subject: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) Explained [print this page] Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is one of the very first options for treating tinnitus and those suffering from this condition have definitely heard about this treatment option already. In order to understand this method, it is first necessary that you understand what tinnitus is. Tinnitus is a type of ear condition characterized mainly by the symptom of hearing strange sound and noise coming from one or two ears or sometimes from the head.
Studies show that 17% of the world population is suffering from tinnitus with 44 million coming from the United States alone. Medical reports show that one of the common causes of this condition is ear infection although it can also be caused by other things. This condition can be treated in different ways and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is one of these ways.
According to many tinnitus patients, the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) really works in providing tinnitus relief. The patients have to go through counseling sessions wherein a sound therapy is used to teach the patient how to specifically identify tinnitus sounds. The sound therapy may last up to two years although some patients attest that they experience positive results after a year of undergoing sound therapy. The TRT method is based mainly on training the patients how to divert their attention to other sounds so as to ignore the tinnitus sounds.
According to TRT doctors, it's normal to get annoyed with the tinnitus sounds but it's also normal to hear them. Have you already experienced hearing the sound of dripping water or a running refrigerator motor in the middle of the night? It's annoying especially when you cannot get your sleep back. Similar thing applies with the tinnitus sounds. It's normal to hear sounds but what makes the patients annoyed and irritated is that they focus on what they are hearing. Through the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), the patients are taught to not pay attention to what they are hearing.
What does Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) do to make the patient ignore the sounds and noise produced by tinnitus? The concept is simple and this is accomplished through the help of a white noise. Some patients are advised by their doctors to listen to MP3 or CD sound effects with relaxing and calming sounds like the beach waves or sounds from the tropical rain forest. The patient has to listen to these sounds so that their minds will be set to these external sounds rather than to the sounds produced by tinnitus. Some doctors even advise their patients to sleep with the radio or TV on with a volume just loud enough to cover up the tinnitus sounds.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is just one of the many options to treat and deal with tinnitus. The best way, however, is still to deal with the root cause. Keep in mind that tinnitus is just a condition indicating the presence of an underlying problem. This is the reason why it is necessary to consult with your healthcare provider as he is the only person who can help you with this.
