Widex guidelines on tinnitus

WIDEX TINNITUS

GUIDELINESUsing the evidence on the effects of music

Principles in tinnitus management

The use of sound

Widex Tinnitus Guidelines

Summary

WIDEX TINNITUS GUIDELINES 2/17

PRINCIPLES OFTINNITUS REHABILITATION

Counselling

Sound stimulation

HabituationSound from hearing

aids

Environmental sounds

Noise

Music

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HEARING AIDS CAN OFFER EFFECTIVE SOUND THERAPY

Amplified soundsreduce stress

associated with tinnitus – aids

relaxation

Amplified soundsreduce the contrast to

silenceCan movefocus away

from the tinnitus

WIDEX TINNITUS GUIDELINES 4/17

Music could change a range of physiological responses

Heart rate

Blood pressure

Respiration rate

Muscle tension

Skin temperature and conductance

Release of hormones

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MUSIC

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WIDEX TINNITUS GUIDELINES

3THE USE OF SOUND IN TINNITUS MANAGEMENT

11

ESTABLISHINGREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

1COUNSELLING ABOUT TINNITUS 2ASSESSING

THE TINNITUS 4TINNITUS AND STRESS

5MUSIC AND STRESS6INTRODUCIN

G ZEN7SELECTING HEARING AIDS8PROGRAMMIN

G

9FINE TUNING ZEN

10WHEN TO USE ZEN 1

2

FOLLOW UP VISITS

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WHY COUNSELLING IS IMPORTANT

Providing knowledge on causes and typical effects

Makes it possible to act differentlyAssures the client that tinnitus is a common symptom often related to hearing loss

Talking to clients about their thoughts and concerns is essential

Bring down worriesAssures him that no cure doesn’t mean no help

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ASSESSING THE TINNITUS

How the tinnitus affects a client’s daily life is essential in deciding on the degree and nature of intervention

Loudness of tinnitus is not that interesting, since there is no link between loudness and whether the tinnitus is bothersome

An assessment gives you a baseline that is needed to assess future progress

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STRESS, MUSIC AND ZEN

STRESSSTRESS

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DIFFERENT NEEDS AND PREFERENCES

The Zen programs can be adjusted to meet different needs and preferences

5 different styles to choose from:

Tempo

Pitch

Volume

Microphone on or off

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ZEN WITH OR WITHOUT MIC

An easy first fit

Fit the client with two identical Zen programs except from microphone, that should be on in the first program and off in the second

Zen Aqua is the Zen style preferred by most* and can be used if the client has no complains

* Sweetow & Henderson-Sabes 2010

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USING THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS

Master program Hearing is critical

Zen without micHearing sounds is not criticalFor relaxation, meditation or distraction

Zen + mic Daily communication Set and forget

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Make sure that the client has realistic expectations

Then a follow up plan needs to be decided. It could look like this:

After 1 week,4 weeks,3 months,6 months,and every 6 months until termination

For most clients it will take time!

Did you know that the loudness of the tinnitus

doesn’t relate to the degree of annoyance?

Therefore the goalis less tinnitus

awareness

EXPECTATIONS AND FOLLOW UP VISITS

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USING ZEN & ZEN NOISE TOOL

Widex Tinnitus Guidelines can be used together with the Zen & Zen Noise – flip-over book

On each page you’ll find references to specific pages

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ELEMENTS FOR YOUR DISPOSAL

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Sound and counselling are main elements in tinnitus rehabilitation

Widex hearing aids contains several options for different needs

Widex Tinnitus Guidelines can guide you through the process of counselling persons with tinnitus

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THANK YOU!