Tinnitus Treatment

(What is tinnitus? What are the symptoms of tinnitus? Click here.)

What options are available for treating tinnitus?

Even though many people are told “there is no cure”, if you have Tinnitus or some form of ringing ears or head noise there are several treatment options available to you. Whilst it may be true that medically there is currently no magic pill you can take to make your tinnitus stop, there are many people who have discovered ways to provide significant relief from their Tinnitus and many who have managed to ‘cure’ it completely.

To find out the best options available for treating your tinnitus, it is usually a good exercise to investigate what the original cause or causes were.

What are the main causes of tinnitus? What is the most common cause of tinnitus? What is the cause of your tinnitus?

There is no direct answer to this question and many people with tinnitus may actually have very different problems but similar symptoms.

The most common cause people associate with Tinnitus is through hearing loss or hearing impairment, where there has been some sort of damage or malfunction of the inner ear, cochlear, hair cells and so on, either through old age or loud noise exposure. However, there are many other possibilities.

 - Temporomandibular joint disorder is known to trigger tinnitus and causes ringing ears and head noise in some cases.

 - People will often mention tinnitus & hyperacusis together. Ear infection, damage to the middle ear or auditory nerve can also cause tinnitus. Also blood flow can be associated with pulsatile tinnitus, as well as associations with meniere’s disease, and even the Eustachian tube.

Stress, tension and unconscious emotional dynmics also play an extremely vita role.

So you can see that to say, “tinnitus is caused by… ” is not easy.

Do you have ringing in the ear or ringing in the ears? How do you find the cause of your tinnitus? How is tinnitus evaluated?

The average tinnitus sufferer is not interesetd in the cause of their tinnitus - they just don’t want to have tinnitus any longer and are searching for effective treatments. But studies have shown that a little more indepth investigation can make a huge difference to your effective treatments options.

For many people tinnitus will just go away. But for those who have tinnitus more persistently a thorough check up with an ENT specialist or Audiologist is a vital first step.

They will test  your hearing and give you a full examination to look for any physical causes. If a physical cause is found it may be possible to treat it very quickly. If not, then many people will look to some of the following treatment options and possibilities.

Tinnitus treatment possibilities

- Auditory integration training

- Tinnitus retraining therapy

- Innovative, non-invasive techniques called phase-out treatment or another one by neuromonics

- Hearing aid or hearing aids

- Tinnitus remedies

- Ginkgo biloba,

- White noise

- Tinnitus relief using maskers

- Medication - with or without side effects

- Homeopathic tinnitus treatments

- Hypnosis and hypnotherapy (Studies have shown that “73 % of self-hypnosis subjects reported a disappearance of symptoms during treatment). Click here for details of self-hypnosis study.

When people come to see me for a private consultation, after taking the usual details I look into the unconscious emotional dynamic and that often helps evaluate the tinnitus symptoms in a very different way, highlights the true cause of your tinnitus and offers us a viable means for treating it. 　

So when some people say, “How I cured my tinnitus?” Is there really a tinnitus cure? Are these genuine success stories?

This may seem a little contradictory but, although there is currently no known cure for tinnitus, I believe your tinnitus is actually curable and many people have actually done so. Whether you can believe all of the people who say “How I cured my tinnitus” is up to you but I beieve it is possible for you if you are determined and willing.

As a hypnotherapist I have been able to help people see that there were often quite ‘hidden causes’ for their tinnitus and, as we brought them into the light and resolved them, the tinnitus symptoms began to disappear.

However, it also depends on your definition of a ‘Tinnitus cure’. I have given you three examples here of what I consider to be Tinnitus Success Stories, even though the outcome is different in each case.

Is there a tinnitus self help guide?

There are many self-help guides available and many are quite helpful. They will generally give you lots of information and offer a range of possible tinnitus treatment choices. Check out the American Tinnitus Association or the British Tinnitus Association, for example, who provide some self-help guides.

If you are looking for a self-help tinnitus relief program, then please do feel free to check out my Tinnitus Improvement Program, which you can download from this website.

　

[For the mechanisms of subjective tinnitus, objective tinnitus, somatic tinnitus and how the ear works please see relevant posts on this site. (Enter the phrase in the search box).]

Tinnitus and…

Tinnitus, this strange phenomenon that so many people are looking for a cure for is often associated with other symptoms and complaints. Many people searching the Internet will type “Tinnitus and hearing center” or “Tinnitus and hearing loss” or “Tinnitus and hyperacusis”, for example.

Tinnitus is often associated with other issues, such as hyperacusis, hearing loss, meniere’s disease and so on but is also just as often a stand alone issue.

