Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sounds such as ringing, buzzing or hissing within the ear when these sounds are not present in the environment. About 50 million Americans experience tinnitus, and it is usually associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Noises in the ear can be a result of ear wax or a foreign object, such as a cotton swab, touches the eardrum. The wax or object can block outside noise from coming in. To compensate the missing sounds, the brain actually creates phantom sounds for the ear to hear. This also occurs when the inner ear is damaged by noise. Ninety percent of tinnitus patients have some noise-induced hearing loss.

If you suspect you have tinnitus, schedule a hearing evaluation to determine the treatment options you might need. Most individuals who experience tinnitus also have a hearing loss. Hearing aids and other devices amplify sounds, which can make tinnitus less of a distraction. Hearing healthcare professionals can teach patients how to reduce the distraction of tinnitus.

There are Beltone products that can be used as a hearing aid as well as a sound generator designed to manage tinnitus. The Tinnitus Breaker™ feature of the Beltone Reach™ produces a soft volume of noise with different frequencies to make the noise of tinnitus less noticeable.