May 14, 2013 – In recognition of National Better Hearing and Speech Month and Tinnitus Awareness Week, Sonus Westside will provide free tinnitus consultations throughout May and June. For the next two months, Sonus Westside hearing care professionals will perform free consultations at their three locations in King City, Lake Oswego and southwest Portland.
Tinnitus (pronounced tin-EYE-tus or TIN-uh-tus) is the perception of sound in the ears or head. It most often accompanies noise-related hearing loss. Frequently described as “ringing in the ears” or “head noises,” tinnitus affects one in five Americans and currently has few treatments and no cure.
“Tinnitus can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or race,” said Peter Charuhas, Sonus Westside co-owner and audiologist. “Because there is no cure for it people assume that there are no treatments, which is an assumption that precipitates a lack of awareness on the subject of tinnitus and hearing-related diseases as a whole.”
Sonus Westside is joining the Portland-based American Tinnitus Association (ATA) in its effort to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of hearing-related disorders, including tinnitus, this month. To complement National Better Hearing and Speech Month, ATA has pronounced May 19-25 Tinnitus Awareness Week.
“While ATA is increasingly encouraged by the growing interest in and pace of tinnitus research, there are still hundreds of millions of people worldwide who suffer with this condition on a daily basis,” said Jennifer Born, ATA director of public affairs. “The ATA sets aside this week in May to focus specifically on increasing public awareness and education about tinnitus.”
Charuhas and his business partner Kim Dotson were inspired to participate in this year’s Tinnitus Awareness Week because their clinics’ launched a tinnitus treatment program with partners SoundCure Inc., Phonak Hearing Systems and Starkey Hearing Technologies last year. Using different products, including those that generate sound therapy as treatment for underlying neurological causes of tinnitus, Sonus Westside hearing care professionals diagnose and treat patients diagnosed with tinnitus of varying severity every day.
“We’re eager to help silence tinnitus in our community,” said Charuhas. “Through increased awareness, continued education and needed services and treatment programs, we can work toward that goal.”
Sonus Westside’s free consultation will assist patients in identifying potential causes of tinnitus and treatment options. Consultations will be offered during the clinics’ regular business hours on Wednesday, May 1 through Friday, June 28. Consultation appointments must be made in advance and will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. For more information, visit Sonus Westside on Facebook or call any of its clinics: King City (503) 684-1583; Lake Oswego (503) 697-3600; or southwest Portland (503) 297-1600.
