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Family Physician:
The patient is likely
to present to the family physician regarding concerns about symptoms in
the ear(s) or sound. In addition to symptoms of tinnitus, you may also be
describing difficulty with symptoms of depression, anxiety or sleep
disturbance. The FP may prescribe medication for associated conditions
and symptoms if it is assessed that your daily functioning is being
impaired.
Though these
medications may not impact the sound of tinnitus, there can still be value
in considering the benefits of reducing other symptoms since a vicious
cycle of distress can develop. That is, the more anxiety and depression
you feel for example, the worse your tinnitus may be. Keep in mind that
some medications can be ototoxic, and checking with your pharmacist about
this side effect is important. As well, the goal for you is to feel you
have a variety of coping strategies for managing the impact of this
condition. Long term use of medication does not replace the need for you
to learn to cope and adapt to the impact of tinnitus in healthy ways.
ENT
(Otolaryngologist):
Your FP may feel it is
important to see a specialist who can perform a complete assessment of
your ears. You are likely to have your hearing evaluated and it is not
uncommon for the ENT to order a CT scan or MRI. The purpose of these
diagnostic tests is to eliminate the possibility of other more serious
conditions that may require surgery or treatment. Your ENT plays an
important role in ruling out these conditions. Assuming the results prove
to be normal, you may hear that there is not a current pharmaceutical or
surgical procedure that will eliminate the tinnitus. Though there is
ongoing research to achieve this goal, the patient may feel there is
“nothing else that can be done” in terms of options for care. This is
absolutely not the case. It is also possible, that the ENT may feel a
referral to an alternate specialist may be of value in terms of a thorough
assessment of your condition.
Other Specialists:
This referral could include for
example, an
Oto-Neurotologist, a specialist
in conditions involving both the ears and the brain. A referral may also
include an evaluation from a
Dentist,
since there are times that TMJ is an
associated condition with tinnitus. If you are experiencing dizziness,
you may receive a referral to a
Physiotherapist
who
specializes in Vestibular Disorders.
Audiologist:
Though you may have received a hearing test, Audiologists are trained to
provide a comprehensive battery of tests for hearing assessment. Through
this evaluation they may recommend treatment in the form of audiological
devices. A significant role of the audiologist is to provide education to
the patient on the mechanisms of hearing and assist the patient in
understanding what is occurring. Having this information can offer
valuable relief to the patient.
Audiological Devices & Sound Therapy:
The audiologist,
or audiological technician may suggest the value of audiological devices.
If there is hearing loss, they can fit you for a hearing aid that best
suits your hearing needs. Some tinnitus patients experience relief from a
combination of hearing aids, maskers and generators. Sound therapy
includes things like fountains, white noise, fans, sounds of waves,
rainforest, streams and other sounds of nature.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT):
This is a specialized
treatment approach that professionals must receive extensive training to
administer. Developed by Pawel Jastreboff, this approach is based on
a Neurophysiologic model of tinnitus and involves Sound Therapy and
Directive Counselling. It involves educational sessions on the
anatomy and physiology of the auditory system, limbic system and tinnitus
signal.
Psychologist:
The role of a psychologist in the treatment of tinnitus has not always
been considered a component in patient care. This is partly due to the
stigmas that unfortunately exist regarding this profession. Tinnitus is
an audiological and neurological condition and one may wonder how a
psychologist can help someone with something that involves the ears and
brain. It is impossible to ignore the psychological and social impact at
multiple levels that the person with tinnitus might experience. Including
a psychologist in tinnitus care acknowledges that suffering goes beyond
the ‘sound’ itself. People want to learn how to reduce the distress that
accompanies the sound. This website is devoted to this component of
treatment and empowering people with the tools that can help you reduce
this distress.
Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM):
According to the NIH
(National Institute of Health), almost 75% of adults have used CAM at some
point. These therapies could include the following: Supplements,
Naturopathic and Homeopathic remedies, Biofeedback and Acupuncture. Each
individual must be responsible for gathering the essential information on
these treatments and decide if they wish to explore them further. It is
important with respect to some supplements that the patient confirm with
their pharmacist or specialist that there are no contraindications with
prescription drug interactions. Natural is not always safe, as there may
not be FDA approval nor standardized amounts in the dosage.
Support Groups:
Most of us want to
understand what we are experiencing. Support groups exist to share
valuable information that is available on current research and to hear
about what other people are finding helpful. There is value in knowing
that you are not alone; that other people share some of your challenges.
The role of a support group goes beyond sharing stories of suffering. It
is to educate and inform people with ideas and strategies that can offer
hope in how to manage these challenges. There are professional
organizations, listed in the section on ‘Links’, that are committed to
providing current information to people with tinnitus.
Education & Research:
Thankfully there are
gifted professionals worldwide who are committed to understanding the
mechanisms behind tinnitus and to develop treatment possibilities.
Extensive research is being done in Europe and the United States and an
increase in funding to do this research. We can continue to be hopeful
that with the ongoing dedication to this field, we can one day look
forward to a cure and treatment of a condition that affects millions of
people around the world.
Family & Friends:
There is a valuable and
supportive role that family and friends can offer to the person with
tinnitus. Understanding more about the condition itself allows these
people to have compassion for how their loved one is being affected. It
is difficult to offer support to a condition that we cannot see or hear.
Attending support group meetings with your partner can be helpful. It is
also important that the person with tinnitus do their best to communicate
with significant others regarding what kind of support would be most
helpful. |
