Tinnitus Awareness Week: Understanding and Managing Tinnitus

Tinnitus Awareness Week is an important time to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. If you or someone you love experiences a persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in their ears, you are not alone. Tinnitus can be frustrating, overwhelming, and, at times, life-altering. However, while there is no single cure for tinnitus, there are effective ways to manage it and significantly reduce its impact on daily life.

What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is neurological disorder. It is the perception of sound in the ears or head when no external source is present. It can vary from mild to severe and may be temporary or chronic. While tinnitus is often associated with damage to the auditory system.

Managing Tinnitus: Finding Relief
Tinnitus can be managed. Here are some effective strategies to help make tinnitus less noticeable:

– Hearing Aids & Sound Therapy – Many individuals with tinnitus also have hearing loss. Properly fitted hearing aids provide auditory stimulation to the brain, helping to mask tinnitus and improve overall hearing. Specialized tinnitus maskers and sound therapy can also provide relief.
– Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Stress and anxiety can make tinnitus worse. CBT helps individuals change their response to tinnitus, reducing distress and improving quality of life.
– Lifestyle Adjustments – Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, avoiding loud noise exposure, and practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing can all help alleviate symptoms.
– Professional Guidance – An audiologist trained in tinnitus management can create a personalized treatment plan to help you regain control over your symptoms.

You Are Not Alone
One of the biggest challenges for tinnitus sufferers is the feeling of helplessness when told that “nothing can be done.” At The Hearing & Dizziness Clinic, we have been successfully managing tinnitus for years. Our team of audiologists is here to provide support, education, and effective treatment options tailored to your needs.

If you or someone you know is struggling with tinnitus, we encourage you to seek professional help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Let’s use Tinnitus Awareness Week as a reminder that while tinnitus may not have a cure, there is always hope for relief and better days ahead.

Dr. Keith Darrow’s International Research Study Quantifies the Impact of His Proven 7-Step Tinnitus Treatment Plan

Dr. Keith Darrow, a Harvard Medical School and M.I.T.-trained neuroscientist from the Hearing and Brain Centers of America in St. George, Utah, is spearheading a groundbreaking international research study. This study is designed to evaluate the life-changing benefits of his innovative 7-step tinnitus treatment plan, which has been shown to reduce or eliminate tinnitus symptoms for over 90% of patients who participate.

Tinnitus, a condition characterized by persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds in the ears, affects nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide. It often leads to emotional distress, sleep disturbances, and difficulties in concentration, significantly impacting quality of life. Dr. Darrow’s comprehensive treatment approach addresses the multifaceted nature of tinnitus, identifies underlying causes, and develops customized strategies for each patient.

The 7-Step Tinnitus Treatment Plan

Dr. Darrow’s proven treatment plan includes:

1. Education through Expert Resources
Patients begin their journey with Dr. Darrow’s book, Silenced: The Medical Treatment of Tinnitus, which provides foundational knowledge about tinnitus and its treatment. You can request a free copy of this book here.

2. Comprehensive Evaluation
Patients undergo a detailed hearing evaluation, tinnitus assessment, and cognitive screening to determine if their tinnitus can be effectively treated with Dr. Darrow’s approach.

3. Personalized Assessment and Staging
Using the world’s leading tinnitus self-assessment tools, the treatment team helps patients quantify and qualify their experience with tinnitus and determine their tinnitus stage.

4. Treatment Planning and Collaboration 
The team works closely with patients and their loved ones to confirm the treatment plan, set realistic expectations, and outline the next steps.

5. Direct Treatment of Tinnitus 
By stimulating the auditory nerve and addressing underlying damage to the auditory system, the treatment plan helps provide the brain with the stimulation it needs to reduce and often eliminate tinnitus symptoms.

6. Monitoring Progress and Adaptation
During initial and follow-up appointments, hearing and tinnitus professionals track the brain’s adaptation to prescriptive technology, measure symptom relief, and adjust treatment as needed. An 85-90% success rate is typically observed within the first months of the adaptation period, with continued improvement over time.

