Thursday, December 16, 2010

Helpful Info About Hyperacusis Treatment

Hyperacusis treatment is generally acquired through taking medications, undergoing therapy, using ear devices, and surgery. Read on as this article discusses about these methods.

Hyperacusis Treatment through Medications:

Drugs and medications are often helpful in reducing the annoying symptoms of hyperacusis; however, many people prefer not to take this route because its results are often unimpressive not to mention that their side effects are often adverse. Nevertheless, some patients attest that antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines greatly help in dealing with effects of this condition, particularly the psychological ones. Below are some of the medications used to treat hyperacusis:

• Klonazepam or lorazepam in low doses
• SSRI family of antidepressants
• Anti-migraine drugs, including topiramate, verapamil, beta-blockers and tricyclics
• Anti-seizure drugs like oxcarbazapine
• Baclofen

Hyperacusis often causes obsessive thinking, depression, and anxiety, and all these can be dealt with an intake of anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants. Another effect of hyperacusis is migraine which can be dealt with anti-migraine medications. Irritable neural pathways and brainstem hyperacusis responses can be treated with anti-seizure medications and Baclofen respectively.

Ear Devices as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Another way to acquire hyperacusis treatment is through the use of ear devices like ear plugs and sound generators or maskers. Ear plugs are useful in such a way that the noise the patient is exposed to is decreased. However, there are theories saying that long-term use of these ear devices is not good since they can only make hyperacusis aggravated. Being exposed to noise has a habituating effect and this effect may be lessened by reducing the sounds or noise. On the other hand, some people still believe that it helps to use ear devices just like how the use of sunglasses helps in protecting the eyes from the glare of the sun. Electronic noise suppression devices are also said to be helpful although their effect is not as great as those other passive methods. Sound generators or maskers are used for brain and nervous system conditioning to make these systems tolerant to the sounds and noise. They function like hearing aids but require monthly readjustment for gradual desensitization.

Therapy as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is another form of hyperacusis treatment. This treatment is the combination of using sound generators and the psychotherapy approach. Because of its efficacy, it is one of the most popular approaches for treating hyperacusis these days. One important thing to keep in mind to make this work is to give this method commitment and time.

Hyperacusis treatment is also possible through psychological therapy given by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or any expert in this field. This approach teaches a patient how to ignore and tolerate the symptoms of hyperacusis rather than make a fuss of it. You may also take medications formulated to treat obsessive compulsive disorder.

Surgery as Hyperacusis Treatment:

Surgery is not a common form of hyperacusis treatment. Nevertheless, it is often advised to people with really useless hearing.

As of now, only the methods mentioned above are used for hyperacusis treatment. They may not be a lot but they are enough to keep people with hyperacusis hopeful that it’s possible to get their life back to normal.

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