Tinnitus Information

Our tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic, established in 1996, is one of the first in the northeast

to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis patients. It is our pleasure to work with you.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is commonly known as ringing in the ears or sounds that originate in the head.

It may be perceived as high pitched ringing, crickets, roaring, hissing, pulsing etc. About 17% of the population is bothered by it enough to seek help. Until recently many patients have felt hopeless. Every aspect of their life is affected. Sometimes they believe that there is nothing that can be done about tinnitus. However, this only increases the feeling of anxiety and stress. Perhaps they have tried many therapies and remedies that do not work.

Our clinic has over 80% success using TRT, or tinnitus retraining therapy, as developed by Dr. Pawel Jastreboff, a neurophysiologist at Yale University. Success is measured by the patient no longer perceiving the tinnitus sound or it is no longer bothersome. Most often this happens at the same time.

Counseling is imperative to the outcome. Since the auditory system is closely linked to the limbic system, the part of the brain that is related to emotions, it is necessary to retrain the brain to habituate to the tinnitus signal. When the misconceptions are eliminated, the stress is decreased and the brain is free to let go of the tinnitus. It is a simple process.

What is Hyperacusis?

Over 25% of tinnitus patients also expericence hyperacusis, or loudness sensitivity to everyday sounds. There may be hyperacusis without tinnitus. Our patients range from mild to severe cases. The most severe cases we have had involved patients who come to the clinic wearing ear muffs and ear plugs underneath. Treatment for hyperacusis involves a gradual desensitization process. The success rate is very high.

What To Do

You may call our clinic to schedule an appoinment or obtain information

on tinnitus and hyperacusis at 607-257-3903.

Our clinic is motivated to get the patient to return quickly to their everyday life. Although the protocol is two years, this varies depending on the patient. Most complete it in six months, and 15% complete after only one visit.

At your first appointment you will receive an audiological evaluation and an hour long directive tinnitus and/or hyperacusis counseling. After that we will schedule a follow-up appoinment in three weeks. Typically, appointments are made three weeks, six weeks, six months and every six months after that until finished. However, each patient's program is individualized to their needs.

There are phone consults for tinnitus and hyperacusis patients living at long distances once a major shift has occured in the tinnitus perception. In a small number of cases tinnitus noise generators are used in the treatment.

Peace is Possible