What is Tinnitus?

Have you been experiencing a buzzing, ringing, or whooshing sound in your ears even when the world around you is completely silent? You’re suffering from tinnitus, and seeking treatment as soon as possible is the best way to manage your symptoms and find relief. The American Tinnitus Association defines tinnitus as “the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present,” and many people describe it as a hissing, whistling, ringing, or clicking sound. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, roughly 15% of the general public — over 45 million Americans — experience some form of tinnitus. While tinnitus is a symptom of a wide range of conditions, it is most frequently the result of some level of hearing loss. To learn more about tinnitus treatment visit one of our twelve convenient locations in Avon, IN, Carmel, IN, Greencastle, IN, Greenwood, IN, Greenfield, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Castleton, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Noblesville, IN, Mooresville, IN, Kokomo, IN & Shelbyville, IN.
Deciphering Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus has several causes, including sensorineural hearing loss and exposure to very loud noise. It can also be caused by an ear infection or injury, or even a buildup of earwax in the ear canal. You’ll experience tinnitus when the delicate cells of your inner ear have been damaged or destroyed. Despite being damaged, the cells will still send auditory information to the brain, even when everything around you is quiet. Your brain interprets these signals as sound, and that’s why you hear the ringing, buzzing, or clicking of tinnitus. Causes of tinnitus include:
  • Sensorineural hearing loss
  • Over exposure to potentially damaging noise
  • Impacted Ear Wax
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • High blood pressure
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Stress
  • Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
  • Idiopathic
  • Ototoxic drugs
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Acoustic Neuroma
Woman cupping her ear with sound wave coming out

Tinnitus Treatment

There is presently no known cure for tinnitus, and once the cells in your ear are damaged, they can’t be restored. That doesn’t mean you have to live with tinnitus! There are excellent, well-established tools and treatment programs that can significantly reduce the perceived burden of tinnitus and bring you relief. With perseverance and support from audiologists, these options can help you manage even the most severe tinnitus.

The first step is testing your hearing, since tinnitus and hearing loss often occur together. If you have a hearing loss, digital hearing aids will improve your ability to communicate and hear clearly, and hearing aids will also provide relief from your tinnitus. Hearing aids help you focus on what you want to hear, decrease background noise, and help all the cells in your ear hear clearly. Treating hearing loss can often reduce your experience of tinnitus.

Treatment Options for Tinnitus

At Whisper Hearing Centers, we use a multi-faceted approach to tinnitus treatment that is individualized to each patient. The use of sound therapy and counseling have proven to be the two most important components of any management protocol.  The addition of the Lenire at-home tinnitus treatment provides additional options for tinnitus.

Woman leaning on couch with headphones

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy is one of the most effective tinnitus treatment options, and we have a number of hearing aids with building sound therapy programs. After we’ve determined the pitch and quality of your tinnitus, we can calibrate your sound therapy to perfectly mask your tinnitus. When you activate your sound therapy program, your tinnitus will be masked by the sound of your choice, including white noise, pink noise, nature sounds, or even music. The tinnitus will fade into the background, and you’ll find relief. You can enjoy your day and your night without tinnitus.
Older man holding smart phone

Lenire At-Home Tinnitus Treatment

(provided only at our Carmel, Indy - Nora and Indy - South office locations)

Lenire is scientifically proven to reduce tinnitus severity leading to an overall improved quality of life.  Lenire is a new approach to treating tinnitus using bimodal neuromodulation with a combination of tongue and hearing stimulation.  The paired stimulation retrains the brain to reduce the severity of tinnitus.
Two people talking while one is taking notes

Counseling

Living with tinnitus is stressful. There’s a negative feedback loop in your experience of tinnitus, and the more stressed you feel, the worse your tinnitus will become, which will in turn make you even more stressed! Managing tinnitus is more effective with counseling, and you’ll learn how to deal with stress, break this negative cycle, and explore coping mechanisms like relaxation, stress management techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and breathing exercises.

If you or a loved one is suffering from tinnitus, contact us at Whisper Hearing Centers and schedule a consultation to discuss which tinnitus treatment option is best for you.

Request an Appointment

Avon, IN Office

1115 N. Ronald Reagan Pkwy.
Suite 255
Avon, IN 46123

View Location

Carmel, IN Office

11725 Illinois Street
Suite 447
Carmel, IN 46032

View Location

Greencastle, IN Office

1542 S. Bloomington Street
Greencastle, IN 46135

View Location

Greenfield, IN Office

One Memorial Square
Suite 230
Greenfield, IN 46140

View Location

Greenwood, IN Office

2020 S. State Road 135
Suite 200
Greenwood, IN 46143

View Location

NE Indianapolis Office

8040 Clearvista Pkwy
Suite 350
Indianapolis, IN 46256

View Location

Nora Indianapolis Office

1070 E. 86th Street
Suite 72C
Indianapolis, IN 46240

View Location

South Indianapolis Office

5255 E. Stop 11 Road
Suite 405
Indianapolis, IN 46237

View Location

Kokomo, IN Office

2350B S Dixon Road
Suite 415
Kokomo, IN 46902

View Location

Mooresville, IN Office

1001 Hadley Road
Suite 140
Mooresville, IN 46158

View Location

Noblesville, IN Office

18051 River Avenue
Suite 104
Noblesville, IN 46062

View Location

Shelbyville, IN Office

2451 Intelliplex Drive
Suite 250
Shelbyville, IN 46176

View Location