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What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus occurs when a person hears a sound without the presence of an outside source. It is often known as "ringing in the ears" and occurs as a single tone but can also manifest itself in other types of sound.

What is hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is defined as a collapsed tolerance to normal environmental sounds. It is a rare hearing disorder whereby a person becomes highly sensitive to noise. Sometimes people think they have hyperacusis because they are bothered by loud sounds like music, heavy equipment or sirens.

What is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere's is a very serious disease of the inner ear, resulting in extended vertigo attacks, major hearing loss, and frequent tinnitus

What causes tinnitus?

There are many causes of tinnitus. In about half the cases, tinnitus is connected with hearing loss, but it is also caused by frequent or sudden exposure to loud noise, by some medications, by head injuries or frequently for no apparent reason.

What does classic medicine propose?

If you have already consulted a proffessional in regard to your tinnitus, you may have noticed that not all the symptoms are taken into account by the medical profession. The classic medicinal treatments limit themselves to vasodilators, peripheral oxygenators and to anxiolytics, all of which offer variable results and can offer precious help, in particular in the first months which follow the appearance of the first symptoms.

What is auditory prosthesis and TRT?

Auditory Prosthesis - Sound Masking works on the generated noises, (specialists call white noise) the aim is to mask these noises which will ultimately stop tinnitus. The equipment called TRT (Trinitus Retraining Therapy) aims at inducing in the patient a signal to mask the tinnitus in an incomplete way. Its effectiveness is relative. In our approach, the signal which we propose is determined on the basis of a preliminary measure of the precise shape of the hearing loss of the subject.

Why use the behavioral therapies?

The behavioral cognitive therapy (CBT) is a powerful tool of reprogramming the cerebral cortex. In 70 % of cases it decreases the annoyances experienced with tinnitus.

How do you choose the appropriate treatments?

We study your audiogram and the acoustic profile of your tinnitus in detail. We elaborate the diverse acoustic signals and produce an acoustic image. These signals are transferred on to an IPod Nano. You will need to listen to the signals repeatedly for 2 to 3 hours a day for 10 weeks. This will reduce gradually the intensity of the tinnitus as its starts to diffuse and become less focused. We insist on the understanding that there is no cure for tinnitus or hyperacousis. The degree of relief varies among patients.

What if the noises persist after 10 weeks of treatment?

This approach does not promise a guaranteed relief for all patients. At the post-treatment evaluation, solutions can be proposed.

Can the acoustic treatment aggravate my tinnitus?

There is a great deal of factors which exacerbate tinnitus. A few examples include: coffee, alcohol, lack of sleep, noise, stress, there are no treatments without risk. We insist with all clients that they stop listening if they have the slightest escalation and call us. It is a risk that is worth taking given the lack of therapeutic alternatives.

What role does my attitude play in the treatment?

It plays a major role. You have to approach the tinnitus treatment philosophically, stoically, patiently, knowing that it will disappear in the long run or at least, it will become so weak it will not disturb you any more. The paradox is that, the more you try diligently, the more you will hear it. It is what we have to keep in mind. In fact, it is better to keep nothing in mind at all, because it is exactly the opposite which will activate it.

Why do we say that it is necessary to manage one's stress?

It is well known, stress is an aggravating factor - even causal - of cardiovascular or immunizing disorders. If we consider that tinnitus is symptomatic of a health problem, we understand the importance of a good management of stress as a precautionary measure. Given that arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure are often at the origin of tinnitus, it is certain that the regular practice of cardiovascular exercises will have a preventive effect.

What about prevention?

Avoid exposing yourself to loud noises or above average volumes of noise. If necessary, use earplugs at work - when one works with certain noisy tools, etc., use earplugs on the plane, during a rock concert etc. It has been observed there was a certain correlation between the risk of contracting a mild tumor of the ear (in the vestibular region) and the increased use of cellular phones. This remains a controversy within the medical community. However, this type of tumor is a cause of tinnitus.