Tinnitus management
At Help in Hearing we offer an initial pre-assessment appointment followed by full tinnitus assessments if required or a referral on to a relevant specialist. Says audiologist Selma Becker: “There are various techniques and devices to help people manage and live with tinnitus, including counselling, sound therapy and masking, or aids which not only enhance hearing but offer sound relaxation. It is important that we listen to our clients and provide a relaxed, empathetic environment in which they feel comfortable and confident that we want to help.”
At Help in Hearing our objective is to understand the effect of your tinnitus on your lifestyle in order to identify the most appropriate management tool for your individual requirement.
At your first appointment we will take a brief history and carry out a screening hearing test and then discuss further options with you.
Tinnitus assessment, aftercare and counselling
Once we have seen you for an initial pre-assessment, we will discuss the option of a full Tinnitus programme which will start with a 2-hour appointment comprising a range of tests including:
- Tinnitus Intake Questionnaire to find out the physical, emotional and social consequences of Tinnitus
- Otoscopy to establish the health and condition of your outer ear and eardrum
- Tympanometry to establish the health of your middle ear
- Puretone audiogram to assess your hearing levels including air and bone conduction thresholds
- Uncomfortable Loudness levels finding your sound tolerance levels
- Tinnitus pitch matching to find the approximate frequency of your Tinnitus
- Tinnitus masking ability to understand the intensity you experience with your Tinnitus
We will then review and discuss the results, help you understand your condition and formulate a treatment programme
The cost for the pre-assessment is £75.00 and the full assessment is £160.00. We recommend around five follow-up and counselling appointments at a cost of £75 for each one.
Please do call us on 0345 222 0579 for our Marlow and Farnham Common clincs and 01491 577 555 for our Henley-on-Thames clinic if you would like to find out more.
Tinnitus Support Group
It is estimated that Tinnitus effects 250 million people worldwide and over 6 million in the UK. According to the BTA, tinnitus costs the NHS £750 m a year. If you are suffering from tinnitus, you are not alone. All too often people are told there is nothing one can do about the condition but this is not the case.
At Help in Hearing we offer pre-assessment appointments to establish the best course of action. Help in Hearing’s Practice Manager, Gilly Wright, set up a British Tinnitus Association support group in Marlow in 2017 and this is now run by Chris Zaremba, a BTA volunteer who is also a member of the group.
Gilly, who has trained as a Tinnitus Advisor, says: “I am passionate about helping people with tinnitus and hearing problems. I have had the condition for many years due to ear surgery and Menieres Disease. Support groups can play such a fantastic role as you can feel so isolated. Sometimes even friends and families aren’t able to understand how bad it can be.”
“Over the years I have invited a number of guest speakers to talk to the group to show various therapy options that might help. This has ranged from Hypnotherapy and Mindfulness to Tai Chi and Reflexology. The ethos of the group is to be understanding yet positive, giving a sense of belonging and hope, exploring ways of helping with and managing tinnitus.”
Visit our Tinnitus Support Group page to see details of future events.
More about tinnitus
Find out more about tinnitus on our Tinnitus Explained page.
Covid-19 update
The British Tinnitus Association has added some very helpful information and resources to its website, for people who are trying to manage their tinnitus in these days of self-isolation & social distancing. Visit their Covid-19 pages here.