What is tinnitus?
Research has shown that almost everyone develops temporary tinnitus in an abnormally quiet environment (such as a sound proof booth) and instructed to pay attention to any sound they may hear.
An increased awareness of tinnitus usually occurs because it changes in some way and becomes louder or more frequently present. This can be associated with the development of a hearing loss, a range of disorders affecting the auditory system, including tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS), and periods of high stress and fatigue.
Tinnitus can become significant if attention is drawn to it; it becomes perceived as intrusive, irritating or distressing; and there is an increase in active tinnitus monitoring.
Myriam Westcott is the only clinician in Australia invited to contribute to “The Multidisciplinary European Guideline for Tinnitus: diagnosis assessment and treatment” Cima et al, 2019. Prominent neuroscientists and clinicians in the tinnitus field, as well as tinnitus patients, contributed to this guideline, designed to set worldwide standards for the provision of tinnitus therapy.
A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment