Approaches to Managing Tinnitus

  What can a tinnitus sufferer do? The obvious first step is to seek professional (medical) advice to rule out organic causes. If a diagnosis of organic causes is made, the diagnosis should  be addressed by  appropriate medical professionals.

Absent organic causes there are several potential aids, therapies, and approaches to treating tinnitus in the literature.

First, rule out ineffective treatments such as acupuncture, vitamins, vitamin supplements, and homeopathic tinnitus relief concoctions. The latter while being sold in pharmacies with claims designed to get around FDA requirements are expensive and based on mumbo-jumbo 19th principles that don't work.

Second, investigate proven therapies. Of these, two effective, dominant, and non-experimental therapies that has been subject to extensive experimental verification and are widely used are Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Both approaches generally require a long-term commitment and can be costly. For persons whose emotional response to tinnitus has negatively impacted their daily lives to the extent that it is affecting their job, ability to focus, and their interpersonal relationships these treatment modalities should be strongly considered as a first line of treatment.

Third, use strategies that help you to reduce the perception of tinnitus. Depending on the perceived severity of one's tinnitus these can be used as a supplement to TRT or CBT or can be used by themselves.