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## Do I Have Tinnitus | Self-Assessment?

It is not uncommon for people to experience tinnitus temporarily, hearing a phantom ringing, hissing, buzzing, or other monotone sounds which no one else can hear. Tinnitus can be triggered by simple, everyday things such as being exposed to loud noises to sneezing too hard.

Most people are able to brush these bouts of tinnitus off, as they generally go away after a few minutes. However, not everyone is so lucky. Some people experience tinnitus on a continuous basis. Not only that, but their tinnitus is strong enough to impact their lives, making it difficult to hear, relax, and other ordinary activities.

Should you suspect that you have tinnitus but aren’t positive, our audiologist here at Echo Hearing Center has provided the tinnitus self-assessment questions below to help you determine if you are dealing with tinnitus.

### Tinnitus Self-Assessment Questions

Most of these tinnitus questions require a yes or no answer. If you find you are answering yes to several of the questions, you may want to note down your answers to assist you when talking to our audiologist about your tinnitus treatment options.

- Are you hearing a phantom sound that no one else seems to hear?
- If you are, what does your tinnitus sound like?
  - - Buzzing
    - Ringing
    - Static
    - Whistling
    - Screeching
- Do you have any degree of hearing loss?
- Is your tinnitus constant, intermittent, or infrequent?
- Does the sound you hear make it difficult to fall asleep at night?
- Are there any new medications you are taking?
- Is earwax build up a problem for you?
- Has the sound you hear been around for over three months?
- Do any family members have tinnitus?
- Does your tinnitus intrude on your life significantly?
- Have you received a diagnosis of the following issues:
  - Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ / TMD)
  - Depression
  - Anxiety
  - High blood pressure
  - Brain injury
  - Meniere’s disease
- Did the noise start after you had gone to a loud activity such as hunting or a concert?
- Do you need to turn up the volume on devices to hear over the sound?

Even if you only had one “yes” when it came to these questions, that may mean you have tinnitus. As tinnitus is a highly-individualized condition, you may not have all the symptoms of tinnitus that others may express. However, it does not make how you experience tinnitus any less valid.

So, if you answered “yes” to one or more of the assessment questions, then it is time to take the next step in dealing with your tinnitus.

### Steps After Tinnitus Self-Assessment

One of the first things you will need to do when you are ready to manage your tinnitus symptoms is to have a comprehensive hearing evaluation.

Hearing loss and tinnitus are often highly connected disorders. It makes sense when you consider that there are clearly brain connections between the two issues. Many people who do have tinnitus manifest some level of hearing impairment, so when you go to be checked for tinnitus with our audiologist, he will perform a hearing evaluation. Even if you don’t end up having hearing loss, it is important to rule that factor out.

After the hearing evaluation is completed and hearing loss has either been confirmed or ruled out, our audiologist will go over your tinnitus treatment options. Depending on the severity of your tinnitus, our audiologist may create a progressive tinnitus management plan with you.

There are also hearing aids which you can use to help manage tinnitus. Even if you don’t have hearing loss, you can use hearing aids as portable sound generators that you can use to mask the sound of your tinnitus without cutting you off from the world of sounds around you.

You may also opt for tinnitus retraining therapy. With this form of therapeutic treatment, your brain can be re-taught how to properly perceive and notice your tinnitus less.

### Contact Echo Hearing Center for Help With Tinnitus

Whether you have mild or severe tinnitus, you don’t have to face it alone. Our audiologist at Echo Hearing Center has helped many people manage their tinnitus, and he is ready to help you become free from your tinnitus.

With the help of our audiologist, you can tackle your tinnitus head on. Contact us to start working with our audiologist, so you can start to take control of your tinnitus.

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