A Message for You

Tinnitus (or “ringing in the ears”) affects twenty percent of the population of the industrialized world. In its mildest form, tinnitus is nothing more than an occasional distraction. However, for those individuals with severe tinnitus, the condition can be life-altering. Severe tinnitus can impact concentration, work, family, social activities, and sleep. It can take the joy out of life. The frustration, despair, and depression from the loss of silence combined with the loss of control can be profound.

Fortunately, in almost all cases – even the most severe – tinnitus can be overcome. It can be overcome today. There is no need to wait for the cure of tomorrow to find meaningful lasting relief today. Why suffer even one more day than absolutely necessary? I am not talking about coping with your tinnitus or somehow dealing with it, nor am I talking about achieving temporary relief by masking it with another sound. Rather, I am referring to reaching the point where no matter how loud, no matter how grating, no matter how high-pitched or low-pitched your tinnitus might be, you are largely unaware of it unless you purposely seek it. In short, I am referring to the point where even the loudest and most noxious tinnitus ceases to be an issue in your life. Think about it for just a moment: If you are unaware of your tinnitus, what difference does it make if you have tinnitus? The only reason you knew you had it in the first place is because you became aware of it!

I am a licensed medical doctor and board-certified surgeon. I have been involved in the tinnitus community since 1994 – as a tinnitus sufferer, a tinnitus advocate, a tinnitus clinician, a consultant to industry, a writer, a lecturer, and an educator. I am a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Tinnitus Association and Medical Advisor for the Australian Tinnitus Association, NSW. I have presented at numerous academic and professional tinnitus meetings across the globe. And in January 2014, I founded Atlanta Tinnitus Consultants, LLC.

It is common for tinnitus sufferers, new and veteran alike, to seek information about their condition from any and all available resources. Unfortunately, much of that information can be contradictory at best and incorrect at worst. Tinnitus support boards on the Internet may seem like a logical place to turn, but those sites are largely populated by individuals who have not done well – or they would not be there seeking support in the first place! Complicating the problem is the fact that most medical professionals have a limited knowledge of the range of effective approaches for alleviating the suffering tinnitus can bring. How does one identify a reliable and knowledgeable source of information? How does one separate fact from theory or from myth? How does one take good information and put it to good use? Atlanta Tinnitus Consultants, LLC seeks to address that need.

If you are suffering from severe tinnitus, if your quality of life has been diminished by a sound that only you can hear, if you find that not only do you have tinnitus but in many ways your tinnitus also has you, then I hope you will consider allowing me to help you navigate the path from where you are to where you want to be.

Stephen M. Nagler, MD, FACS