Tinnitus treatment in London

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound. This noise may be heard in one of your ears, in both of them or in the middle of your head or it may be difficult to pinpoint its exact location. The noise may be low, medium or high pitched. There may be a single noise or two or more noises. The noise may be continuous or it may come and go.

Tinnitus is unique to every individual, but ultimately it is the experience of hearing a sound when there is no external sound present. You might hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or other noises, which can come and go, with the volume varying from one episode to the next. 

Many people, especially those with mild symptoms, learn to ignore tinnitus. However, it can be hard to live with and deeply unsettling when it is severe, as it often affects sleep and concentration. It’s good to know there’s a lot we can do to help and advise you, including steps you can take yourself to help reduce the intensity of your tinnitus.

Tinnitus is not a disease or an illness. It is a symptom generated within a person's own auditory pathways. It is not always the case that tinnitus is a result of disease. The exact cause of tinnitus is still not fully understood and is being researched.

Tinnitus can affect anyone of any age, and it can feel as if it gets worse when you’re stressed, anxious or just tired. It is often the symptom of other conditions, including the following: 

• Underlying hearing loss – 80% of people with tinnitus also have a hearing condition
• Blocked ears due to ear wax
• Exposure to loud noises
• Side effects of medications such as aspirin, anti inflammatories and antidepressants
• A perforated eardrum
• Otosclerosis – a middle ear condition
• Neck or head injuries
• Neck or jaw conditions, such as TMD
• High blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, anaemia, allergies, thyroid conditions and diabetes

Tinnitus sometimes gets worse if you drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks, smoke cigarettes, or eat certain foods. Stress and fatigue can also increase tinnitus.

Although there is no cure, there are, thankfully, a number of effective ways of managing the condition. Here at the Medical Chambers Kensington, our specialist Dr Alam Husain has developed a holistic treatment approach that can support you as well as significantly help to reduce symptoms at our London clinic.

Consultant Audiologist Dr Alam Hussain is a leading expert when it comes to tinnitus treatment in London. After the full range of diagnostic tests, he will work with you to create a holistic treatment plan to treat and manage your condition effectively. 

He has developed the following multi-system approach, which significantly reduces the intrusive impact of this condition in many of his patients.

The underlying cause of tinnitus is often hearing loss, and providing accurately fitted hearing aids is an important part of any treatment plan. We provide a comprehensive hearing aid service with expert fine tuning of your devices. These devices can be highly effective in dulling or masking the sound of tinnitus by increasing the ambient sounds around you.

Lifestyle changes can significantly help reduce symptoms. Caffeine is one of the most common tinnitus aggravators and we recommend reducing your intake of coffee, tea, caffeinated cola and chocolate or avoiding them completely. Nicotine can also exacerbate the symptoms of tinnitus, so it’s a good idea to seek support to stop smoking. 

We also recommend looking after your hearing health and avoiding exposure to loud noises when possible, as they can aggravate your tinnitus. Psychological approaches, including counselling, CBT, meditation and stress management can also help reduce the impact of the condition. 

Aspirin, especially when taken in high doses, can cause or make tinnitus worse. Fortunately it usually gets better when you stop taking it. If you are taking aspirin on the advice of your doctor, it’s a good idea to ask about a suitable alternative.

Diet and exercise are key factors when it comes to managing tinnitus. Exercising regularly can help by improving blood flow to your ear structures, while vitamin B-12 can help your body make the material that protects the inner ear's nerves. Good B-12 sources include dairy products, meat and egg. In addition, vitamins such as A, C, E and Mg may also help, as will a low-salt diet. So try to avoid adding salt to your food and watch the sodium content of the foods you eat, which can also help lower blood pressure.

There are a number of apps and current technologies that Dr Hussain has successfully used to help his patients. As a leading specialist with many years experience, he uses a holistic approach, which includes the use of evidence based devices to help reduce symptoms at our London clinic.

The way you experience tinnitus will be unique and our specialist team will carry out an in-depth consultation to determine your particular symptoms. 

We will carry out a comprehensive assessment of your hearing and a full range of diagnostic tests – including a full hearing test – to understand how your tinnitus manifests itself and the situations in which you experience it more intensely. 

Afterwards we will have a detailed discussion and create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs.

We offer a comprehensive range of diagnostic tests at our state-of-the-art audiology suite to help us understand the way in which tinnitus is affecting you. 

Our tests include the following: 

• Video-otoscopy – a detailed examination of your ear canal using a specialist ear microscope 
• Hearing test using pure tone audiometry
• Tympanometry to identify any pressure, congestion or fluid in the middle ear
• Pitch matching – to test the frequency of your tinnitus 
• Speech discrimination – to identify the frequency of your condition