The word ‘tinnitus’ comes from the Latin word for ‘ringing’ and is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound. Tinnitus is prevalent in 6% of the general population and 80% of those with hearing loss.
At Second Sense we can offer you methods to help manage your individual needs
Sometimes understanding a problem is the first step to discovering a solution. At Second Sense we do our best to advise you so that you are always making an informed decision.
Definition of Tinnitus:
The word ‘tinnitus’ comes from the Latin word for ‘ringing’ and is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound.
• Tinnitus is a perception of sound (it must be heard)
• Tinnitus is involuntary (not produced intentionally)
• Tinnitus originates in the head (not hearing or overly sensitive to an external sound, McFadden 1982, cited in Tyler 2005)
When suffering from tinnitus, the sound in the ear is not the only problem – tinnitus is often accompanied by a range of complications with origins in persistent ringing in the ear and the fear that it will never stop. The most common difficulties attributed to tinnitus are sleeping problems, problems with speech understanding, despair, frustration and depression. Many report an inability to relax (stress) and concentration difficulties.
It is our thoughts regarding an unrecognised sound that determine our emotional response.
Very quickly a vicious circle can be set up. We feel tense because we hear the noise and because we hear the noise we feel more tense and so on...
Tinnitus management can help you break this cycle and return to a more relaxed life.
Normally the brain filters unnecessary or unwanted sound out and we don’t even notice it.
In other words the brain checks sounds against its filing cabinet of recognised sounds and then, having identified it, it files it away.
You will notice this with some every day sounds, such as a ticking clock or becoming used to traffic noise near to home. You are only aware of it when you consciously think about it, or it changes.
This is known as habituation.
Habituation is The process of "ignoring" (or becoming accustomed to) a stimulus without exerting any conscious effort. From a psychological perspective, it is defined as the adaptation, or decline of a conditioned response, to a stimulus following repeated exposure to that stimulus.
The Limbic system helps the brain attach meaning to things.
For example, when you are a baby, if someone says your name and you turn around, people smile and make a fuss of you. From then on that sound gets a positive reaction
On the other hand, if you hear a car rev up while you are crossing the road, you don’t even need to think about it- you will speed up to get to the pavement! You know that sound is a potential threat.
The limbic system is linked to all of our senses and controls our long and short term memory, our spatial memory and emotional responses including fear and anxiety. If a negative response is apportioned to a sound it can create a response from what is known as the reptilian area of our brain, this is more likely to create a defensive response such as anxiety and fear, blocking our ability to process rationally.
Sometimes, a sound isn’t recognised and filtered out so we begin to hear it. Since we cannot identify it, it gets our attention and if it sets up a negative emotional response, we continue to hear it until that response changes. This is especially relevant to tinnitus noises which do not have a source external to ourselves.
Tinnitus management can take different forms. When tinnitus is linked to a hearing loss, simply bringing back normal sounds to their normal level can be enough. We can also help with the psychology behind the negative response and we also have access to tone generators and maskers that help the brain ignore the tinnitus sound.
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