Case Study: Active Lifestyle and Tinnitus

Disclaimer: This post has been censored to remove all patient identifiers. This patient will be referred to as “Alex.”

One of my most memorable moments with a patient was during my Summer 2019 practicum experience at the Washington University Adult Audiology Clinic in the Center for Advanced Medicine when I fit new hearing aids on a patient, “Alex,” with a very active lifestyle.

Alex was in a fast-paced career, requiring both large meetings and one-on-one counseling sessions. After her initial hearing aid evaluation, the patient was eager to hear better in her work environment, and potentially gain some relief for her constant bothersome tinnitus. Alex was informed that some notice an immediate difference in their tinnitus after wearing hearing aids, due to their brain focusing on external stimuli instead of the tinnitus. Realistic expectations were discussed, and the patient was very motivated as a first time hearing aid user.

When the day for the hearing aid fitting came, we introduced the devices to the patient and performed real-ear measurements (REM). Immediately after activating the devices, Alex began to weep. They exclaimed, “my tinnitus is gone.” It was amazing to see the immediate difference they noticed in their tinnitus. While this may not be the case for every patient and Alex was counseled that there is no cure for tinnitus, it is exciting to see how far research and technology for tinnitus treatment has advanced. As a future audiologist, it is motivating to see how much of a relief these advances can mean for patients.

Abigail Windisch is a second year student at Washington University in St. Louis. Her audiological interests include early intervention in children with hearing loss and vestibular disorders with the adult population.