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When thinking of their hearing health people tend to think of how well they can hear but increasingly staff at Bellarine Hearing find people want to learn about another hearing related concern – ringing in the ears, called tinnitus.
Catherine Glover, an experienced audiologist and tinnitus specialist at Bellarine Hearing, says that tinnitus itself is a commonly reported occurrence.
Studies reporting the prevalence of tinnitus suggest that it falls in the range of 14-30 per cent of the adult population.
“Many people describe an awareness of a cicada or hissing sound when it is very quiet,” Catherine says.
“Most people are aware of some sound in their head as it is how the neural activity in the auditory pathways manifests, similar to when we close our eyes in complete darkness we can observe changes in light patterns.
“However, tinnitus becomes a problem when it is elevated beyond something a person can easily ignore and becomes intrusive.
“Whilst we think of tinnitus as an ear issue, bothersome tinnitus can be caused by a number of medical factors.
“So, for anyone concerned by their tinnitus, we would always recommend a complete hearing assessment.
“Where a hearing loss exists, hearing aids often provide the best solution for tinnitus.”
Catherine is reluctant to use the word ‘cure’ because tinnitus is a very complex medical phenomenon and a simple cure does not exist.
Alternatively she recommends seeking good medical advice from a GP, audiologist or ear, nose and throat specialist.
All of the audiologists at Bellarine Hearing are qualified to perform full diagnostic assessments of hearing.
Should further assistance with tinnitus management be required, Catherine offers intensive appointments where she focuses on helping clients to understand the myriad of factors which can make tinnitus intrusive and often overwhelming.
Catherine commenced audiology in 1990 but in the last 15 years she has focused on tinnitus and other disorders in the perception of sound such as hyperacusis (an over sensitivity to sound), and misophonia (a physical aversion to certain sounds).
“These are less well-known areas in audiology, sometimes not even well understood by some in the medical field.
“So, they are certainly very challenging, but always fascinating and rewarding,” Catherine says.
“I spend time exploring the factors aggravating the tinnitus with the client and looking at ways we can help to understand and manage it so it is no longer ruling their life.
“Often that appointment with me is the first time they feel someone is taking this seriously and that is a significant relief for them.”
One of the most common causes of tinnitus is hearing loss caused by noise damage, be it recreational or work related.
Bellarine Hearing offers a range of custom-made noise-plugs or music-plugs, which they would highly recommend if it suspected that noise-exposure is a risk factor for you.
Bellarine Hearing has been providing independent hearing services since 1992 and has a team of qualified and experienced audiologists.
Phone 5229 6407.