Tinnitus is a trying condition marked by the perception of sound within the ear even in the absence of external noise. Unfortunately, many sufferers don’t experience relief from traditional treatments, meaning they have no choice but to live with maddening sounds that can make life frustrating and unpleasant. Recently, a few researchers created a program aimed at helping tinnitus sufferers learn to cope with their conditions. While it may provide benefits to people who suffer from traditional tinnitus; it’s not necessarily right for people who suffer from TMD-related tinnitus.
PTM
A group of researchers from the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research have created a program which attempts to help people learn to better cope with untreatable tinnitus. Dubbed Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM), the program utilizes education and counseling to teach patients how to live with the annoying noise associated with their conditions.
To evaluate PTM’s potential impact, the researchers conducted a study which offered telephone counseling from audiologists and psychologists. In the end, the researchers say their study appears to indicate that PTM can improve tinnitus sufferers’ perceptions of their so-called functional limitations.
When it’s TMD
Tinnitus can be caused by a variety of issues, including tumors, blood vessel disorders, reactions to medications, ear wax buildup, exposure to loud noises, head trauma and more. With that being said, sometimes, tinnitus can be a symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
TMD is a difficult condition that causes a variety of symptoms, including jaw pain, facial tenderness, headaches, jaw popping and more. If your tinnitus is accompanied by one or more of these other symptoms, you may have TMD.
Getting Help
When treatments offer no relief, people may have no choice but to live with tinnitus. In these cases, Progressive Tinnitus Management could be a good solution. On the other hand, when tinnitus occurs as a result of TMD, patients have other options.
Dr. Berry is able to relieve most or all TMD symptoms by addressing the condition’s root cause: a bad bite. If you believe you may be suffering from this trying condition, please call (303) 691-0267 at the TMJ Therapy & Sleep Center of Colorado in Denver today.
