There several kinds of therapies that may be able to help you if you have tinnitus

Habituation therapy

Although there is no cure for tinnitus that works in the same way for everyone, it is occasionally possible to treat the underlying condition that may be causing tinnitus and there are also ways to manage it. Habituation therapy works by changing your sound response systems, so you gradually become less aware of the tinnitus.

Tinnitus clinics provide you with information to help you understand more about the condition. Understanding tinnitus is the first step to being able to deal with it. The clinic will also help you develop a variety of strategies to help you take control of your tinnitus.

Management strategies may involve relaxation, sound therapy, hearing aids (if applicable) and counselling.

Sound therapy

Many people notice their tinnitus more in a quiet environment. Sound therapy works by filling the silence with therapeutic sounds, which distract you from listening to the tinnitus and so make it less noticeable.

Sound therapy involves listening to a range of sounds that you find pleasant. Simply having a radio or television on in the background can be helpful. Some people prefer a natural soothing sound and use tapes or CDs of the sea or rain falling. Sound therapy can be used in many situations, for example during a daily relaxation session, at bedtime or whilst driving.

If you do not have a hearing loss, a sound generator may be helpful. This produces a gentle, soft 'rush' (white noise) that sounds like a radio that is not tuned in properly. As part of a comprehensive tinnitus rehabilitation programme, this can help retrain your brain to ignore tinnitus. The volume should be set just below the level of your tinnitus. There are many different styles of sound generators including in-the-ear generators, behind-the-ear generators, pillow sound generators and bedside sound generators.

Counselling

Counselling is a very important part of all tinnitus management. It can enable you to understand tinnitus, help you look forward and learn to habituate to it. Talking about tinnitus and sharing how it makes you feel can also be helpful.

Counselling for tinnitus may involve:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a technique used by some psychologists or psychotherapists. It is based on the idea that what we think affects how we behave. CBT aims to find out what lies behind the way we behave and to change how we react to different situations. People can be very distressed by tinnitus because of what they believe about it, but sometimes these beliefs are not true. If beliefs about tinnitus are changed, the unpleasant feelings it produces can also be changed.

CBT also makes use of relaxation techniques and problem solving skills. By changing how you think about tinnitus and how you behave, you can reduce your distress and start to tolerate the noises you hear until eventually you notice them less.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

Some tinnitus clinics use TRT, which uses a combination of sound therapy and directive counselling and was developed by Pawel Jastreboff and Jonathan Hazell. Anyone who provides TRT will have been specifically trained in how to use it. Some people only need one or two sessions, while others benefit from several months of treatment.

TRT works by retraining the brain's sound response systems and the way your 'filters' tune in to tinnitus until you are eventually less aware of it and don't have a problem with it when you hear it.

Read our factsheet ‘Therapies to help with your tinnitus’.