What do you do if you are looking for a treatment for tinnitus and ringing in the ears?

If you are searching google you might wish to be quite specific with your searches - “Colorado tinnitus and hearing” for example, or “London Tinnitus Retraining Therapy”. This may help you find someone very local amongst the vast sea of information available.

The American Tinnitus Association and the British Tinnitus Association have lots of information on treatment and research as well.

However, if you are looking for the newest treatment for tinnitus then the International Tinnitus Research Initiative may help (TRI). They are putting lots of time and money into finding a cure for tinnitus, ringing ears and noise in the head and work with people such as Dr.Jastroboff and others.

At the moment, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, Neuromonics or hearing aids from an audiologist are the most popular choices, but some of these are still very much up for discussion.

Hearing Centers that deal with hearing loss may have audiologists who can advise too.

One of the most successful but least publicised trials was carried out by the Noise Hazzards Instute In Israel.

Ringing Ears

Are you one of the people who has suddenly discovered they have ringing in the ears? Many people suffer from ringing in the ear, which is more commonly known as Tinnitus.

What is ear ringing?

What is tinnitus? What causes ringing in the ears and tinnitus?
How is ear ringing and tinnitus evaluated?
What is the treatment for tinnitus and ears ringing?
Can tinnitus and ringing ears be prevented?
Can you turn down the volume or intensity of the ringing in the ears and tinnitus?
Tinnitus & Ringing Ears - Effective Treatments
What is ear ringing?

Tinnitus is a any type of noise  - ringing, swishing, buzzing, crackling - that seems to originate inside the ear or head but which does not seem to have any external source. In most cases it is actually perfectly safe, and although can be a nuisance  in many cases it resolves itself. It is not really a disease, but a symptom of an underlying condition.

Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder. In all cases of what is called objective tinnitus, only the patient can hear the tinnitus sound or noise. Many people occasionally experience a ringing in their ears (or a hissing, whooshing, buzzing, or tinkling sound). The sound lasts from a  few minutes to a few hours.
 
Ringing in the ears that becomes constant is called tinnitus. People with Tinnitus will hear a sound, such as a ringing or roaring, that seems to comes from inside their head or ears - no-one else can hear it. Pulsatile Tinnitus may pulse in time with your heartbeat.

Tinnitus is most common in people older than age 40. Men have problems with tinnitus more often than women.
There are many types of Tinnitus and ringing in ears is just one of the sounds. Abnormal ear noises, ear ringing, buzzing, roaring, and pulsatile are sometimes all often perceived when no sound is present in persons with tinnitus.

Types of Tinnitus (Ringing Ears, etc)

Tinnitus can be subdivided in many ways. We have already mentioned chronic and acute tinnitus. Another way can be Pulsatile or non-pulsatile. Pulsatile tinnitus can often be in time with your heartbeat and may be caused by sounds created by muscle movements near the ear, disruptions to the ear canal, or vascular (blood flow) problems around the face or neck. It can seem as if you are hearing your win pulse.

Non-pulsatile tinnitus is usually associated with ther hearing nerves and is often associated with hearing loss.

If you have been suffering with ears ringing and ear noises on a daily basis, for quite a while now you may be suffering from what is referred to as chronic tinnitus. If the ear ringing and ringing in your ears is fairly new, then it may be referred to as acute tinnitus.

 You may be able to hear sounds in one ear or both ears and can seem as though the ear ringing or tinnitus is coming from inside the head.

What should I do if I have ringing ears and tinnitus?

The most important thing you can do is RELAX. It can seem distressing first if all, but stress makes it worse. Most tinnitus and ringing in ears goes away naturally but if it persists for a while you should go see a doctor to check for a physical cause of the tinnitus, such as build up of ear wax, oto-toxic medication, stress/high blood pressure, and so on.

For specialist help into what may be causing the ringing ears and tinnitus, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist doctor. They will examine your ears and giveyou a hearing test to explore that route  first of all. An audiologist is another hearing loss ringing ears specialist who can also assess you for a hearing aid or white noise masking device.

 
Ringing Ears Sounds

The tinnitus sound does not have to be just a ringing sound in the ear - in can seem to be in the head in general or different strange noises in the ears or head.

 Ringing Ears Causes

There are many possible causes for ringing ears and ear ringing, and these are discussed on this website along with suggested treatments.

The most common cause of ringing ears tinnitus is hearing loss that occurs as you get older (presbycusis), but it can also be caused by damage from loud noise (acoustic trauma).