7. Post-Treatment Support 
Patients are supported in their post-treatment journey through Dr. Darrow’s book, Quiet: Living with Less Tinnitus, which offers guidance on lifestyle modifications to maintain symptom relief.

Groundbreaking Research and Global Impact

Dr. Darrow’s international study includes participants from diverse demographics and regions, creating a robust dataset for analysis. By identifying trends and correlations across populations, the study aims to deepen the understanding of tinnitus management and treatment efficacy.

The study’s success will be measured using both quantitative metrics, such as patient-reported outcomes and quality-of-life assessments, and qualitative feedback. This comprehensive analysis will validate the remarkable results achieved by Dr. Darrow’s treatment plan and contribute significantly to the global dialogue on effective tinnitus treatment.

A Transformative Approach to Tinnitus Treatment

Dr. Darrow’s international research study marks a pivotal step forward in improving the lives of those affected by tinnitus. By offering a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment approach, his 7-step plan has the potential to transform how tinnitus is understood and managed worldwide. This initiative provides hope to the 1.5 billion people seeking relief from this challenging condition and underscores the importance of innovative, patient-centered care in achieving meaningful outcomes.

Tinnitus Unveiled: Why It’s Personal, Perplexing, and (Sometimes) Peculiar

Imagine millions of tiny neural “couriers” running from your ears to your brain, delivering sound messages all day, every day. Over time, things like noise exposure, certain medications, viruses, or just plain aging can injure or wipe out some of those couriers. The ones left behind? They might hobble along for a while, under-stimulated and under-performing. But without regular “assignments,” even they can give up entirely — in the scientific world, that’s called apoptosis (aka neural suicide).

Patients often say, “So… you mean use it or lose it?” Yep. Exactly. Under-worked neurons get bored, disengaged, and eventually quit. Unless you give them a reason to stick around — in the form of direct sound stimulation — you lose them.

So, why is tinnitus so different for everyone?
Because hearing loss itself is different for everyone. No universal patterns. Sure, many people have high-frequency tinnitus (thanks to damage in the high-frequency zone), while others with low-frequency loss might hear a low hum. But tinnitus is a subjective experience. It’s your brain’s personal remix — unique to you.

The Four Main Types of Tinnitus

1. Subjective Tinnitus
   The most common type. Often linked to loud noise exposure. It might vanish as mysteriously as it appeared, or linger for months.

2. Neurological Tinnitus
   Usually tied to disorders like Meniere’s disease that affect how your brain processes sound.

3. Somatic Tinnitus
   Influenced by your sensory system. If moving your jaw, neck, head, or even eyes changes the volume or pitch, that’s somatic tinnitus.

4. Objective Tinnitus
   The rare unicorn. An audiologist can actually hear it with special equipment — sometimes it’s even fixable.

Common Causes of Tinnitus

• Age-related hearing loss

• Noise exposure (hello, rock concerts and leaf blowers)

• Certain medications (high-dose aspirin, some antibiotics, antidepressants, chemo drugs, diuretics)

• Earwax buildup or infection

• TMJ dysfunction

• Chronic neck strain

• Cardiovascular issues

• Benign tumors

The Stress Connection

Anxiety and tinnitus have a messy relationship. Stress can make tinnitus feel louder. For some, symptoms begin after trauma or a period of high stress. The result? A vicious loop: tinnitus causes stress, stress makes tinnitus worse, and round we go.

Bottom line: Stress doesn’t always cause tinnitus, but it can crank up the volume. Managing your mindset really does matter.

The Blood Pressure Factor

Both high and low blood pressure can impact your inner ear’s blood flow — and less oxygen means higher risk of hearing issues or tinnitus. Even the meds you take for blood pressure can play a role.

The Earwax Reality Check

Earwax is the unsung hero of your ears. It protects, cleans, and lubricates. Your ears are self-cleaning — chewing, talking, and jaw movement gently move wax out.

But too much wax? That can block sound and cause tinnitus. Skip the cotton swabs and skip ear candling (seriously: burns, punctures, blockages… hard pass).

Can Inflammation Play a Role?

