Tinnitus and hyperacusis

Question 1

What is tinnitus?

Answer 1

It is a SYMPTOM!
- It is the perception of a sound (hissing, buzzing, ringing) in our head.

Question 2

Name at least 5 things that can cause tinnitus in some people.

Answer 2

1. Hearing loss.
2. Noise exposure.
3. Underlying conditions (tumours, menieres disease, etc).
4. Can be a side effect to medications.
5. Stress
6. Lack of sleep
7. Nicotine, alcohol
8. High-salt diet

Question 3

What are the three types of tinnitus?

Answer 3

1. Subjective: most common, the one most associated with hearing loss.
2. Objective: usually due to muscle contractions (ex. TMJ).
3. Pulsatile: red-flag, usually associated with a more serious issue (tumour, heart problems, etc).

Question 4

How can tinnitus impact someones life?

Answer 4

Can impact: sleep, concentration, emotions, socialization.

Question 5

Name 4 conditions associated with tinnitus and what kind of tinnitus they can experience.

Answer 5

1. Acoustic neuroma (unilateral tinnitus)
2. Menieres disease (low pitched roaring/buzzing tinnitus)
3. NIHL (noise induced hearing loss – bilateral high-pitched tinnitus).
4. Presbyacusis (bilateral high-pitched tinnitus).

Question 6

Is there a cure for tinnitus? What can be done?

Answer 6

No there is no cure.
1. Noise floor: using a white noise such as a fan or humidifier can help cancel out the tinnitus.
2. Hearing aids: a lot of people who have tinnitus and hearing loss will report their tinnitus improves with hearing aids.
3. TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy): a type of therapy designed to help change the persons emotional perception and reactions to the tinnitus.

Question 7

What is hyperacusis?

Answer 7

It is an extreme sensitivity to loud or annoying sounds, usually associated with hearing loss

Question 8

The term hyperacusis is also known as?

Answer 8

Abnormal loudness recruitment

Question 9

What are two treatments for hyperacusis?

Answer 9

1. Counseling: those with hyperacusis tend to be stressed and anxious about being exposed to certain sounds.
2. Sound therapies: a noise floor which can help the person adapt over time.

Question 10

What is the difference between misophonia and phonophobia?

Answer 10

1. Misophonia is the annoyance of sounds (chewing, slirping, etc).
2. Phonophobia is the actual fear of a sound.