We are tinnitus specialists
The Tinnitus Institute is part of the Hearing Institute.
We diagnose the underlying causes of your tinnitus, and work with you on the right treatment and management plan for your unique situation.
What is tinnitus and it’s cause?
Tinnitus is not a disease but rather a symptom of an underlying problem. We call it tinnitus if a person constantly hears a sound that’s not made from an outside source. This means although you hear sounds, there’s no object close to you that’s making a sound. For this reason, tinnitus is sometimes referred to as phantom sounds. This sound is often a high-pitched ringing in the ears. Others might hear a clicking, pulsing, hissing, or a whistling. Some hear screeching, static, buzzing, roaring, or whooshing sounds. It may occur in one ear or both ears and sometimes people hear it in different parts of their head or even outside of their head.
The sound and pitch of the tinnitus can be a low-roaring tone or hiss or a high-pitch ringing sound often described as circadas. The volume of the tinnitus can be perceived at different levels and many people struggle in quiet environments such as at night.
Different types of tinnitus
Tinnitus can either be subjective or objective. Subjective tinnitus means only you hear the sound in your ear, which is usually the case.
However, there are a few instances where other people can hear the noise. This is what we call objective tinnitus. This happens because of a cardiovascular or musculoskeletal abnormality. It could be that when your heart beats, others can also hear the pulsing sound of your blood vessels. These cases require careful diagnostic assessment and possible referral through to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist.
Tinnitus Institute, part of the Hearing Institute, is your trusted tinnitus management clinic
You now understand what tinnitus is, its symptoms, causes, and treatments. Tinnitus Institute is here to help with our specialist knowledge and training in the field of tinnitus management.
Schedule an appointment today and get access to our effective solutions.
Our specialist services and tinnitus solutions
Tinnitus diagnosis
If you suffer from persistent tinnitus an Audiologist can determine the causes and triggers which have increased your awareness of the tinnitus. Tinnitus is not a serious problem itself as it usually indicates an underlying cause. As such, getting evaluated by a hearing professional is advisable. Your Audiologist can provide you with information and perform the necessary diagnostic tests and refer to other health providers if required.
To treat tinnitus, it’s essential to treat its underlying cause first
Tinnitus treatment varies depending on the problem identified during your examination. Treatment may vary from prompt ear infection care from your GP with medication or antibiotics, to discontinuing ototoxic medications. However, note that most cases of tinnitus don’t have an absolute cure. The treatment most people with tinnitus receive is for the effects of tinnitus.
The effects of tinnitus vary from one person to another depending on circumstances. Some might experience extreme fatigue, insomnia, depressions, stress, and anxiety, while others might have trouble concentrating, problems recalling memories, and headaches. Most people learn to tune the sound out or simply become accustomed to it. When this doesn’t work, people require further assistance to desensitise the brain's attention away from the tinnitus.
Information is king and a better understanding of your tinnitus from an Audiologist is essential in providing appropriate information. By determining a cause and structuring a management plan we can provide an effective treatment.
Assessing tinnitus
Our assessments will include a history taking, diagnostic tinnitus and hearing testing and a discussion on management options. Taking a history allows us to better understand the issues associated with your tinnitus and how it is affecting you.
Prior to attending your tinnitus assessment appointment we will send registration forms and tinnitus questionnaires to gain an understanding of how the tinnitus is affecting you and what the causes and triggers are.
If you have any questions prior to your appointment we welcome the opportunity to answer these for you. We encourage a collaborative environment and it is important that you feel comfortable and informed to receive the best service and outcomes. We welcome you to bring a support person to the appointment and our clinics are accessible for wheelchair access.
Our diagnostic tinnitus testing includes examination of your ears to check for ear wax and to check the health of the eardrum. We then use a range of objective functional assessments to test the middle ear structures and inner ear sensory function to measure the health and integrity of the ear.
The third phase of the testing includes subjective measurements of the hearing system with puretone and speech audiometry. We are able to pitch match the tinnitus as well as measuring the level which you perceive it at. We are then able to provide you with a report of our findings, options for referrals if required and a management plan for your tinnitus management.
Hearing aids for Tinnitus
It is well documented that hearing loss and tinnitus are highly correlated. By correcting the hearing loss with hearing devices and providing stimulation to the auditory system the tinnitus appears to reduce. This suppression is in part due to an increased awareness of environmental sounds caused by the amplification. Modern hearing devices can include a combination of amplification and tinnitus sounds which work effectively together for tinnitus management.
Get in touch with the Tinnitus Institute, part of the Hearing Institute, today.
Orbit Drive Specialist Centre
Building I, 5 Orbit Drive
Rosedale, Auckland 0632
(09) 283 0200