The presence of hearing loss does not mean you will automatically have ringing ears, nor does the presence of ringing ears automatically mean you have hearing loss. Tinnitus may be a symptom of a variety of ear disorders, but can be completely unrelated to the ear or hearing as well.

What causes Ringing Ears?

Everybody has ringing ears to some extent but most of the time we don’t hear it - our mind somehow filters out the sound. In the famous experiment where people were placed in a soundproof booth, nearly all of the people involved developed Ringing ears eventually.

We are usually not aware of these sounds, because outside noise masks them or our brain naturally filters them out.

When wax or a foreign body in the external ear blocks these background sounds, (or there are no external sounds, as in the sound booth) we can become more aware of our own head sounds. Once we notice them, it is difficult to let go of them.

The ear ringing may actually be in any of four sections of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear, and the nerve connecting to the brain.

Other Causes of Tinnitus or ringing ears or head noise.

Fluid, infection, or disease of the middle ear bones or ear drum (tympanic membrane) can also cause tinnitus.

One of the most common causes of tinnitus and ringing ears is damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear.
Exposure to loud noise is a very common cause of tinnitus (especially the ear ringing type), as it often damages hearing .
Unfortunately, many people are unconcerned about the harmful effects of excessively loud noise, firearms, and high intensity music.
Some medications (for example, aspirin or anti-biotics) can cause Tinnitus and ringing ears.
Diseases of the inner ear such as Meniere’s syndrome can cause tinnitus and ear ringing.
Ringing ears and Tinnitus can in very rare situations be a symptom of such serious problems as an aneurysm or a brain tumor (acoustic tumor).

Some causes of Ringing Ears can be easily rectified - middle ear or inner ear infection, or a build-up of wax, for example. If these temporary problems causing temporary tinnitus and ears ringing are treated properly, the symptoms will usually then disappear.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) causes ear clicking and other symptoms. Eustachian Tube Blockage can create a sensation of ear fullness which can initiate ringing in the ears and tinnitus.

Meniere’s Disease - is an inner ear disorder with ear ringing and tinnitus as common symptoms, as well as hearing loss.

In some people, excessive alcohol or caffeinated beverages can start off the tinnitus symptoms.

Ear infections or eardrum rupture.

Mouth and Jaw problems, usually associated with dentistry are accepted causes, such as temporomandibular (TMJ) problems.
head injuries such as a direct blow to the head or whiplash can cause damage to the inner ears, which then lead to ringing ears or tinnitus.
Damage to the inner ear after surgery or radiation therapy to the head or neck.
A rapid change in environmental pressure (barotrauma).
Severe weight loss from excessive dieting or malnutrition.
Colds and flu, being in a noisy atmosphere, allergy flare-up, or any variety of stimuli can increase the intensity of tinnitus noise.

Neck in a hyper-extended position for too long.
Blood flow (vascular) problems, such as carotid atherosclerosis, AV malformations, and high blood pressure (hypertension).
 Neurologic disorders (nerve problems) such as migraine or multiple sclerosis.
Other diseases such as Acoustic neuroma, Anemia, Labyrinthitis, Ménière’s disease, Otosclerosis, Thyroid disease.

However, it is important to remember that MOST cases of ringing ears are annpyoing but harmless. If in doubt you should check with a medical professional.

 Help for Ear Ringing and Tinnitus.

The problem with ringing ears, ear noise or tinnitus (sometimes misspelled as Tinitus or Tinnitis)  is quite common. Millions of Americans, British, Canadians, Australians and others are seeking help for this distressing condition. Once it becomes chronic it can be extremely debilitating. People with chronic tinnitus quite often become depressed and have anxiety and insomnia. The combination of these condition can be cause considerable distress.

Add to this the further side effect of an inability to concentrate and it’s easy to see why tinnitus and ear ringing sufferers are searching for answers. Tinnitus and Ringing in Ears is taken very seriously by the medical profession. There are research scientists carrying out ongoing trials in a search for a cure for constant ear ringing noises.

Also medical professionals, audiologists, hearing specialists and many more are developing effective tinnitus management programs.

Ringing In Ears Support

It is very likely that there will be a support group for tinnitus sufferers in your area, where you can vent your feelings as well as share methods of coping with ringing ears.

It is difficult for some individuals who’ve never had ringing and ear problems to understand the difficulty it presents. However, anyone suffering with ringing ears knows that tinnitus is very real. If you or someone you know is having problems with ringing and ear noises, hopefully you’ll find answers to some or all of your questions by browsing this website and many others around.

The phrase ringing and ears will produce plenty of tinnitus related web sites with explanations about this problem, but sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain what is useful and what is not.

