Tinnitus is an inconvenience to many. One moment you are dealing with life as usual. The next thing you know, you feel this sensation in your ears that feels and sounds like buzzing, ringing, or hissing. One thing that to know is that tinnitus affects millions of people the world over.

Though mild at first, it can be a major problem for those affected. This can interfere with their concentration, sleep, and their overall mental well-being. Could it be possible to minimize tinnitus? Yes, it can be done through approaches like tinnitus retraining therapy near you. Let’s go further into answering this question on how it can be done.

What Is Tinnitus: Understanding The Causes And What Happens

Contrary to popular belief, tinnitus isn’t a standalone condition. It is a symptom of numerous hearing related issues. Specifically, exposure to loud noises, ear infections, neurological damage, and even hearing loss are conditions where tinnitus is the common symptom. This occurs when there are specific sound frequencies that are absent in the brain, causing these phantom sounds to occur to “fill in the gaps” so to speak. 10 percent of American adults experience tinnitus.

One thing you might need to know is that the issue isn’t even the ear. Instead, the issue lies in how your brain processes sound. Tinnitus occurs when your auditory system consistently misfires signals regarding the sounds you’re picking up on. Taking it a step further, tinnitus can also affect parts of your brain that pertain to your emotional centers. Meaning that it can cause stress, anxiety, and worsened perception of noises.

Tinnitus can be treatable. It can also be minimized through tinnitus retraining therapy. Before you decide to visit an audiologist or a tinnitus retraining therapy practitioner, let’s provide you with more details on this approach.

What Is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy?

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is an approach that has been around for nearly three decades. Dr. Pawel Jastreboff developed this with the theory that the brain can be retrained to treat tinnitus as if it were any other harmless background noise. Think of such noises like a clock ticking or birds singing outside. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy has two major pillars:

Directive counseling: At this stage, you will understand what tinnitus really is (and what it really isn’t). Many believe tinnitus means a serious medical condition or permanent damage. As a result, the anxiety builds along with the unneeded focus on the sound itself. Counseling will help your brain learn how to not react to the sound with strong emotions.

Sound therapy: Here, background noise will be used through wearable sound generators. The brain will learn how to filter out the noise of tinnitus in the same way it does with other background noises.

While the sound won’t be eliminated entirely, you will train yourself and your brain to treat it as if it were like any other background noise you hear both indoors and outdoors. Habituation is the thing this therapeutic approach aims for.

Can You Actually Retrain Your Brain?

The short answer: yes. Even better, science proves this to be possible. It’s all thanks to the function known as neuroplasticity. Examples of this function include breaking a bad habit and replacing it with a good one. Another is learning a new skill or language. Let’s give you an example of how the entire process works:

Suppose you have non-urgent notifications appearing on your phone often. At the outset, it’s distracting. You can teach your brain to ignore it unless you are anticipating something important. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy works in a similar approach to where it trains the subconscious mind to label tinnitus as unimportant, resulting in your brain to quit reacting to it emotionally.

The Benefits of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

There are plenty of benefits to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy that you can experience. It is important to note that this is no quick fix, but rather a long-term solution. The benefits you experience include the following:

• Less emotional reaction
• A reduced perception of tinnitus
• Better sleep and focus
• Increased quality of life

This therapeutic approach will be different from regular medication treatments or masking therapies. Covering up tinnitus is not as effective of a solution compared to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. As such, if you feel like your current options for treating tinnitus don’t seem like they can be effective, this therapy will likely be the better option moving forward.

How Long Does Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Take?

As mentioned, this therapy is not a quick fix. Therefore, you will need to understand that this program will take time and patience to achieve results. The average time frame for most programs will range anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Please note that there are regular check-ins and adjustments. You may achieve results quicker or slower compared to others.

Nevertheless, consistent therapy will be important. Think of it like any other therapeutic approach like physical therapy after an injury. You will be able to achieve the best possible results with dedication to the process.

Is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy A Good Fit For Everyone?

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy does not have a one-size-fits-all approach. Indeed it can be effective for many people. The effectiveness can be based on factors like the underlying cause, your mental and emotional state, how severe your symptoms are, and how dedicated you are to the program.

As such, this therapy as a standalone might not be enough. There is also the option of adding on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or even mindfulness based therapy. Plus, dietary and lifestyle changes can be excellent as a combination to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.

Schedule An Evaluation To See If Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Is A Good Fit

If you believe Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is best suited for your needs, you can schedule an evaluation with an audiologist or a practitioner of this therapeutic approach. This will be a good fit for you if you are willing to commit to the long-term and understand how the entire therapeutic regimen works. Tinnitus can be an inconvenience to many but you can train your brain to react to it in a different way.