Stephen Geller Katz: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy, or TRT, is rapidly becoming the most effective way to treat the sound disorder known as tinnitus. Currently, experts and scientists are busy searching for an effective permanent cure for tinnitus and associated sound disorders. While there are no instant cures for tinnitus, there are other remedial solutions that relate to medical treatments, counseling, and different forms of therapies. One of them includes tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), which involves helping affected patients endure tinnitus noises and other symptoms.

Before we learn more about this treatment option, let’s understand tinnitus and its complications in a comprehensible manner.

Comprehending Tinnitus and it’s Complications

Tinnitus primarily refers to a sound disorder in which you experience constant ringing, or any other type of disturbing sounds, in your ears. This constant noise can occur in one year but most commonly affects both. Patients mention that they initially try to determine any external sources of these disturbing sounds and noises at which they absolutely fail.

This is true, considering that the problem occurs internally. Tinnitus noises occur due to musculoskeletal and cardiovascular movements, which ultimately affect the ears, blood vessels, etc. Symptoms besides constant buzzing and ringing in the ears include:

• Clicking
• Whistling
• Whooshing
• Hissing
• Humming
• Roaring

Since there aren’t any external sources of sound near your head, experts regard these noises as “phantom sounds.” It can be disturbing and frustrating to experience constant noises in your ears without any prominent sound source. These can interfere with real interactions that involve making a speech, performing actions, and concentrating based on sound. Furthermore, people with persistent tinnitus suffer from anxiety, stress, and depression. While this condition can occur in anyone despite their age, gender, and underlying medical conditions, it is more prevalent in people of older age.

What are the Main Causes of Tinnitus?

Exposure to loud sounds consistently or in a sudden accident such as a blast, shatter, etc., can cause tinnitus

Auditory nerve tumors can result in tinnitus. This is when it affects the bones in the ear, mainly the middle ear area, which can adversely affect sound conduction.

Jobs that involve working with loud equipment or under loud environments can result in the manifestation of tinnitus. For example, those working as musicians, construction workers, and in other loud sound jobs are more susceptible to tinnitus.

Medications of certain types and makes can have a negative impact on the health of your middle and inner ears.

Some health conditions also cause and lead to tinnitus in one or both of the ears. Here are some:

• Meniere’s disease
• Blood pressure disorders
• Cholesterol problems
• Hearing loss
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
• Injuries to the neck, head, and ear

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy is a common and highly regarded treatment option for tinnitus and its rare types. In simple words, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a habituation therapy that helps people cope with constantly disturbing noises such as ringing, buzzing, whooshing, etc. These sounds persist even when there is no external source for them. TRT involves directive counseling, which aims to help the patients regard tinnitus noises as neutral sounds/signals. Consequently, tinnitus-affected people are able to ignore the sounds.

Another important component of TRT is sound therapy, which involves masking and reducing the impact or awareness of tinnitus noises. Sound therapy introduces patients to various ear-related devices, such as hearing aids, white noise-reducing machines, brown noise-blocking machines, and other noise blockers. By reducing the noise level, you become less aware of the tinnitus issue. In reality, combining these two components (directive counseling and sound therapy) can result in an effective solution against tinnitus.

Other Treatment Options for Tinnitus

Here are some other common treatments and remedial options that help lessen the impact and adversities of tinnitus in people.

Cochlear Implants

These aim to restore hearing function. These devices bypass the most damaged ear parts, allowing better hearing. It comprises an implanted microphone that goes over your ear. It has a set electrode in the inner ear, which helps conduct sounds and enables better hearing function.

These devices work primarily over electrical stimulation, which lets the brain interpret noises and sounds adequately. In short, cochlear implants are effective in producing electrical signals through the auditory nerves that your brain uses to process noises and sounds.

Lifestyle Improvement

You can try reducing stress levels to limit the occurrence of tinnitus noises or at least preventing them from worsening it. Stress doesn’t directly cause tinnitus but rather affects the way tinnitus noises occur. Therefore, too much stress can give rise to noises and worsen tinnitus.

Prescriptions/Medication

Certain types of medication are also effective in ruling out symptoms of tinnitus. Medication can help alleviate the effect and pain of tinnitus symptoms at the most.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Conclusion

You can procure the best tinnitus retraining therapy at the hands of one of the top tinnitus treatment specialists in the USA.  Stephen Geller Katz, LCSW-R at the Tinnitus Cognitive Center™, helps patients in dealing with tinnitus, sound disorders, and misophonia.

Dr. Katz is a highly experienced expert in treating & in some cases curing tinnitus. Call to book an easy online session today.

Stephen Geller Katz, LCSW-R
646-213-2321

Reference Links

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25862626/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5562945/
https://www.medicinenet.com/ringing_in_ears/symptoms.htm
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52999-Tinnitus-sound-therapy-retraining-the-way-the-brain-perceives-sound