As of: March 12, 2024, 11:20 a.m
By: Natalie Hull-Deichsel
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A complete cure for chronic ringing in the ears is not really possible.
With therapy, those affected can learn to “ignore” their tinnitus.
Around 2.7 million adults in Germany are affected by chronic tinnitus, of which around 1.5 million have a pronounced form of the disease.
Around 250,000 new cases occur every year, according to the
German Tinnitus League e.
V.
is reported.
Tinnitus is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom related to the hearing system.
For many people who suffer from chronic tinnitus, this condition has a major impact on their everyday lives.
This can cause them to have difficulty concentrating and develop sleep problems.
As a result, serious mental health effects can occur with periods of depression.
In order to avoid this as early as possible, various treatment options can help.
Tinnitus management therapy: learning to live with the noise in your ear
According to the “German Center for Music Therapy”, music therapy can be used successfully as a supportive treatment for tinnitus patients to make the ringing in the ears quieter and less annoying after a year.
© X Resolution/Imago
A basic distinction is made between acute and chronic tinnitus, and treatment is chosen accordingly.
If hearing loss occurs suddenly or acutely, doctors usually treat it with cortisone in a similar way to treating sudden hearing loss.
If the ringing in the ears has been present for more than three months, this is chronic tinnitus, as the
ENT doctors portal in the network
of the
German Professional Association of Ear, Nose and Throat Doctors e.
V.
explains.
The respective treatment is based on the individual severity of the stress and possible existing comorbidities such as depression.
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The basis of the so-called tinnitus management therapy (TBT) is comprehensive information and advice, known as counseling, on possible treatment options.
These include acoustic measures such as hearing aids or other environmental noises such as “sound therapy”, which, according to the
German Tinnitus League e.
V.
can be masked and the noise is only perceived as reduced.
The treatment principle is based on the assumption that tinnitus - similar to phantom pain - is the result of altered auditory pathways in the brain.
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What helps against chronic tinnitus
Possible forms of treatment for persistent tinnitus can include:
Tinnitus retraining therapy with tinnitus noiser and tinnitus masker
The tinnitus noiser is similar to a hearing aid that is placed in the ear and produces a quiet noise there - in principle as a countertone to tinnitus.
Through regular exposure to sound, the brain can learn to classify the tinnitus noise as unimportant, so that those affected notice it less.
With the help of the tinnitus masker, the chronic noises in the ear can be drowned out and thus alleviated.
Music therapy
In music therapy for tinnitus, the hearing is retrained through targeted listening to familiar sounds and intensified through music variations, ideally adapted to the tinnitus frequency.
Although the method has not been conclusively scientifically proven, according to
the German Center for Music Therapy
, it has been successfully used as a supportive treatment to make the ringing in the ears of tinnitus patients quieter and less annoying after a year.
Stress management/relaxation techniques
For tinnitus patients, continuous relaxation is very important in order to reduce the strong focus on the disturbing sound.
Methods such as autogenic training, biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson help to learn or promote relaxation skills.
Hearing aids and hearing training
If you have hearing loss, hearing aids are recommended, as they often have a positive effect on tinnitus.
If hearing loss is severe, a cochlear implant is recommended.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapeutic or behavioral therapy measures represent an important and scientifically recommended method and basis in the context of tinnitus therapy.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.