There is currently no cure for tinnitus but many treatment options exist. Our Multiflex Tinnitus Technology has helped many patients relieve the burden of their tinnitus and enable better hearing.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, an estimated 45 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus, with about 20 million experiencing chronic tinnitus and 2 million suffering from extreme, debilitating cases. Commonly referred to as “ringing in the ears,” tinnitus can manifest itself in many ways including buzzing, ringing, whistling, hissing, swooshing, clicking and even in some cases musical tones.
It is one of the most common health conditions in the United States, but it is not a disease itself. Tinnitus is a symptom, most often the result of hearing loss and may present as subjective or objective. Subjective tinnitus involves noises that only the patient can perceive, and according to the American Tinnitus Association, 99 percent of tinnitus cases are reported as being subjective. Objective tinnitus on the other hand involves noises that are audible to not only the person suffering from tinnitus but also those around him or her. Usually these sounds stem from internal body functions involving blood blow or musculo-skeletal movements. ATA states objective tinnitus is rare, involving only one percent of all reported cases.
Tinnitus has no current cure but treatment options exist. Our Multiflex Tinnitus Technology is one such treatment option and it is included in our Z Series hearing aids. Multiflex Tinnitus Technology is a software function that generates sound, which is programmed into a patient’s hearing aid to help manage tinnitus.
How does it work?
Multiflex Tinnitus Technology generates a broadband white noise signal with varying frequency and amplitude that plays through the hearing aid.
But, will it work for me?
The tinnitus stimulus is programmed based on the patient’s hearing loss. It is set up for a patient’s individual tinnitus needs, creating a customized sound treatment plan so he or she is set up with variations of the tinnitus stimulus to account for ongoing changes.
What if my tinnitus changes?
Tinnitus may not always manifest itself at the same volume each time, so Multiflex allows a patient the ability to use his or her personalized tinnitus stimulus program and manually adjust as needed. Also, as a patient’s hearing loss and tinnitus needs change, it’s easy for a hearing professional to adjust the hearing aid’s programs as needed.
Want to learn more about treating tinnitus? Visit our Starkey Tinnitus Treatment Solutions page to learn more about our available options.
Also, be sure to check out this helpful blog, “6 Tips for Helping Patients with Tinnitus” for more helpful tips!