Tinnitus Management
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is an auditory phenomenon that is commonly described as the perception of sound in the ear (e.g. ringing or buzzing). Tinnitus can vary in how it sounds and can be perceived as coming from one or both ears, or in the head. It is common to experience tinnitus temporarily following noise exposure (e.g. going to a concert) or briefly for a few moments from time to time. We recommend speaking with your physician if you experience ongoing tinnitus. For bothersome tinnitus, there are treatment programs available that can help with managing the problem.
Causes
Precise cause of tinnitus can be difficult to determine. Some potential causes include hearing loss, noise exposure, ear infections/disorders, head injuries, and certain medications. It is believed that stress can make tinnitus more noticeable.
Treatment
When researching tinnitus, it is important to make sure that you are getting your information from a trustworthy source. Many websites take advantage of tinnitus sufferers by claiming to offer a cure in the form of a pill or medication of some variety. Be advised that, to date, there is no known cure for tinnitus.
Thankfully, there are management programs available that can provide relief to those with bothersome tinnitus by helping to make the tinnitus less noticeable.
Progressive Tinnitus Management
Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) is a structured, multi-level therapy for tinnitus that has been adopted by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in the United States. We offer PTM through the Centre for Advanced Hearing and Balance Testing at Toronto General Hospital as a cost-effective approach to tinnitus management. The aim of PTM is to help patients self-manage their reactions to tinnitus. The program offers different levels of support according to your needs.
We currently run sessions on Tuesday afternoons. For more information and to book a consultation, please call us at 416-340-4800 x 7067.
- Where Can I Learn More? For a good basic overview and links to helpful educational resources, please visit the Canadian Academy of Audiology (CAA) website.
Hearing Aids and Other Services
We do not prescribe and dispense hearing aids at the Hearing & Balance Centre. The Munk Hearing Centre, located at the Toronto General Hospital, is the first and only full-service hearing aid dispensary for the University Health Network (UHN). All the audiologists at The Munk Hearing Centre prescribe and dispense hearing aids as well as troubleshoot, program and help maintain the health of your hearing aids. The Munk Hearing Centre also offers custom earplugs, such as swim plugs, sleep plugs and noise/musician plugs as well as Assistive Listening Devices and hearing aid batteries.
All bookings for hearing aid evaluations and all other hearing aid inquiries can be made by contacting the Munk Hearing Centre or complete a copy of the Munk Hearing Centre referral.