Exploring Tinnitus Treatment Options from Hearing Aids to Lenire

That persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears can be more than just a minor annoyance. For many people living with tinnitus, these phantom sounds can disrupt sleep, concentration, and overall quality of life. At Audiologic Solutions, we understand the challenges tinnitus presents and offer several effective treatment options to help manage this condition.

Understanding Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in one or both ears without an external cause. The symptoms can manifest as:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Clicking
• Hissing
• Roaring

These sounds may be intermittent or constant, soft or loud. While tinnitus itself is not a disease, it's a symptom that something may be wrong in the ear, the auditory nerve, or the parts of the brain that process sound.

Common causes of tinnitus include:

• Untreated medical conditions
• Natural aging
• Sudden impact noises
• Long-term exposure to loud sounds
• Head and neck injuries
• Medication side effects (ototoxicity)

Even something as simple as earwax blocking the ear canal can trigger tinnitus symptoms.

Hearing Aids as Tinnitus Treatment

One of the most effective ways to manage tinnitus is through properly fitted hearing aids. Many people with tinnitus also experience some degree of hearing loss. By improving your ability to hear external sounds, hearing aids can help mask the internal sounds of tinnitus.

Modern hearing aids from manufacturers like Oticon, ReSound, Signia, Starkey, and Widex offer specialized tinnitus management programs. These features generate peaceful sounds designed to mask the annoying noises caused by tinnitus, providing relief throughout the day.

During your hearing evaluation at Audiologic Solutions, our audiologists will assess both your hearing ability and tinnitus symptoms. We'll then recommend appropriate hearing aid options with tinnitus management features tailored to your specific needs.

Introducing Lenire: The Latest in Tinnitus Technology

We're proud to announce that Audiologic Solutions is the first audiology practice in Columbia, Rensselaer, and Warren counties to offer the innovative Lenire Tinnitus Treatment device.

Lenire represents a breakthrough in tinnitus management. It's the first and only dual-mode technology for tinnitus treatment that has demonstrated significant effectiveness in large-scale clinical trials and gained FDA approval.

How Lenire Works

Lenire uses a revolutionary approach called bimodal neuromodulation, which simultaneously stimulates:

1. The auditory system through headphones
2. The somatosensory pathways through mild electrical pulses delivered to the tongue

This combined stimulation aims to alter the brain's neural activity, reducing the focus on tinnitus and providing relief.

Proven Results

Clinical trials involving over 600 participants have shown Lenire to be highly effective:

• 95% of participants reported improvement in their tinnitus symptoms after using Lenire as directed for 12 weeks
• 91% of participants experienced sustained relief 12 months after treatment

Getting Started with Lenire

The Lenire treatment process at Audiologic Solutions begins with a thorough tinnitus assessment. Our trained professionals will then customize the Lenire device to your specific tinnitus and hearing profile. For optimal results, we recommend two daily 30-minute sessions for a minimum of 10 weeks.

Oticon Hearing Aids for Tinnitus Management

At Audiologic Solutions, we offer a range of hearing aids from leading manufacturers, with special emphasis on Oticon products. Oticon has consistently developed advanced hearing technology that improves hearing while effectively addressing tinnitus symptoms.

Oticon Intent: Advanced Tinnitus Relief

The Oticon Intent uses 4D Sensor technology that adapts to your unique listening needs by monitoring:

• Conversation activity
• Head movement
• Body movement
• Acoustic environment

This adaptive technology recognizes when your listening needs change and adjusts accordingly, helping mask tinnitus sounds.

The Intent is powered by a second-generation Deep Neural Network (DNN 2.0), which allows the hearing aid to work more like the brain, providing better access to speech sounds while reducing awareness of tinnitus.

With MoreSound Intelligence 3.0, the Intent offers up to 12 dB noise suppression, providing clearer speech and redirecting your attention away from tinnitus sounds.

Tinnitus SoundSupport™

Oticon hearing aids feature Tinnitus SoundSupport™, a built-in sound generator that provides relief sounds including:

• White noise
• Ocean sounds
• Customizable broadband sounds

These sounds can be adjusted for volume and variation, creating a sound environment that makes tinnitus less noticeable.

Oticon ON App

The Oticon ON App gives you additional control over your tinnitus management, allowing you to:

• Adjust the volume of relief sounds
• Switch between sound options
• Create sound therapy programs for different environments

Personalized Fitting Process

Our fitting process includes:

1. A comprehensive hearing and tinnitus evaluation
2. Real Ear Measurement verification
3. Customization of tinnitus relief sounds
4. Training on device features and companion apps
5. Regular follow-up appointments

By combining Oticon's sophisticated technology with our expertise in tinnitus management, we can help you find relief while improving your overall hearing experience.

Additional Tinnitus Management Options

With hearing aids, we also offer solutions from other top manufacturers:

• ReSound offers tinnitus relief through its ReSound Relief app
• Signia provides Notch Therapy in their IX model
• Starkey incorporates tinnitus technology into their Genesis AI hearing aids
• Widex offers the Zen Therapy program in their Moment series

In addition to hearing aids and Lenire, we offer several other approaches to help manage tinnitus symptoms:

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy involves using external sounds to alter your perception of or reaction to tinnitus. This can include:

• White noise machines
• Sound generators
• Environmental sound enrichment (fish tanks, indoor waterfalls, etc.)
• Low-volume background music

These sound sources can help mask tinnitus, making it less noticeable and less bothersome.

Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

Stress can often exacerbate tinnitus symptoms. Dr. Erin Walborn-Sterantino, one of our audiologists, specializes in treating tinnitus and sound sensitivity through mindfulness techniques.

Dr. Walborn is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MSBR), an approved behavioral therapy option from the American Tinnitus Association. These techniques can help reduce the stress and anxiety that often accompany tinnitus, making the condition more manageable.

Holistic Approach

Every person's experience with tinnitus is unique, which is why we develop individualized treatment plans. Dr. Walborn specializes in identifying the underlying causes of your tinnitus and works with you to develop a holistic treatment approach aimed at reducing its impact on your daily life.

This may include a combination of:

• Hearing aids with tinnitus masking features
• Sound therapy
• Mindfulness techniques
• Lifestyle modifications
• Nutrition guidance

Real Ear Measurements for Optimal Results

At Audiologic Solutions, we use Real Ear Measurement technology to ensure your hearing aids are programmed precisely for your unique hearing needs and tinnitus symptoms. This verification method allows us to fine-tune your devices to deliver the right amount of amplification and tinnitus masking at various frequencies, optimizing both your hearing and tinnitus management.

The Importance of Professional Guidance

While over-the-counter options may seem convenient, managing tinnitus effectively requires professional assessment and guidance. Our audiologists have specialized training in tinnitus management and can help determine the underlying cause of your symptoms.

During your consultation, we'll conduct a comprehensive evaluation to understand your tinnitus characteristics and develop a personalized treatment plan. Regular follow-up appointments allow us to fine-tune your treatment and make adjustments as needed.

Schedule Your Tinnitus Evaluation Today

Living with tinnitus doesn't mean you have to endure constant discomfort. With the right treatment approach, many people experience significant relief from their symptoms.

At Audiologic Solutions, we're committed to helping you find the most effective solution for your tinnitus. Whether it's hearing aids, the innovative Lenire technology, sound therapy, or a combination of approaches, our team of experienced audiologists will work with you every step of the way.

Don't let tinnitus control your life any longer. Contact Audiologic Solutions today to schedule a comprehensive tinnitus evaluation at one of our conveniently located offices in Rensselaer, Hudson, or Queensbury. Take the first step toward a quieter, more comfortable future.