Silencing the Noise: The Benefits of Tinnitus Therapy
Nov 15, 2021

Silencing the Noise: The Benefits of Tinnitus Therapy

Tinnitus may be an unfamiliar word to you. Yet the chances are you’re familiar with the condition since tinnitus affects 15 percent of Americans. People experiencing tinnitus hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, or whistling. The sounds they hear don’t have a source in the external environment. In most cases, people with tinnitus perceive a sound that doesn’t exist.


For many people, tinnitus is a mild annoyance. For others, the symptoms are severe. These individuals have a chronic condition that disrupts their sleep and other activities of daily living. Also, another health problem may be the cause of tinnitus. Therefore, someone with any level of tinnitus symptoms needs to be evaluated by an audiologist.



In our practice, we sometimes see patients who have spent years living with untreated tinnitus. Usually, these patients weren’t aware their condition could be managed. It troubles me every time I encounter a patient who has struggled with tinnitus for years. The sooner someone with tinnitus visits us, the sooner that individual can experience the benefits of tinnitus therapy.


What is Tinnitus Therapy?

Although there isn’t a cure for tinnitus, we can manage it. Tinnitus therapy is widely recognized as an effective method of reducing or eliminating tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus therapy is a generic term for various strategies that use sound to alleviate the condition’s symptoms. Tinnitus therapy is sometimes referred to as sound therapy.

Tinnitus therapy involves using sound to reach goals such as:

  • Lowering or eliminating the loudness of tinnitus
  • Take the patient’s attention away from tinnitus
  • Substituting the unwanted noise with a sound that isn’t troublesome
  • Tinnitus therapy teaches the brain to perceive tinnitus differently, which gives the individual the ability to filter out the noise.


Common Methods of Tinnitus Therapy

We customize tinnitus management based on the patient’s needs. The following are conventional approaches to implementing tinnitus therapy. However, this is not an exhaustive list of tools and techniques to manage tinnitus.


Environmental Enrichment

A silent environment makes people more aware of their tinnitus. Adding sound to the environment reduces a patient’s perception of tinnitus. The sound needs to create a pleasant distraction for the patient. Some patients find it helpful to use music or television as background noise. Others prefer sounds played by tinnitus relief apps, CDs, or tabletop sound machines.

At night, most patients prefer relaxing sounds to promote sleep. Many patients benefit from playing nature sounds (ocean waves, rain, waterfalls, etc.), listening to a tabletop fountain, or operating a fan for its sound.


Wearable Tinnitus Maskers

These devices are also known as wearable sound generators. They offer a wide range of sound frequencies. Although these devices look much like hearing aids, they function differently. Wearable tinnitus maskers produce sound to fully or partially cover (mask) tinnitus. Partial masking works by taking the patient’s attention away from the disruptive noise.


Hearing Aids

Often, individuals who are also living with hearing loss obtain relief from tinnitus by using a traditional hearing aid. Devices with an open fit typically are of most benefit for treating tinnitus.


Combination Devices

These devices are also for people who are experiencing both hearing loss and tinnitus. Combination devices are wearable devices that combine the functions of a hearing aid and tinnitus masker. Many types of combination instruments are available. The device’s sound generation feature may provide broadband signals, narrow-band noise, or even fractal tones.


Benefits of Tinnitus Therapy

Tinnitus robs people of their quality of life. The ultimate goal of tinnitus therapy is to improve the quality of life. Patients often report feeling controlled by their tinnitus. When patients begin to manage tinnitus, they regain their sense of control over their lives.

Specifically, tinnitus therapy reduces or eliminates the noise. Patients notice that their ability to concentrate and their sleep improves. All of these benefits lower the level of anxiety and frustration patients experience due to their tinnitus.


Success Stories from Our Patients

Tinnitus therapy works. At Johnson Audiology, we have successfully treated countless tinnitus patients. Here’s what a couple of them said about their therapy.

Before his tinnitus treatment at our clinic, Howard Leary had difficulty understanding what others were saying in person and on television. Here’s what he had to say:

“I told them my problem with tinnitus and Dr. Johnson said ‘well I think I can fix that,’ and she did. I don’t hear the ringing at all anymore…It’s really great.”


Kevin Brakebill lived with tinnitus for seven years. Unfortunately, healthcare providers at other facilities had told him nothing could be done to manage his tinnitus. The good news is they were wrong. This is what he said about our treatment:

“Dr. Johnson selected a specialized hearing aid with tinnitus management that has helped me so much, I do not notice it anymore.”

Are you ready to experience the benefits of tinnitus therapy? At Johnson Audiology, our tinnitus patients receive a custom treatment plan based on the findings of our examination.  Contact us to schedule a hearing evaluation.

Move from the Gunbarrel Road office to a new and larger office will allow Johnson Audiology to help even more people in the Chattanooga region

