The Better Hearing Insitute (BHI) has released Your Guide to Tinnitus, which offers the latest information on the condition and methods for coping with it. Nearly 30 million Americans, or about 10 percent of the U.S. population, experience persistent, chronic tinnitus.

Exposure to extreme noise is the leading cause of tinnitus, and people with tinnitus almost always have accompanying hearing loss. Tinnitus is currently the No. 1 service-connected disability of returning military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"For many who suffer from it, tinnitus can be a source of endless torment and a continual drain on quality of life," said Sergei Kochkin, PhD, executive director of BHI. "Yet most people who suffer from tinnitus don't seek help. This free e-guide can provide tinnitus sufferers with accurate, valuable information that will help them better understand and cope with their condition."

The guide, which can be downloaded at www.BetterHearing.org, was written by Richard Tyler, PhD, professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He is an authority on tinnitus and editor of three books on the topic, including The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus (Auricle Ink Publishers).

Your Guide to Tinnitus will help readers understand what tinnitus is, what causes it, different types of tinnitus, the impact tinnitus has on a person's life, the connection between tinnitus and hearing loss, treatment options that make tinnitus more manageable, and actions people can take to help themselves.

The incidence of tinnitus and hearing loss is expected to grow as baby boomers age, people continue to listen to portable music players at high volumes, and more soldiers return from combat.