My patient Susan had severe tinnitus and I thought I would share my chart notes about her progress with tinnitus because it is inspiring. If you are someone suffering with tinnitus, know that there are non invasive and organic options out there.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of sound that cannot be attributed to an external source. It is often described as a ringing, humming, or buzzing sound. It can vary in volume and pitch and be intermittent or constant. Tinnitus can be caused by hearing loss, noise exposure, head injury, thyroid problems, muscle tension in head/neck, certain medications or other health concerns.
- Up to 60 different sounds
- A single sound or multiple noises
- Low, medium or high pitched
- Intermittent or constant
- Perceived in one or both ears
Susan’s chart tells a story
August 20: Hearing evaluation. Tinnitus is “very distressing”. High pitched whistle that she hears bilaterally as well as a static and intermittent clicking noise. She is sensitive to loud sound and is avoiding social situations for fear the noise will make her tinnitus worse. She reported having cranial sacral therapy which seems to reduce the loudness of her tinnitus for a few months but it returned. Tinnitus Functional Index scores were high on all sub-tests. She has seen a local ear, nose and throat doctor and all medical reasons for the tinnitus have been ruled out. Counseled on tinnitus management strategies and recommended sound therapy with Audiological counseling. She reports she is now in a “state of distress”. She rates the tinnitus as a 9/10
August 28: Fitting of the sound generator to the left ear. She felt anxious during the fitting process and was was nervous that introducing more sound to her “already loud ear” would make things worse. She had difficulty inserting the device initially but improved with instruction. Real ear measurements on the masker showed adequate gain. She was counseled extensively regarding habituation and instructed how and when to use the device.
September 11: Improvements with insertion of the device and data logging in the device show consistent use. Still noticing the tinnitus and reports it as bothersome, but finds she is less sensitive to loud sound. Changed the frequency response of the tinnitus masker to have a higher frequency peak. Continued counseling on autonomic responses and habituation process.
September 30: Doing well. Significant reduction in the perception of the tinnitus over the past 3 weeks. Finds her sleep and irritability are improved overall. She is using them 10-12 hours per day.
November 23: End of the 3-month trial period. She hasn’t used the sound therapy device since the end of October because, while she hears the tinnitus, it is very soft and not bothersome. I asked her if she wanted to return the device, but she chose to keep it to have it “as a crutch” in case the tinnitus came back or in case she has a bad day. Current tinnitus rating is a 2/10.
There is relief from tinnitus
If you would like to try a tinnitus sound support device, please book a comprehensive tinnitus evaluation or call us at the Broadmead Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2926 or Oak Bay Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2921.
Originally published November, 2015.