Tinnitus is certainly familiar to ASHA’s audiologists; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that as much as 10% of the U.S. population has experienced tinnitus. No matter how familiar with tinnitus you may be, we hope you’ll join us in recognizing World Tinnitus Week.
For those of us passively familiar with tinnitus, we may have a singular idea of tinnitus as a constant ringing in the ears. The American Tinnitus Association reminds us that tinnitus can present as any perceived sound where no sound exists—and that it can be consistent for some and temporary or unpredictable for others.
In honor of the millions around the world affected by tinnitus, and the professionals around the world who are dedicated to helping them, we present some recent articles on tinnitus published in the ASHA Journals. We hope you enjoy these articles and collections representing a wide range of perspectives on tinnitus treatment.
Articles: Contemporary Issues in Tinnitus
Changes in Heart Rate Variability Following Acoustic Therapy in Individuals With Tinnitus: Tinnitus can be a huge stressor for those afflicted. This study tested not just the efficacy of a tinnitus treatment but a patient’s heart rate variability as well to gauge stress levels.
Evaluation and Management of Severe Tinnitus: An Evidence-Based Case Report: This article gives clinicians a look at the onset, evaluation, and management of significantly bothersome tinnitus in one patient. The article focuses on tinnitus retraining therapy, which can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life.
Reflections on How Tinnitus Impacts the Lives of Children and Adolescents: For children and adolescents with tinnitus, it can affect their emotional well-being, academic performance, social lives, and ability to hear and understand words. This article also stresses the high variability of tinnitus and the various ways in which children and adolescents react to and treat it.
Sex-Specific Prevalence, Demographic Characteristics, and Risk Factors of Tinnitus in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos: This study found that tinnitus is more prevalent than previously reported in people of Hispanic or Latino backgrounds, particularly women. Authors emphasize the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate public health programs focusing on tinnitus risk factors.
Survey of Audiology Graduate Programs: Training Students in Tinnitus Management: Despite the high prevalence of tinnitus on the caseloads of audiologists, it’s not clear how much training audiologists receive in tinnitus management. This article explores the results of a survey of ASHA-accredited doctor of audiology (AuD) programs.
Collections: Tinnitus in Service Members and Veterans
The article collections featured below focus on audiology treatment for military service members or veterans. This population is at a uniquely high risk for a variety of auditory issues, including tinnitus.
Audiologic and Aural Rehabilitation in Military Service Members and Veterans: This special collection puts resources for the ASHA Journals, The ASHA Leader, and the ASHA Practice Portal together in one place for researchers interested in treating military service members who may have a number of different audiologic impairments.
Selected Papers From the 9th Biennial National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research Conference: This special issue focuses on the role that noise exposure and ototoxins—two risk factors for military service members—play in hearing loss and tinnitus.
Tinnitus Awareness
Due to the high prevalence of tinnitus in the United States, it’s likely that we all know somebody—or will know somebody—affected by tinnitus. You can help those with tinnitus, as well as those working to treat tinnitus, by reading or sharing these helpful resources from ASHA’s journals.
You can learn more about tinnitus on ASHA’s web site, the ASHA Practice Portal, or ASHA’s Evidence Map. We hope that all of these resources can help you educate those around you—and advocate for people with tinnitus around the world!