By Jan Hollingsworth • 09 Jan, 2024
Johnson Audiology is pleased to announce that the practice will be moving one of its Chattanooga area offices from its current location on Gunbarrel Road to a new location at 6830 Lee Highway. The move will take place January 15. “We are extremely excited to be re-locating to a much larger space later this month,” Dr. Megan Johnson, founder and owner of the award-winning practice, says. “About a year ago, we realized that we needed more room to meet the needs of our growing patient base so we could help even more people with hearing loss. We sought a place that would allow us to stay in the East Brainerd/Hamilton Place area so that the office would still be conveniently located for patients. Our Hixson office will remain at 5617 Highway 153, Suite 203 and is also being upgraded with a second sound booth and beautiful new decor. These two strategically located offices mean that we can continue to serve patients who live east and west of the Tennessee River.” Dr. Johnson says that when she identified the building on Lee Highway, she knew it was an ideal site for this next growth leap. “Our company culture is anchored on the premise of always offering an exceptional patient experience,” she says. “Thanks to our wonderful family of Johnson Audiology patients, we have outgrown our current office and have found the perfect location for offering the best care to even more of our Chattanooga neighbors.” The new location offers many positive features that will benefit patients: The office is conveniently located off Lee Highway in the area between Shallowford Road and Hickory Valley Road, directly behind Dr. Keith B. Dressler’s orthodontic practice. It is a stand-alone office that is not shared with any other businesses. The building is more than 4,000 square feet, which is double the space of the current office on Gunbarrel Road. The added square footage will accommodate a spacious patient welcome and reception area, three sound booths for hearing testing, and a private area for patient check-out. The building has exam rooms for four full time audiologists and an audiology assistant, a large front desk area, and a sizeable lab for hearing aid maintenance and repair. The office has ample space for the practice’s growing Cochlear Implant (CI) Program with a dedicated sound booth and exam area just for CI patients. The building design allows for easy circular patient flow throughout the office. The building has a dedicated, 20-space parking lot just for Johnson Audiology patients and additional parking for Johnson Audiology staff. Dr. Johnson mentions that the building was a non-medical office previously, so updates were needed to bring it up to par for a bustling hearing health care clinic. It currently is being remodeled, and the parking lot resurfaced. “We have plans to transition to the new building by January 15 with some final touches to the office’s aesthetics continuing through the spring,” she says.  Dr. Johnson wishes to assure folks that measures are in place to alleviate disruption to the service patients receive during this time and thanks patients in advance for their continued support and understanding during the transition. “The new office is going to be incredible!” she says. Initial correspondence has been delivered to patients about the move. Dr. Johnson says, “Patients who have appointments scheduled in early January or those who need walk-in service for hearing aid maintenance and supplies from now until January 15 should continue visiting the Gunbarrel Road location.” Dr. Johnson says, “In February, we will invite our friends and neighbors in the Chattanooga community to an open house celebration, where we will do an official reveal of the new space!” Johnson Audiology has been faithfully serving the citizens of Chattanooga since the practice opened its doors on October 1, 2009. “As we prepare to celebrate our 15th anniversary this year, the new office location on Lee Highway and the upgrades to the Hixson office are evidence of our commitment to patients.” Dr. Johnson goes on to say, “Chattanoogans have named Johnson Audiology Best of the Best in the category of Favorite Audiologist and Hearing Aid Clinic for 11 years straight. And they consistently name Johnson Audiology in the top three in the category of Best Customer Service among all Chattanooga businesses. We seek to live up to those accolades daily!” Dr. Johnson concludes, “One of our patients, Mr. Van Tenpenny, recently had this to say about us: ‘My visit to Johnson Audiology has been life changing! After decades of hearing loss, I am able to hear normal conversations in any environment.’ It is our highest ideal to be here for Mr. Tenpenny and the thousands of other patients like him who prioritize their hearing for the best quality of life.” Do you want to get on the road to healthy hearing? Johnson Audiology is currently accepting new patients at all locations. Call today to schedule an appointment or book online at www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule.

What is Tinnitus? Causes and Symptoms

15 Aug, 2023
Tinnitus, often described as a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears, is a common auditory phenomenon that affects millions of people worldwide. While tinnitus is not a disease itself, it can be a symptom of an underlying issue. At Johnson Audiology, we are committed to helping you understand tinnitus and guiding you through the steps to manage this often-distressing condition. Understanding Tinnitus Tinnitus can vary in intensity and pitch, and it may present as a constant sound or come and go intermittently. It can be caused by a range of factors, including exposure to loud noise, age-related hearing loss, earwax blockage, and even certain medications. Tinnitus can impact your quality of life, leading to sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and emotional distress. Steps to Manage Tinnitus Consult an Audiologist: If you're experiencing tinnitus, the first step is to seek professional help. A university-trained audiologist, a hearing health specialist, can conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus and its impact on your hearing. Identify Underlying Causes: Tinnitus often has an underlying cause, such as hearing loss, a medical condition, or exposure to loud noise. An audiologist can help identify these causes and recommend appropriate treatment options. Customized Treatment Plans: Based on the evaluation, your audiologist will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Treatment approaches may include: Hearing Aids: If hearing loss is contributing to your tinnitus, hearing aids can help by amplifying external sounds and reducing the perception of the tinnitus. More than 90% of those who have tinnitus, also, have hearing loss, even if the loss is mild. Sound Therapy: Sound therapy involves using external sounds, such as white noise or nature sounds, to mask or distract from the tinnitus noise. Counseling: Counseling and education can help you better understand tinnitus and learn coping strategies to manage its impact on your daily life. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT): TRT combines sound therapy and counseling to help you habituate to the tinnitus and reduce its perception over time. Lifestyle Modifications: Your audiologist may recommend lifestyle changes, such as managing stress, avoiding loud noise exposure, and adopting healthy sleep habits. Monitor and Adjust: Tinnitus management is an ongoing process. Regular follow-up appointments with your audiologist allow for adjustments to treatment plans based on your progress and changing needs. Seek Support: Tinnitus can be emotionally distressing. It is important to seek support from friends, family, and even support groups where you can connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges. While tinnitus can be disruptive, understanding the condition and taking proactive steps to manage it can lead to improved quality of life. At Johnson Audiology, our dedicated team of audiologists is here to guide you through the journey of tinnitus management, providing the expertise and support you need to find relief and regain control over your hearing health. Contact us today to take the first step toward a more peaceful and harmonious auditory experience.
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