I went to a conference last weekend. Douglas Beck spoke about tinnitus. Here’s a little of what I learned:

1) If you’ve met one person with tinnitus, you’ve met one person with tinnitus.

2) Cause is not well understood, but 80% of people with tinnitus have a hearing loss.

3) 325 million people in the US have tinnitus and 15 million have it severe enough to seek treatment.

4) 100% of people of those bothered by tinnitus say it affects their emotions and 50% struggle with mental health.

5) Stress is a major contributor to the severity of tinnitus.

6) The main two treatments include hearing aids and cognitive behavioral therapy.

7) Hearing aids provide complete relief from tinnitus for 20% of people, major relief for 20%, and only some relief for 60% of people.