As tinnitus treatments improve, Neuromonics provides 6 tips to find the right support.
BETHLEHEM, Pa., Oct. 3, 2012 – Developing tinnitus can be more than bothersome. Individuals’ reactions to the tinnitus perception can range from mild annoyance to anxiety, depression, insomnia and other medical issues.
Tinnitus is often described as buzzing, ringing, hissing, humming, roaring, or whistling that someone hears in the absence of any external sound. More than 50 million people in the United States alone suffer from the condition, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA).
As with many health conditions, finding appropriate support can be critical to the quality of a tinnitus sufferer’s quality of life, says Curtis Amann, vice president of marketing and sales for Neuromonics, Inc., which manufactures and distributes the only FDA-cleared, patented and clinically proven medical device designed for long-term significant tinnitus relief. “Identifying appropriate sources of support, informally or formally, can make all the difference in the day-to-day life of someone with tinnitus,” he says.
Amann offers six suggestions to help tinnitus sufferers find the support they need:
- Be good to yourself. Tinnitus has auditory, neurological and emotional elements that can affect many areas of life.
- Educate yourself. Tinnitus has several causes, and affects each person differently. Today, more effective and reliable treatments are available. The more a tinnitus sufferer understands the condition, and keeps current with the field, the greater the chances of dealing with the condition and making it less bothersome.
- Educate others. Family members, friends, co-workers and associates all can benefit from understanding tinnitus and its effects. Most people will be supportive if they understand the particular conditions that may be difficult for a tinnitus sufferer.
- Seek out support. A few individuals who can listen to and understand the daily trials of tinnitus can be invaluable in working with tinnitus.
- Consider a support group. A more formal support group – whether in-person or online – can truly understand an individual’s struggles with tinnitus, offer compassion, companionship and copying strategies. A support group also can be helpful in sharing information and resources. In many cases, physicians, audiologists or other qualified health professionals will facilitate groups. The ATA’s Support Network has tinnitus support groups throughout North America, as well as individual volunteers.
- Obtain counseling. For some individuals, a licensed therapist or counselor can help with techniques to make tinnitus symptoms less bothersome, and with effects of tinnitus such as anxiety and depression.
Today, there is great hope for tinnitus sufferers, with more and better effective treatments on the market than ever before, says Amann. Professional audiologists can help at-risk individuals determining whether or not they have tinnitus, and if so, what level, and what treatments are best suited for them. “Effective treatment, combined with good support, can give new life to tinnitus sufferers.”
Neuromonics, Inc. (www.neuromonics.com)
Based in Bethlehem, Pa., Neuromonics, Inc., manufactures and distributes the FDA-cleared, patented and clinically proven medical device designed for long-term significant relief of tinnitus. With research and development beginning in the early 1990s, the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment has helped thousands of tinnitus sufferers improve their quality of life and overcome the daily life challenges associated with tinnitus. The treatment has been featured on national news media including “The Doctors” and CNN.
Learn more about Neuromonics on the Neuromonics Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
