostic tests like a comprehensive hearing evaluation and a hearing aid fitting may also be recommended depending on the cause of your tinnitus. For some patients, an additional cerumen (earwax) removal appointment may be prescribed to treat tinnitus. Effective tinnitus assessments require an accurate evaluation and prompt care using safe, effective tinnitus management techniques.

For more information about tinnitus assessment and management, contact Emanuel Kontos, DMD at (727) 939-2099.

Resources: 

• https://sphs.osu.edu/clinic/audiology-services/tinnitus-evaluations
• https://www.hca.wa.gov/assets/program/tinnitus-final-rpt-20200410.pdf
• https://www.hofstra.edu/academics/colleges/health-human/slh/hear-ring-lab/assessment-diagnosis.html