Issue 16.16
Tinnitus (TIN-ih-tus) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a ringing or a sound that only you can hear, or a phantom auditory perception. While tinnitus is not a condition, but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, it sure can be quite irritating and make hearing and communicating much more difficult than it has to be.
But, what causes it?
Simply put, tinnitus is most often found in patients with poor input to the hearing center of their brain. This doesn’t mean you can’t hear or you have brain injury, however; when sound entering our ears gets ‘gummed-up,’ slowed down or stopped due to damage or obstructions anywhere along the hearing system, the brain notices this. Big Time! And just like your stomach might growl when you get hungry, damage anywhere along the hearing system will starve the brain for pure sound which will cause the brain to grow, or cause tinnitus. Our hearing center in our brain needs uninterrupted, undistorted and pure sound to function properly. In other words, sound is brain food. Feed your brain. Feed it!
So, what can be done?
At the Hearing and Balance Doctors of Utah, our Doctors specialize in tinnitus therapy. We evaluate each of our tinnitus patients’ entire auditory (hearing) system in order to pin-point any damage or obstructions which can be starving your brain for pure sound. Then with each patient, we come up with the best treatment plan for sound therapy, so we can get the best possible outcome: A world with less irritating tinnitus. I like the sound of that! If you or someone you know suffers from Tinnitus, please call us at (435) 688-8991 to schedule a consultation.