Preface

While taking a case history, every patient is asked (or should be asked) if he/she has or is experiencing tinnitus. If the answer is “yes,” then the audiologist typically investigates further by asking: a] “How long have you experienced tinnitus?” b] “Is it in one ear or both ears?” c] “How would you describe the sound (whistle, chirping, locust, etc)?” d] “How loud is it?” As audiologists, we are trained to ask these questions because the answers can provide important pieces of the puzzle as to why the patient is being evaluated and what may be the next step in determining the cause of the hearing loss. Many times this interaction between the clinician and the patient leads to the question by the patient as to what can be done about his/her tinnitus. Unfortunately, more often than we care to admit, we inform the patient that “they have to learn to live with it.”

This issue of Trends is dedicated to teaching us that many options may be available for patients experiencing tinnitus. First, the authors provide a detailed description of the etiology and prevalence of tinnitus. This is followed by a comprehensive section where the authors provide detailed information on how to evaluate tinnitus. Then, the authors describe the various tinnitus maskers and noise generating devices that are currently advocated as one method to relieve the patient of his/her tinnitus. Next, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of Habituation therapy (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) as another method to reduce the effects of tinnitus. Finally, the issue ends with a description of the evaluation and treatment of hyperacusis.

Robert Sandlin received his Ph.D. from Wayne State University in 1961 and serves as an adjunct Professor at San Diego State University. Currently, Robert is in private practice and limits his professional activities to writing (scientific and fictional), lecturing and research. He serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the American Tinnitus Association and is the Director of the California Tinnitus Assessment Center of San Diego. He has published over 90 articles and edited four textbooks on hearing aid sciences. He also serves as a research consultant to Widex/Copenhagen and Widex/USA.

Robert Olsson received his M.A. from San Diego State University in 1982 and his M.S. Ed. from the University of Southern California in 1974. He has been in private practice for the past sixteen years. Since 1995, Robert has been a clinical audiologist with the California Tinnitus Assessment Center in San Diego.