We were only partially able fill this gap. Loud noise can damage your hearing, whether it's a loud burst or years of prolonged exposure. S. estimates that 2 million people have a debilitating type of tinnitus. Patients paid for the treatment, which was partially covered under their health insurance. Because we listen to external sounds, our bodies often produce sounds we don't hear. Another approach called targeted bimodal auditory-somatosensory stimulation has been explored. It's often worse when background noise levels are low. There are a number of medications that have shown promise in treating tinnitus. During the test your ears will be sensitive to certain sounds. Tinnitus can be caused by many things, but some people get it for no apparent reason.