Tinnitus Treatment Options to Explore

Hearing a constant ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears can be frustrating, distracting, and even exhausting. This condition, known as tinnitus, affects millions of people and can range from a minor annoyance to a serious interference with daily life. Fortunately, there are many tinnitus treatment options available that can help you manage the symptoms and regain control of your comfort and well-being.

At Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City, we offer personalized tinnitus treatment solutions for patients throughout Lee’s Summit, Overland Park, and Kansas City. Our goal is to help you find relief, reduce the impact of tinnitus, and improve your quality of life through evidence-based care.

Understanding Tinnitus and Its Causes

Tinnitus is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying issue. The sound, commonly described as ringing, buzzing, clicking, or humming, can occur in one or both ears and may be constant or intermittent. For some, tinnitus is soft and barely noticeable, while for others, it can be loud enough to interfere with hearing, sleep, and concentration.

Tinnitus can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Hearing loss (especially age-related)

• Exposure to loud noises

• Ear infections or blockages

• Head or neck injuries

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

• Certain medications

• Circulatory issues

Since the causes vary, it’s important to work with professionals who truly understand the condition and can create a tinnitus treatment plan that fits your specific needs.

The Importance of Professional Evaluation

Before starting any tinnitus treatment, a thorough evaluation is essential. At Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City, we perform a comprehensive hearing evaluation after a thorough medical and hearing history review to determine the likely cause and severity of your tinnitus. This helps us guide you toward the most effective options for managing your symptoms.

Certain individuals experience improvement by making a few basic adjustments to their daily habits. For some people, more organized or targeted treatment options can be helpful. What matters most is discovering the approach that best fits your individual needs.

Top Tinnitus Treatment Options

There’s no universal cure for tinnitus, but many treatments can significantly reduce its impact. Here are some of the most commonly recommended tinnitus treatment approaches:

1. Sound Therapy

Sound therapy remains one of the most common and effective approaches used to manage tinnitus symptoms. It involves using background sounds, like white noise, nature sounds, or soft music, to mask the tinnitus or distract your brain from focusing on it. For example, using a sound machine at night can significantly improve your quality of sleep.

2. Hearing Aids

When tinnitus occurs alongside hearing loss, hearing aids can offer two advantages, they not only improve hearing but can also reduce the perception of tinnitus.  They amplify external sounds, which naturally mask the internal noise of tinnitus. Many hearing aids are also designed specifically to include tinnitus treatment features, such as incorporating low-level sound therapy programs to provide relief from tinnitus in addition to improving hearing and understanding.

Our audiologists at Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City help you choose the right hearing aid with the features best suited for tinnitus management.

3. Lenire Tinnitus Treatment

Lenire is an FDA-approved, dual mode, at-home tinnitus treatment device. Lenire pairs tongue and sound stimulation to reduce tinnitus disturbance over time. Lenire has been shown to be more effective than sound alone, to provide sustained relief from tinnitus, and is highly recommended by patients who have used Lenire. 

Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City is an exclusive, expert Partner Clinic of Lenire, offering relief across the greater Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond. With five specialists providing the Lenire treatment, we are the most experienced clinic in the region. 

4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Tinnitus can cause emotional stress, anxiety, and depression, especially when it's persistent. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a type of counseling that helps you change the way you think about and respond to tinnitus. It doesn’t remove the sound, but it helps you feel more in control of it.

This tinnitus treatment teaches coping mechanisms that reduce the emotional burden of living with the condition.

Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City offers a self-guided, CBT program for all of our tinnitus patients, offering relief from the initial appointment. 

5. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

TRT combines sound therapy and counseling to retrain your brain to ignore the tinnitus. This long-term strategy helps your nervous system become less sensitive to the sound over time, making it fade into the background of your awareness.

It requires patience and commitment, but many patients find TRT to be a life-changing tinnitus treatment option.

6. Medication and Supplements

While there is no FDA-approved medication specifically for tinnitus, some people find relief through treatments that target anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances caused by tinnitus. Your doctor may recommend certain medications on a short-term basis.

Supplements like zinc, magnesium, or ginkgo biloba are sometimes marketed for tinnitus relief, but scientific evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. Always consult your audiologist or physician before starting any new supplement.

7. Lifestyle Adjustments

Simple changes can go a long way. Reducing your exposure to loud noises, limiting caffeine and alcohol, managing stress, and getting plenty of rest can all make a difference. Managing underlying health conditions like high blood pressure or TMJ can also help reduce the intensity of tinnitus symptoms.

Our experts offer personalized lifestyle recommendations as part of your tinnitus treatment plan.

Why Choose Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City?

We understand how frustrating and isolating tinnitus can feel. That’s why we take a personalized, compassionate approach to care. Our audiologists are experienced in treating a wide range of tinnitus cases, and we provide customized tinnitus treatment plans based on your specific needs.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. Instead, we listen, evaluate, and work closely with you to develop a treatment strategy that fits your lifestyle and goals. Our clinics are equipped with the latest technology and staffed by caring professionals who truly want to make a difference in your life.

You Don’t Have to Live with Tinnitus Alone

Tinnitus may not be curable in every case, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer. With the right tinnitus treatment, many people experience real, lasting relief. Whether your tinnitus is mild or severe, occasional or constant, there is hope—and help is closer than you think.

Our team at Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City is committed to helping you take back control of your hearing and your life. We’re here to answer your questions, guide your care, and support you every step of the way.

Schedule an Appointment

Ready to take the first step toward relief? Schedule an appointment with Hearing & Balance Specialists of Kansas City today. Whether you're seeking advanced hearing aids, sound therapy, or expert advice on tinnitus treatment, we’re here to help. Reach out to our offices in Lee’s Summit, Missouri (call us at 816-507-8885), Overland Park, Kansas (reach us at 913-521-9090), or Kansas City, Missouri (call 816-800-8020). We look forward to helping you live with less ringing and more peace of mind.