Tinnitus is not new. But it might be the first time you have had to deal with it. Normally, though not always, tinnitus reveals itself as a ceaseless ringing or buzzing in the ears. The sound can be, at times, really loud. However tinnitus is experienced by you, this point is most likely true: if tinnitus is troubling you, you might be looking for some new ways to deal with your symptoms.
In that, you’re in luck 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 involve your tongue.
The Most Recent Way to Manage Tinnitus
Perhaps the most novel tinnitus treatment that we’ve seen appears to offer a lot of potential, even if it sounds a little odd initially. This device, designed at the Trinity College School of Medicine in Dublin, stimulates both the ear and the tongue. The technical term is bi-modal neuromodulation.
According to the first tests of this device, the results were rather optimistic. 12 weeks was about the duration that most people were treated. Those same people noticed a significant decrease in their tinnitus symptoms, and the results lasted up to twelve months. But this type of therapy is still in testing and not generally available yet.
How Can I Get Tinnitus Relief Now?
Of course, it takes years for technology to go from research and development to patient availability. So how can you control your tinnitus now?
There are, luckily, some tinnitus management technology that has recently come onto the market. And one of the best new methods of managing tinnitus is something you’ve likely already heard of: your hearing aid.
Here’s the way it works:
Your hearing aid can give you something else to listen to. One reason why tinnitus is more noticeable as you lose your hearing is that the ringing is the only thing that stays loud while everything else becomes quieter. The volume of the exterior world is boosted by hearing aids. By boosting the volume of outside sounds, your tinnitus sounds will often disappear into the background.
There is a noise masking device similar to a modern hearing aid. A masking device could be the way to go if your hearing loss is minor. A masking device essentially looks like a hearing aid. And masking technology can be integrated into modern hearing aids. This technology will emit sounds specially designed to mask your tinnitus symptoms. Whatever the best sound is to mask the ringing in your ears will be used, it may be a specific tone or even white noise.
This is, of course, only the beginning. We can demonstrate devices that work best with tinnitus. Contact us.