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It’s estimated that around 10% of the UK population suffer from some kind of persistent ringing, hissing, grinding or buzzing noise with no apparent source. For most people, it comes and goes. But for some, tinnitus is like an unwelcome house guest who decides to take up residence permanently – a constant source of noise and irritation.
The causes
Over 200 individual conditions have been linked with tinnitus, the most common of which are:
- Age-related hearing loss. In a very basic sense, our brains ‘turn up the volume’ to compensate for reduced hearing.
- Exposure to loud noises. Prolonged exposure to high volumes such as machinery or music concerts can result in permanent tinnitus.
- Unhealthy lifestyles. Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or caffeine, eating certain foods, and being regularly fatigued or stressed could all leave you more prone to tinnitus.
- Medical conditions. Anemia, diabetes, an underactive thyroid, and allergies are all related to tinnitus, as are physical traumas.
How we can help
At Sevenoaks Hearing, we can provide a personalised course of treatment that could reduce the worst effects of your tinnitus or remove the irritation altogether.
- Sound therapy. Using ambient background sounds, we can help to reduce your awareness of tinnitus. Using portable music players and smartphones, we can also help you take a break from tinnitus when you’re away from home.
- Stress relief. Because stress is shown to increase the effects of tinnitus, talking therapy and mental exercises that relax your mind can have the opposite result of calming your tinnitus. We are not qualified therapists but we can show you some basic stress relief techniques and, if you find this helpful, refer you to a specialist.
