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On this week’s episode of All About Audiology, I’m joined by special guest Joey Remenyi from Seekingbalance.com.au. Joey is an Australian Vestibular Audiologist, and author of the new book Rock Steady. 

Together, we discuss the many questions and misconceptions surrounding tinnitus, and how the symptoms can be alleviatedthrough neuroplasticity.

This week on All About Audiology: 

* 1:49 – Due to confusion amongst medical professionals regarding tinnitus, people often receive mixed messages when seeking advice. Part of Joey’s mission in writing the book Rock Steady was to have one simple easy conversation, that anyone could understand.

* 2:31 – Tinnitus are sounds that we hear in our inner world (body/head/ears) that no one else can hear. It’s normal for our bodies to generate healthy noise, just like the idle of a car or the hum from a fridge. All of these sounds are a sign that the body is healthy and working as it should. 

* 4:14 – Tinnitus can begin after a benign incident, such as a common cold. These incidents sometimes trigger an awareness of noises occurring around the ear. Although noises normally come and go, with tinnitus they end up lingering.

* 8:19 – It is normal to feel distressed if no one has ever explained the noise to you. Although it can cause feelings of anxiety and fear, it’s important to remember that the tinnitus is harmless.

* 14:40 – Unwanted body sounds and sensations can harm a person’s body image and self esteem, leading to anxiety and depression. The good news is, suffering from tinnitus is reversible. 

* 17:50 – The Rock Steady process is self paced and can take anywhere from 7 weeks to 2 years to complete. By the time a person has completed the 6 modules, they feel better both physically and emotionally.  

* 20:43 – Joey became a neuroplasticity expert while trying to cure her own tinnitus and vertigo. After four years of trial and error, she is now able help clients achieve results much more quickly.

*  22:12 – Maskers teach the brain that tinnitus is bad and needs to be stopped. The brain then sees the tinnitus as being important, causing it to fire more tinnitus neural pathways. 

* 29:19 – Neuroplasticity is your body’s ability to change your neural wiring. By changing neural pathways we change how we sense and feel the world. You can learn to change the mapping of your own inner neural system.

* 36:07 – Rock steady is a 6 module online program that consists of 100’s hours of online support. The book is a great resource to use in conjunction with the program. There is also a Rock Steady Facebook group, which is free to the public.

* 38:32 – Parents of a child who struggles with tinnitus can help by validating what the child is feeling and hearing. Speak about it in an upbeat manner, so that it doesn’t turn into something that they fear. 

* 48:41 – Advice for students listening – Start with the book,