There is Allot of False Information Regarding Tinnitus And Other Hearing Issues

You might not recognize it but you could be exposing yourself to shocking misinformation about tinnitus and other hearing problems. The Hearing Journal has recently published research supporting this. Allot more people have tinnitus than you might realize. Out of every 5 Us citizens one struggles with tinnitus, so it's important to make sure people have reliable, accurate information. The internet and social media, sadly, are full of this sort of misinformation according to new research.

How Can You Find Information About Tinnitus on Social Media?

If you’re researching tinnitus, or you have joined a tinnitus support community online, you're not alone. Social media is a very good place to find like minded people. But ensuring information is disseminated accurately is not very well moderated. According to one study:

• 44% of public Facebook groups had misinformation
• 30% of YouTube video results included misinformation
• 34% of Twitter accounts were categorized as having misinformation

This quantity of misinformation can be a daunting obstacle for anyone diagnosed with tinnitus: The misinformation introduced is frequently enticing and checking facts can be time consuming. We simply want to believe it.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common medical condition in which the person suffering hears a buzzing or ringing in one’s ears. When this buzzing or ringing lasts for longer than six months, it is known as chronic tinnitus.

Tinnitus And Hearing Loss, Common Misinformation

The internet and social media, of course, did not invent many of these myths and mistruths. But spreading the misinformation is made easier with these tools. A trusted hearing specialist should always be contacted with any concerns you have about tinnitus.

Debunking some examples might illustrate why this misinformation spreads and how it can be challenged:

• Changes in diet will improve your hearing: It’s true that some lifestyle issues may aggravate your tinnitus (for many consuming anything that contains caffeine can make it worse, for example). And the symptoms can be diminished by eating certain foods. But tinnitus can't be "cured" for good by diet or lifestyle changes.
• Tinnitus isn't helped by hearing aids: Because tinnitus is experienced as a certain kind of buzzing or ringing in the ears, lots of people believe that hearing aids won’t help. But newer hearing aids have been developed that can help you successfully manage your tinnitus symptoms.
• Loud noises are the only cause of tinnitus: The specific causes of tinnitus are not really well known or recorded. It's true that extremely extreme or long term noise exposure can lead to tinnitus. But tinnitus can also be connected to other things like genetics, traumatic brain injury, and other factors.
• If you’re deaf, you have tinnitus and if you have tinnitus, you will go deaf: It’s true that in some cases tinnitus and hearing loss can be linked, but such a link is not universal. There are some medical issues which could cause tinnitus but otherwise leave your hearing intact.
• Tinnitus can be cured: The desires of people who have tinnitus are exploited by the most common types of this misinformation. There is no “miracle pill” cure for tinnitus. There are, however, treatments that can help you maintain a high quality of life and effectively organize your symptoms.

Accurate Information Concerning Your Hearing Loss is Available

Stopping the spread of misinformation is extremely important, both for new tinnitus sufferers and for people who are already well accustomed to the symptoms. There are several steps that people can take to try to shield themselves from misinformation:

• If the information seems hard to believe, it most likely isn't true. You most likely have a case of misinformation if a website or media post claims to have a miracle cure.
• Check with a hearing expert or medical professional: If all else fails, run the information that you found by a respected hearing professional (preferably one familiar with your situation) to find out if there is any validity to the claims.
• Look for sources: Try to find out what the source of information is. Was the information written by or sourced from hearing professionals or medical experts? Is this information documented by reliable sources?

Something both profound and simple was once said by astrophysicist Carl Sagan: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.” acute critical thinking techniques are your best defense from shocking misinformation concerning tinnitus and other hearing issues at least until social media platforms more rigorously distinguish information from misinformation

Make an appointment with a hearing care specialist if you've read some information you are not sure of.