Tinnitus has been around for a long time. But perhaps it’s new to you, like a loud used car you can’t take back. Usually, though not always, tinnitus presents as a ceaseless ringing or buzzing in the ears. At times, the sound is very intense. Regardless of how tinnitus is experienced by you, this point is probably true: 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 a universal cure, there are a few novel treatments that can help you manage symptoms. Some of those therapies even concern your tongue.
The Most Recent Way to Manage Tinnitus
Arguably the newest tinnitus therapy that we’ve seen does indeed offer a lot of promise, even if it appears a little unusual at first. This device, designed at the Trinity College School of Medicine in Dublin, stimulates both the tongue and ear. Bi-modal neurostimulation is the technical term for this technique.
The results were rather impressive with this device based on the first tests. Most individuals received treatments for a duration of twelve weeks or so. Within those 12 months, those same people noted a dramatic decrease in tinnitus symptoms. But this kind of therapy is still in testing and not generally available yet.
What Can I do Now to Get Tinnitus Relief?
Of course, it takes years for technology to go from research and development to patient availability. So perhaps you’re curious about what can be done now to help control your tinnitus.
Luckily, there are some newer tinnitus management devices on the market today. And one of the best new ways to manage tinnitus is something you’ve most likely already heard of: your hearing aid.
It works like this:
Your hearing aid can provide you with something else to listen to. One reason why tinnitus becomes more obvious as your hearing wanes is that the ringing is the only thing that stays loud while everything else gets quieter. A hearing aid can raise the volume on the rest of the audio spectrum. That doesn’t lower the volume of your tinnitus, but it might make the ringing less noticeable.
Your hearing aid can mask the noise. If your hearing loss is relatively moderate, then a masking device may be the best way to treat your symptoms. A masking device basically looks like a hearing aid. And masking technology can be combined with modern hearing aids. Your tinnitus symptoms can be obscured by sounds produced by this type of technology. Sometimes this will be a tone, in other cases, it may be some white noise. Whatever will best hide the humming in your ears.
Of course, this is just a starting point. We can help you discover the best choice for you so get in touch with us.