Tinnitus is the term used for people who experience noises such as ringing, buzzing, or hissing that is perceived in the ears or in the head. Millions of people experience some sort of tinnitus and they learn to ignore it. However, some have a hard time ignoring the noise and it begins to affect their sleep and their everyday lives.

If you have tinnitus, you can be evaluated by an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus. He or she will be able to determine if there is a medical cause for the tinnitus or if hearing loss may be related to the tinnitus. Your tinnitus can also be matched in sound loudness and quality to determine which therapy is right for your unique sound.

There have been recent breakthroughs in tinnitus treatments and there also are also tinnitus brain retraining exercises that are effective. A tinnitus specialist will be able to prescribe one or more therapies to help eliminate or reduce the noise.

Learn more about some of the new sound therapies available at a free program set for 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 at the Century Brach Library, 1750 E. Highland Ave., presented by audiologist Dr. Susan R. Schmidt. To register, call 602-551-8404.

For more information about tinnitus, call Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids, 404 N. 7th St., at 602-265-9000 or visit www.azbalanceandhearing.com.