Tinnitus

Hypnotherapy notes It is possible to use hypnotherapy to psychologically "tune out" the perceived sound {assuming that medical intervention has not been successful / has effected the greatest level of change possible / is not appropriate}. Where a physical element remains in effect the hypnotherapist uses a negative hallucination to enable the client to not hear something that is perhaps "physically" present. Where there is no physical cause / no longer a physical cause the hypnotherapist can turn the volume down and / or enable the client to focus away from the sound. See also: Background masking audio

Tinnitus is when you hear a sound that no one else can hear. Different people hear different things such as ringing, buzzing or more complex sounds.

Tinnitus can vary in intensity and be constant or intermittent. In some cases it can be described as a pulsating sound.

What causes tinnitus?

Any ear disorder can cause tinnitus. Some of the most common examples of these are given below:

• damage caused by extreme noise
• age-dependent hearing reduction
• an obstruction in the ear canal - a large amount of earwax or a foreign object
• a pierced eardrum
• inflammation of the middle ear
• high blood pressure
• some medications may cause tinnitus as a side effect, especially when the dose is exceeded, eg aspirin
• rare cause: a benign tumor on the acoustic nerve

Before seeking assistance your GP should be consulted to ensure that any physical causes have been treated and resolved as far as possible.