Does my tinnitus make itharder for me to hear?Many people have hearing problems along with tinnitus. Some peoplethink that the tinnitus causes theirhearing problems - which is not true(hearing loss is usually the cause ofhearing problems). If you havetinnitus or hearing problems , youshould have a hearing test.

Can drugs help?It is rare for a drug to reduce theloudness of tinnitus. All drugs used fortinnitus were actually developed for other problems like: depression,anxiety, and trouble sleeping. Some ofthese drugs can improve your mood.A better mood can help make tinnitusless of a problem.

What should I do about mytinnitus?Start by getting a hearing test (andhearing aids if needed). Hearing aidscan help with a hearing problem byamplifying sounds. Amplifyingsounds can also help with tinnitus.Most people say that they notice theirtinnitus less when they are wearinghearing aids.

What if I need more help?If you need more help, contact yourhearing health care provider.Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Audiologists are trained to help youwith your tinnitus. ProgressiveTinnitus Management (PTM) wasdeveloped by VA and is used by DoDand VA. PTM teaches how to usesound to cope with tinnitus.

PTM also teaches how to change yourthoughts and feelings to cope withtinnitus. Your audiologist can provideyou with PTM materials, and can helpyou learn how to use them.

For more information:Contact your audiologist.Use the internet: go tohearing.health.mil/Education/Tinnituswww.ncrar.research.va.gov/ForVets/

IT'S A NOISY WORLD • PROTECT YOUR HEARING

TINNITUSQUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is tinnitus?Tinnitus is humming,ringing, buzzing, or ))'other sounds in the ' .)ears or head.

How do youpronounce "tinnitus"?"ti-night-us" or "tin-uh-tus" - either iscorrect.

What causes tinn itus?There are many causes of tinnitus that may include exposure to loud noise, head injury, medications, ear wax – and many other causes. Formany people it isimpossible to know the exact cause oftinnitus.

Is there a cure for tinn itus?There are labs around the worldlooking for a cure, but there isn't acure yet. However, there are manyways to feel better without makingtinnitus quieter.

How can I feel better withoutmaking my tinnitus quieter?You can feel better by learning how t o

change your reactions to tinnitus - or bylearning to manage your reactions totinnitus . It is also important to exerciseand eat right.

How can I manage myreactions to tinn itus?You can use sound to make life withtinnitus more comfortable and pleasant.Soothing sound can help you feel betterwithout making your tinnitus quieter.Interesting or entertaining sounds can helpget your mind off your tinnitus.Background sounds make it easier to ignore your tinnitus. You can learn tomake a plan for using sound to help youany time tinnitus is a problem.

You can learnexercises to helpyou relax.Learning how torelax when youwant to can helpyou feel better.You can planpleasant activities even when yourtinnitus is bothering you. Pleasantactivities can help you enjoy life andhelp you get your mind off yourtinnitus .

What you think affects how you feel.You can change how you think aboutyour tinnitus from "there's no hope formy tinnitus" to thoughts like ''I'mlearning new ways to feel betterwithout making my tinnitus quieter."With practice, changing your thoughtsand attitudes can help you feel better.Ask your audiologist where to get helpcoming up with new ways to thinkabout your tinnitus.

Credit for the creation of this brochure goes toNCRAR, with collaborative e fforts from the HCE.Soothing

SoundBackground

SoundInteresting

Sound