Neuromonics Treatment For Tinnitus

By Bethany Wiseman, AuD

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external sound source is present. Most Americans will experience some form of tinnitus during their life. It can be described as ringing, buzzing, whistling, tones, crickets, hissing, roaring, or static. Tinnitus can vary from intermittent to constant. Some individuals have developed techniques to manage tinnitus on their own while others experience it so severely that they must seek outside help.

A trained audiologist can evaluate a tinnitus patient and determine the best-individualized tinnitus management option. Several tinnitus management devices are available and are very effective in conjunction with counseling. However, these devices do not work for all cases. For those severe cases or where traditional management is not effective, Neuromonics tinnitus treatment is available.

Neuromonics is designed to interact with the tinnitus, disrupt the sounds, and desensitize the individual to the disturbance. The brain has the ability to change in response to new input. Through four customized music programs Neuromonics promotes changes in the brain allowing for new neural connections to be developed. With the new connections the brain will have the ability to filter out tinnitus. Once the brain is able to filter out the tinnitus it becomes less disturbing.

This occurs in 2 stages. The first stage is responsible for giving the patient relief from tinnitus and promoting the new connections through the stimulation of the auditory pathway in the brain. The second stage trains the brain to utilize the new connections and filter out tinnitus on its own. Patients use the treatment for 2-4 hours everyday. The Neuromonics program typically last six months. The device is approximately the size of a personal music player with easy to use buttons.

According to a patient satisfaction study performed by Neuromonics 97% of patients in their research reported relief from tinnitus and 94% reported a sense of control over tinnitus. It is important for patients to know that tinnitus does not have to control them; help is available. If you suffer from tinnitus make an appointment to see a trained audiologist today.