Expert Tinnitus
Management in Perth
People often wonder, what is that noise in my ears or head?
How can I stop that noise in my ears? Or can I stop that ringing in my ears?
Why is the ringing in my ears getting louder?
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These are questions I hear from my client's when they experience ringing in their ears or head. The ringing is sometimes described as a high pitched ring, a squeal, intermittent whooshing, pulsatile, hot or warm or a crackling-popping. It varies from person to person. As an audiologist, the term we use for this is tinnitus.
What is this noise in my ears? What is this noise in my head?
Tinnitus is the experience of an internal noise or sound, that can not be heard external to you. Tinnitus can be complex, but it should not be troublesome. If you feel your tinnitus is troubling you please visit your GP or call life line (13 11 14) for support. Troublesome tinnitus can be managed and that is what I am here for. I am an audiologist with Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) certification and experience. TRT is based on the Neurophysiological model of Tinnitus understanding and management.
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If anyone tells you to 'get used to your tinnitus' or 'just live with it' and this bothers you, please know you have options to help you habituate and manage your tinnitus.
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You may experience tinnitus at any point in your life. It can be as a result of a temporary threshold shift (TTS), for example, you may experience tinnitus or ringing in your ears after attending a concert. The tinnitus is a symptom or warning that you have experienced some damage to your hearing organ. After a few days of quiet or rest to your ears, it may subside or stop. You may experience tinnitus during times of stress, change or other factors that can mean your brain tunes into tinnitus.
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What to do if you experience tinnitus: Speak to your tinnitus trained audiologist and GP.
The role of the audiologist is to support you to understand your tinnitus and help you manage it. Our test battery at the Perth Audiology includes a full tinnitus assessment and comprehensive hearing (audiological) test. These are evidence based practices that help identify if there are any structural components that need to be managed and all results will be discussed in your appointment.
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The reason a hearing test is warranted when tinnitus is describe by clients, is to find the underlying etiology or where the tinnitus may be originating from. Tinnitus is usually a symptom and we need to investigate what is causing it, however tinnitus does not always signal there is a structural component or underlying etiology (problem).
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At Perth Audiology we do extended high frequency hearing tests 250Hz to 20K Hz). A standard hearing test (250 Hz to 8kHz offered by many standard clinics) , which most clinics offer, won't show you what is happening in the full range of your hearing organ (cochlear). Some may argue that testing up to 8k Hz is enough, but when it comes to proper tinnitus management, and audiological management, understanding what is happening across the full frequency range of your hearing organ is vital for clear and comprehensive management. Not only is this best practice when it comes to tinnitus management, this is considered a gold standard in evidence based research. Testing to the standard 8k hz is short changing the full hearing organ and understanding your tinnitus and hearing health of your hearing organ.
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Why do most clinics test to 8kz only?
In short, most of the speech range falls between 500 Hz to 8k Hz, and this is the range hearing aids are fitted with. Many clinics don't look at your whole hearing organ as it is costly to purchase this additional equipment, and simply put, if they can't fit you with a hearing aid they don't really know how else to manage your tinnitus. As a tinnitus specialist in Perth, I work with diagnostic testing to ensure you get the full understanding of your ears, hearing and tinnitus.
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This is an excellent article that talks to the evidence of what is happening beyond 8Hz on the audiogram: Why hearing above 8 kHz matters more than you think (link to article).
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A full tinnitus assessment will work to understand your full ear and hearing health, and your mental health associated with your tinnitus. A hearing test alone is not enough. In cases where your tinnitus impacts your quality of life, referrals to your GP or a psychologist may be warranted.
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What might be prescribed to manage tinnitus?
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To get a good understanding of your tinnitus and how to reduce it's impact on your life a full tinnitus assessment can be booked here.
