How Tinnitus Is Diagnosed

Who treats tinnitus?

Many medical disciplines treat tinnitus. These include:

• Primary Care Physicians/Family Doctors
• Otolaryngologists (ENTs)
• Neurologists
• Audiologists
• Chiropractors

Tinnitus Causes:

About 85% of individuals evaluated for a tinnitus disorder can get relief! Because there are so many causes, two purposes of the tinnitus evaluation is to determine the cause and rule out significant medical problems that may be causing the problem.

Tinnitus may be due to high or low blood pressure, diabetes, anemia, thyroid problems, allergies, ear wax, infection, a hair from the ear canal stuck to the eardrum, and a variety of other minor and major factors. The significant effects of tinnitus include:

• Interrupted or restless sleep
• Depression, anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Stress connected to changes in tinnitus

Tinnitus Evaluation

The audiologist will take a careful history, review other records, measure the impact using an instrument such as the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, test other aspects of the hearing mechanism- all to create "the big picture" or the severity, the history, and the probable cause. This, ofcourse, varies on the individual, so by definition, must be individualized. Other aspects will include a diagnostic hearing evaluation, otoacoustic emissions, tympanometry and impedance testing, tinnitus matching of frequency and loudness. The treatment varies, based on the results.

Tinnitus Treatment

A 2012 literature seach of tinnitus research shows that for a high precentage of individuals who experience significant tinnitus, the most helpful treatment is properly fit open digital hearing aids and cognitive behavior therapy. This is because nearly 90% of individuals with tinnitus have a hearing loss that will benefit from hearing aids and do not know it. For others, learning the cause, quantifying the cause, receiving support, and determining if the tinnitus can be reduced by external noise makers, and that the sound can be reduced, is sufficient.

How is tinnitus treated?



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