Tinnitus Therapy

Tinnitus is the perception of sounds or noise within the ears or head and with no external sound source. These sounds are often described as ringing, humming or buzzing and they can be constant or periodic. Tinnitus is often related to hearing loss – over 70% of people with hearing loss experience some degree of tinnitus.

For most people, tinnitus is more of an irritant than a major problem, although for some it may have a major influence on their quality of life and cause sleeping problems, anxiety and stress. Some of these effects can be minimised by a combination of counselling, education and sound stimulation. If you have tinnitus, you may have been told that there is no cure…but this does not mean that there is no help available. Stephen has received training from some of the World’s foremost experts in tinnitus research and treatments. In addition, we have access to sound therapies which are not available on the NHS.

Tinnitus Management

According to the British Tinnitus Association there is a common belief that nothing can be done to help the tinnitus patient, but this is not true. The point of tinnitus management is to remove the distress associated with tinnitus.

Sounds used in tinnitus management can be amplified sound from hearing aids, environmental sounds, music or noise from noise generators. Using sound in this way can help minimize the contrast between the tinnitus and the surrounding sound environment to provide relief from annoying sound. It also aids in relaxation. As stress is one of the highest exacerbating factors involved with tinnitus, stress reduction is a vital element in effective tinnitus management.

Many people use music for relaxation and stress relief without ever thinking about it. In fact, music has a great influence on our body and psyche. Whether a certain piece of music is stressful or relaxing depends on a range of factors; for example, loudness and volume and sudden changes in pitch or tempo, and personal preferences and tastes.