Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Therapy Program

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present.  Tinnitus is very common – almost everyone will experience Tinnitus at some point in their lives.  Most people who experience Tinnitus will habituate and eventually not notice it anymore: they are not bothered. For other people, this condition can become more bothersome and affect sleep, concentration, and emotional well-being.  When the quality of your life is affected negatively by Tinnitus, then it is time to seek treatment to manage it.

Hyperacusis is a condition where a person experiences the sounds of everyday life as abnormally loud, uncomfortable, and possibly painful.  People may report their symptoms in varying degrees and like Tinnitus, this condition can have an isolating effect on a person’s ability to live their life. Occasionally, this oversensitivity of the auditory system has been known to develop following an extremely stressful life event. Hyperacusis can occur on its own or alongside Tinnitus symptoms: 25-30% of people with tinnitus also experience hyperacusis.

People who are impacted by Tinnitus or Hyperacusis are sometimes told: “There is nothing you can do about it” and to “Learn to live with it”. These words can lead to feelings of hopelessness, distress, and a negative outlook on life.  But there is hope!  There may not be a cure ( yet! ), but there are options available to develop positive strategies for managing your Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis.

How we can help

The first step to managing your Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis is to have a hearing assessment to evaluate your auditory system, rule out any medical involvement for which referral to a physician would be necessary, and evaluate the level of impact on the quality of your life.


After the hearing assessment we can move forward with the next steps in your treatment plan.  During the tinnitus/hyperacusis consultation appointment, we will:


  • Listen to your story, your concerns, and how Tinnitus/Hyperacusis has affected your life
  • Address your history and hearing health
  • Evaluate your Tinnitus or Hyperacusis and measure the impact Tinnitus/Hyperacusis has on the quality of your life
  • Provide a detailed analysis of your situation, an opinion possible cause(s), and how the symptoms may have been exacerbated
  • Include an explanation of the neurophysiological mechanisms of Tinnitus/Hyperacusis to help demystify it
  • Offer a personalized treatment plan for managing your Tinnitus/Hyperacusis
  • Note: If a person has both conditions, then Hyperacusis is always treated first and often the symptoms of Tinnitus may subside at the same time.


For individuals who require further Tinnitus/Hyperacusis support beyond the initial consultation appointment, our advanced treatment program consists of educational counselling and sound therapy components drawn from techniques of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), Tinnitus Activities Treatment (TAT), and Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM).


The levels of improvement that each person achieves will vary and depends on several factors including personal motivation, degree of severity, family support, and other underlying factors such as anxiety or depression.  Our role is to educate, support, encourage and evaluate your journey to feeling in control again.  Engaging other health care professionals to help you is often recommended. Our goal is to move you in a positive direction so that you have strategies under your belt to help manage the Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis.


The following evidence-based websites also contain helpful information:

British Tinnitus Association  https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/

American Tinnitus Association   https://www.ata.org/

Testimonials

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I sought care from Praise Chow when I was struggling with tinnitus and severe sound sensitivity. From our first appointment, she took the time to truly understand my condition and conduct a thorough assessment of my hearing. She shared helpful insights from her experience with other clients and outlined a range of treatment options before developing a personalized plan for me. Praise’s expertise and reassurance were instrumental in easing my anxiety and

giving me confidence that improvement was possible. I’m very pleased to report that I’ve experienced significant progress. My tinnitus no longer bothers me, and my sound sensitivity has been greatly reduced.


I would highly recommend Praise to anyone struggling with similar hearing

challenges.

David N from Vancouver

Praise Chow helped me understand my sensitivity to sound, hyperacusis, and isolated the exact tone of my tinnitus so my hearing aid masked it perfectly. It was a very detailed hearing test and Praise made it easy for me to understand how things work and why I hear the way I do. She also recommended a path forward with specialists.  Highly recommend a visit!

Marco D. from Vancouver

I would recommend Praise and Elevate Hearing to anyone with hearing issues. You will feel seen and most importantly you will be heard.

I have congenital hearing loss and developed tinnitus in my teens. Over the last couple years I realized that my hearing loss was continuing to progress and that I may require assistive technology.


Initially I was anxious about booking into a hearing clinic, worried they might just try to sell me hearing aids no matter what I needed. After talking to my GP about my concerns, I searched for options in Vancouver. With my combination of hearing loss and tinnitus, I searched for a clinic that could give me insight into both. Once I contacted the clinic, Stacey suggested I book with Praise Chow who specializes in tinnitus.


In my initial appointment with Praise, I was blown away. She took so much care in walking me through the steps of the appointment, reminding me that we could stop if I needed to.


I have never felt more relaxed at a hearing appointment.

After all the testing was done, Praise took time to explain all my results to me. She explained that along with my tinnitus I had developed hyperacusis. In my case, hyperacusis is pain or fear around loud sounds that normal hearing can tolerate (e.g., blenders, vacuums, A/C units, and sometimes even people talking).


While coming up with a plan to help me cope with my tinnitus and hyperacusis, Praise was able to put into words how I had been coping without ever being able to explain it. I was told in the past that there was “nothing really to be done about tinnitus”. Turns out, with the right person, there are things that can greatly help. I’m slowly being able to tolerate more “loud” sounds than before—which will be life-changing.


In short, Praise has made me feel very seen as a person with hearing loss and has greatly improved my relationship with sounds. As an extra bonus, I can now cope with my tinnitus and hyperacusis better than I ever have.


Nora Mattson from Vancouver