Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is the sensation of an unwanted sound in one or both ears in the absence of any outside auditory stimulus. Millions of people experience it—most for a lifetime. There’s a powerful psychological mechanism behind tinnitus that can make this a torturous disability for some while others seem to cope so much better. Even when tinnitus apparently sounds the same, people react quite differently.

There is help for tinnitus sufferers. This book tells you what is available and how to help yourself and how to get help. In the US alone over 50 million people have tinnitus, twelve million of whom seek help due to its severity. Two million are so debilitated by it that they cannot function in daily life because of its annoyance. Tinnitus can be a significant contributor to depression, anxiety, fear and even emotional instability for some.

Tinnitus sufferers should receive a thorough evaluation from an audiologist and otologist. This book tells you what to expect. You need to understand the mechanisms behind tinnitus and their likely causes and understand treatment options. This book explains and describes them. There are many things you can do. The way in which you address life itself often influences how well you manage your tinnitus. Everybody’s coping mechanism is different. Some people never make the effort to search for relief while others are driven to find help, spending thousands of dollars for a “cure” that never comes. This book provides detailed guidance on the many options available to consumers and how you can approach tinnitus to find some level of relief.

One big barrier to tinnitus treatment is lack of knowledge. Many believe that nothing can be done about it while others seek help but are frustrated by the limited choices they find. “You must learn to live with it” seems to be the common refrain. As you’ll discover in this book, 70% of people who suffer from tinnitus can usually be helped, some dramatically, by many of a wide variety of treatment options. The best investment you can make is knowledge. This was the seed that led to the creation of this book. We hope it will result in effective tinnitus management for you.

Dr. Tyler has invited professionals from around the world. These are world leaders on tinnitus who have devoted much of their career to helping sufferers. They are physicians, psychologists, audiologists and researchers. Each contributed an original chapter in their specialty area of tinnitus. Reading this book is like sitting down with these experts and listening to their wisdom gained from many years of research. Tinnitus and reactions people have to it is complex, but this book explains these challenges simply, supported by drawings.