Yes. Inflammation is like static in your body’s operating system. Poor diet, food sensitivities, and excess weight can all fan the flames. Cleaning up your diet — whole foods, healthy fats, less sugar — can help quiet the noise (literally).

Takeaway: Tinnitus isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personal, complex, and shaped by everything from neural pathways to stress levels to what’s in your lunchbox. The good news? You have tools, treatments, and strategies to keep it from taking the driver’s seat in your life.

For more in-depth, credible info, visit:

The American Tinnitus Association.

The American Academy of Audiology

The Canadian Academy of Audiology

Understanding Your Tinnitus

That Ringing in Your Ears? It’s Not in Your Head (Well, Actually… It Is)

You’re lying in bed, house silent, and there it is again: that buzzing… that ringing… that high-pitched phantom sound that no one else seems to hear. You start wondering: Is this normal? Is this permanent? Will it ever stop?

Welcome to tinnitus. (Spoiler: You’re not alone.)

An estimated 50 million people in North-American and nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide live with tinnitus. It’s one of the most common sensory disorders on the planet — right up there with hearing loss. And guess what? Most people with tinnitus also have some level of hearing loss. And vice versa.

So, no. You’re not imagining it. And no, you’re not crazy.

But you might feel that way sometimes, because tinnitus has a way of taking up space in your brain — interfering with sleep, concentration, conversations, and even your mood. It can feel loud, even in the quietest room.

So… What Is Tinnitus, Exactly?

Clinically, it’s defined as a phantom perception of sound. In plain English: your brain hears a sound that isn’t actually there.

It might sound like:

• Ringing

• Buzzing

• Whooshing

• Humming

• Cicadas on espresso

Some only hear it in silence. Others hear it all the time. But one thing’s true for everyone: it’s exhausting when you don’t know why it’s happening… or what to do about it.

Why Is This Happening to Me?

Let’s talk science for a sec. Most cases of tinnitus are the result of neural damage — tiny breakdowns in the ear-to-brain communication highway.

And the top culprit?
Age. (Yep, it’s that guy again.)

But it could also be:

• Noise exposure (a rock concert in 1998… or your lawnmower every weekend)

• Certain medications (even the “harmless” ones like ibuprofen)

• Viral infections (yes, even that one)

• TMJ issues, vascular conditions, or thyroid imbalances

So while the cause might vary, the effect is often the same: your brain isn’t getting the usual signals from your ears. So it turns up the volume. It tries to fill in the gaps.

Your Brain Is Trying to Help (But Ends Up Being Really Annoying)

This whole thing is called central gain — your brain compensates for the hearing loss by becoming overly sensitive. It’s like your brain becomes that one friend who insists on speaking for you at parties. Helpful? Kind of. Embarrassing and confusing? Absolutely.

It’s similar to phantom limb pain. When someone loses a limb, their brain sometimes still feels it there. In the case of tinnitus, your brain fills in missing sound with… well… sound that doesn’t exist.

Good News: You’re Not Stuck With It

Let’s bust a myth:

“There’s nothing I can do about the ringing in my ears.”

Wrong. In most cases, there are very real, very effective treatment options that can dramatically reduce (or even eliminate) your perception of tinnitus.

🎧 Sound Stimulation

The gold standard in tinnitus treatment is prescriptive sound technology — specialized, FDA-regulated devices that help rebuild the ear-to-brain connection. Think of it like physical therapy… for your auditory system.

In fact, 100% of studies between 2010 and 2020 showed that patients using this technology had significant improvements. Some even said their tinnitus disappeared during the day.

🧠 Brain Training

Pair sound therapy with a little mental gymnastics, and you’ve got a winning combo. A recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that brain training tools — like BrainHQ — can improve memory, focus, and reduce the perception of tinnitus.

We’re still learning here, but the early results are promising. Brain plasticity FTW!

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

Tinnitus can feel isolating. But it doesn’t have to be.

If your ears are ringing, buzzing, hissing, or playing a solo symphony no one else can hear — don’t ignore it. Help is available. Real, science-backed, personalized help. Because you deserve to turn down the noise in your head and tune back into your life.