Tinnitus is the perception of sound
when no external sound is present and is often perceived as
“ringing in the ears.” Tinnitus may sound like humming,
clicking, buzzing, ringing, hissing, roaring, whistling, or
crickets. The sounds may be intermittent or constant, and may
vary in loudness depending on stress, medications,
noise-exposure and surrounding environment. Tinnitus can be
classified as a phantom auditory perception due to the fact that
there is no external sound corresponding to the patients’
perception of sound. This has made tinnitus hard to measure and
difficult to treat.
Habituation occurs through the removal of the negative
association attached to tinnitus perception, while detection of
the tinnitus signal is preserved. Quiet broad band sound is
used to achieve tinnitus habituation. Patients are directed
to avoid silence and place themselves in an enriched sound
environment. Also in many cases, broad band noise generated by
devices worn behind or in the ear are used. The process takes 6
to 18 months. TRT is not a cure for tinnitus, but rather a
therapeutic treatment with the goal of making tinnitus no longer
an issue in one’s life. |