Being diagnosed with tinnitus can offer both a sense of relief as well as a feeling of unease. After all, once you receive your tinnitus diagnosis, what are you supposed to do? The good news is that you don’t have to let your tinnitus symptoms ruin your life. If you’ve recently received a tinnitus diagnosis, here are some of the key steps that you should take moving forward.
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Make sure that your health insurance covers your treatment or switch to a new health plan.
As tinnitus sufferers know, the symptoms that accompany tinnitus are very real. Hearing sounds with no external source like buzzing, hissing, or ringing are just some symptoms of tinnitus that can greatly impact the mental health and well-being of those who are living with it. While health coverage may be able to help you manage some of the costs associated with common causes of tinnitus, not all solutions may be covered under your health insurance plan.
For example, if tinnitus is a side effect of hearing loss and you need to get hearing aids to experience a reduction in these external sounds, your insurance company may help you pay for the costs. If, however, you need to access experimental sound therapy or use devices like maskers that produce white noise, these can be exclusions that aren’t covered under your plan.
Whether you suffer from chronic tinnitus or have an underlying cause that’s treatable, the most effective way to ensure you can pay for your health care needs is to compare health insurance with a tool like iSelect. All you have to do is select your need for coverage, enter your postcode, and compare plans in the health insurance marketplace at no additional cost to you. Once you know what your options are, it’s just a matter of signing up for the right plan for your needs!
Figure out what treatment options are available to you.
Tinnitus is not a condition in and of itself. Instead, it’s a side effect that may accompany a number of problems. If these problems are treatable, this means that you may be able to cure your tinnitus. For example, if the cause of tinnitus is a result of something like a buildup of earwax or a disease or disorder that affects the inner ear, treating these underlying conditions may rid you of your tinnitus entirely (although this isn’t always guaranteed).
For others, tinnitus is the result of something that’s not curable, like age-related hearing loss or hearing loss that stems from years of exposure to loud noises. The good news? You can experience tinnitus relief and lead a better quality of life with the right tinnitus treatment. Once you schedule an appointment with an audiologist to further discuss your condition, you will learn that you can rely on tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) to help you move forward more successfully.
TRT treats tinnitus through a combination of physical, FDA-approved solutions like hearing aids as well as treatments that offer a greater sense of peace and relaxation like attending counseling sessions with a psychologist or taking medications that offer relief from anxiety or depression. With the right mixture of treatments, you can learn to live with the symptoms of tinnitus.
Tinnitus can have a serious impact on the health of those who have it, especially if chronic tinnitus is behind these phantom noises. That being said, even individuals who will be living with these symptoms for years to come can experience a better quality of life and take back control of their day-to-day. If you’ve finally received a tinnitus diagnosis and want to know what needs to be done next to lessen its impact, use the guide above to help you follow through on the next steps.
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