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December 2025

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• TINNITUS •

What do we call a chronic malady, affecting 100s of millions of people globally, which:

Is a common condition that is usually subjective, perceived only by the patient, and therefore, diagnosis and monitoring rely on self-report? ¹
Can have a direct impact on a person's emotional well-being, their hearing, and ability to sleep? ^2,3
Is the most frequent service-connected disability in U.S. veterans? ⁴
In the workplace, may reduce employee productivity by adversely affecting concentration and limiting participation in occupational activities? ^5,6,7
Can interfere with the individual’s ability to perform adequately on the job or contribute to psychological disorders such as depression, suicide ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and anger? ⁸

The answer…

Tinnitus (pronounced tih-NITE-us or TIN-uh-tus), derived from the Latin word tinnire, meaning “to ring.”

With regards to tinnitus severity, negative impact and financial implications, reputable research indicates:

“Patients with severe complaints had significantly more health care costs than patients with mild and moderate complaints. Productivity losses were significantly higher in the moderate and severe groups than in the mild group. Severity of tinnitus was the most important positive predictor of health care costs.” ⁹

Further: “The absence of a known effective treatment often leads to referrals to a variety of caregivers in an unstructured and non-standardized way. Patients seek help in various areas of health care, but most of the therapies do not lead to recovery. As a result, tinnitus treatment has been described as fragmented and costly to the patients and the society at large.” ⁹

While economic costs are immense, it is human costs which we intently and compassionately focus upon. Given the potentially debilitating symptoms, proactive awareness about this complex condition, and helpful treatment pathways, can be life changing. Gaining knowledge is for your benefit.

Despite misleading medical claims on the internet or other deceptive advertising, in truth, there is … No Magic Pill

Though there are no FDA-approved drugs proven to eliminate tinnitus, carefully prescribed therapeutic options can reduce bothersome burdens. To the point, Ask Your Doctor for sound advice. Since auditory function is closely related, a structured and standard clinical protocol is to seek skilled evaluation which assesses, in addition to tinnitus symptoms, your type and degree of hearing loss.

Are you or a loved one experiencing symptoms which typify tinnitus?

Sadly, often frustrated by prior attempts to obtain quick fixes, those suffering from tinnitus are unaware of how to take control and get on the mend. With habitual application, personalized treatment plans can lead to remarkable improvement in quality of life. As you will discover, it is vital to:

Stay calm
See your primary care provider and audiologist
Know your reputable treatment options
Not accept “learn to live with it” diagnoses

Most people with tinnitus also have hearing loss. In addition to improving communication, hearing aids may reduce tinnitus symptoms by ensuring external sound sources provide alternative auditory stimulus. When the brain’s attention is diverted and internal “head noise” is not alone, blended perceptions may be less noticeable and harmful.

While we take your hearing care seriously, a little laughter goes a long way.

Good Humor, Healthy Hearing

For a bit of mindful learning, fill in the blanks:

Play online

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Instead of suffering in silence, talk with us and share your concerns. We promise to listen closely and, in close coordination with your other healthcare providers, will prescribe sound solutions that, with continuity of care, may lessen negative impacts on daily living. You deserve to know about therapeutic options and mindful methods to reduce symptom severity, psychological stress and financial costs.

Earlier intervention is advisable, and our empathetic guidance will provide a renewed sense of hope that Joys of Hearing may replace troublesome tinnitus. While there are no magic cures, better hearing and healthy habits will serve you well.

In preparing for this holiday season, please see us soon and get relief, a wonderful gift!

¹ Heller AJ. Classification and epidemiology of tinnitus. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2003 Apr;36(2):239-48. doi: 10.1016/s0030-6665(02)00160-3. PMID: 12856294.

² Erlandsson S. Psychological profiles of tinnitus in patients. In: Tyler RS, ed. Tinnitus Handbook. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group; 2000:25-58.

³ Tyler RS. Neurophysiological models, psychological models, and treatments for tinnitus. In: Tyler RS, ed. Tinnitus Treatment: Clinical Protocols. New York: Thieme; 2006:1-22.

⁴ AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. The independent budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, fiscal year 2012. http://www.independentbudget.org/2014/00_IB.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2013.

⁵ Henry JA, Dennis KC, Schechter MA. General review of tinnitus: prevalence, mechanisms, effects, and management. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2005;48:1204-1235.

⁶ Kim KS. Occupational hearing loss in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2010;25:S62-S69.

⁷ Steinmetz LG, Zeigelboim BS, Lacerda AB, Morata TC, Marques JM. Evaluating tinnitus in industrial hearing loss prevention programs. Int Tinnitus J. 2008;14:152-158.

⁸ Noble W, Tyler R. Physiology and phenomenology of tinnitus: implications for treatment. Int J Audiol. 2007;46(10):569-575.

⁹ Maes I.H., Cima R.F., Vlaeyen J.W., Anteunis L.J., Joore M.A. “Tinnitus: a cost study.” Ear Hear. 2013;34(4):508-514. PMID: 23411656.

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