Quieting the crickets
Toni Rosetto
Apr, 2022
Physicians: Heidi Schmeltzer, AuD, CCC-A; Cathleen Burns, MA, CCC-A
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While 59-year-old Toni Rosetto struggled with hearing problems for many years, it always seemed manageable. However, the St. Joseph resident eventually noticed a constant ringing sound in her ears. Her condition went from manageable to undeniably frustrating.
“It sounded like a loud, annoying cricket in my ears,” said Toni. “It was constant. I could never have a moment of peace and quiet.”
In hopes the ringing in her ears was caused by sinus or allergy issues, Toni tried over the counter medications.
“The more I read online, the more hopeless I became,” she said. “I thought I would be stuck with this forever—it was really depressing.”
Eager to find relief, she connected with her primary care physician who recommended Toni seek specialty hearing care at Spectrum Health Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat.
During Toni’s initial visit, she met with audiologist, Heidi Schmeltzer, AuD, CCC-A, who scheduled a hearing evaluation. The results of the test showed that, along with her hearing loss, Toni also suffered from tinnitus, or a ringing sensation in one or both ears.
Her audiologist recommended Toni try sound therapy techniques which use audio tones to train the brain to ignore the ringing sounds over time. Toni used a pillow connected to a speaker which played ocean and nature sounds while she slept.
Toni was also a good candidate for special hearing aids with a tonal adjustment that allows the user to manually change the settings based on their need. She began working with audiologist, Cathleen Burns, MA, CCC-A, who measured and fit Toni for the hearing aids.
“Tinnitus relief hearing aids amplify external sounds, reduce background noise, and use soft tones called Zen that essentially drown out the buzzing sound, reduce stress, and increase relaxation,” explained Cathleen. “As the auditory and nervous system adjusts over time, the need for the tone lessens.”
“I thought the buzzing sound was something I’d have to live with for to the rest of my life,” said Toni. “I am so happy that is not the case. The team at Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat has helped me gain back my sense of quiet.”
As Toni continued to adjust to her new hearing aids, she found herself using the tonal feature less and less.
“The ringing sound went from absolutely unbearable to something I don’t really think about anymore,” said Toni. “It’s a world of difference.”
“With all the ringing I was struggling to hear people and had to continually ask them to repeat themselves, which was extremely frustrating,” said Toni. “Now I can join in and be part of the conversation.”
Toni’s advice to anyone suffering from ringing in the ears, “Make an appointment to discuss your options. A visit with a hearing specialist could change your life. It did for me.”
To get help managing tinnitus consultant with the care team at Spectrum Health Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat. Learn more about tinnitus, relief options, and our care team.