Tinnitus Cure - Ringing Ears Cure

Is there a cure for tinnitus and ears ringing?
At the moment there is no instant medication or device available that will stop your ringing ears straight away. However, there are some very effective ways to manage the problem, reduce the intensity and in some cases, eliminate the sound entirely.
 

Treatment for Ringing Ears and Tinnitus

Each sufferer of tinnitus has his/her own experience with it. What brings relief for one person may not work for another. There are a variety of natural treatments available to experiment with, but please seek a physician’s care and advice beforehand. Pantothenicacid(B5) supplements may offer relief since it effectively coats the stressed nerve endings of the ear.

Hearing aids.

If the tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, wearing a hearing aid designed to boost the specific frequency can help reduce tinnitus and ears ringing.  Hearing aids can also increase the level of external sounds which means you are less likely to notice the internal ringing ears sounds.

White Noise Tinnitus Maskers.

Tinnitus Maskers can be CD’s that you play in the background or electronic devices small enough to fit in your near, like a hearing aid. They use a white noise sound designed to mask the ringing ears and tinnitus so that your brain focus on the white noise masker instead of the ear ringing.

White noise tinnitus maskers can be used in different ways, sometimes to even hide the tinnitus sound. softer. For some people, maskers hide their tinnitus so well that they can barely hear it. Some people use white noise tinnitus maskers to help them sleep. You can use White Noise CD’s, special white noise devices, or even white noise pillows, designed to mask tinnitus as you sleep.

Tinnitus retraining therapy is the name given to a type of treatments that involves counselling and maskers. Developed by Pavel Jastreboff it can help your mind stop thinking about your tinnitus and make it less noticeable.

Tinnitus Medicine or Drug therapy.

There is no known instant pill cure for ringing in the ears or tinnitus, but some medicines do seem to have an effect on some people. You will need to speak to your doctor about this, including discussing any side effects.

Counseling & Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT).

People with tinnitus can often become anxious and depressed. A a counselor or CBT specialist can offer new ways of thinking, or even talking to people in a Tinnitus support group can help too.

Tinnitus, Ringing Ears, Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

In a study 73% of subjects reported their symptoms had disappeared during the trials. There are different ways you can use hypnosis and hypnotherapy for ringing ears ands tinnitus but a trained hypnotherapist will be able to help you.

Relax

Many people with ringing ears are more stressed than they realise and this can in itself be a cause of ringing ears. When you can learn to relax properly, you will be able to cope with tinnitus better, as well as possibly reduce the intensity of the ringing and provide relief to the ringing ears sound.

 
Ringing Ears - Terms and Articles Related to Ringing in Ears.

Ear Ringing,Noise, Ear,Tinnitus, Causes of Ringing in Ears, Meniere’s Disease, Ear infection, Fluid in the ears
Medications, Aging (Presbycusis), Ear trauma (loud noise), Aneurysm, Acoustic neuroma(a benign tumor on the acoustic nerve).
excessiveve ear wax, ear infection, brain or head injury, Meniere’s Disease, otosclerosis, poor circulation, high-blood pressure,
hypothyroidism, stress, Lyme Disease, Ear Plastic Surgery, Tinnitus Symptoms, Tinnitus Ear Wax

Success!

You are on the Tinnitus Improvement Program

Free Sample Download Page.

You can listen to Part 1 of the  Tinnitus Improvement Program completely free of charge right now.

Just click on the link below and it should begin to play automatically.  

 

Part 1 - Click here to LISTEN FREE NOW.

 

 

If you would prefer to download it play later on your PC or iPod, etc, then ‘right click’ on the link below and select ’save target as’. Once you’ve selected your destination and clicked ’save’, it will begin to download to your computer.

It is in the form of a standard mp3 file.

 

Part 1 - Right Click here to download and LISTEN FREE later.

 

 

Any questions, please just ask:  andrewp@newtinnitustreatments.com

Best wishes,

Andrew Parr
www.newtinnitustreatments.com

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the name given to a condition where you can hear a sound in your ear, ears or head where no external sound is present and there seems to be no apparent cause.

The Tinnitus Improvement Program is designed to help you reduce, relieve or even ‘cure’ your tinnitus, depending on your individual type of Tinnitus and circumstances. For more details please click here.

There are two pronunciations of the word Tinnitus – “TIN - it – tus” and “Tin – NIGHT – us”. Both are acceptable and come from the Latin word for ringing – very appropriate as many describe it as ‘ear ringing’ though the sound can vary considerably.

In some people it can be barely audible, more like a quiet, background noise,  whilst in others it can seem to be almost deafeningly loud, even drowning out external sounds.

Types of Tinnitus Sounds

The sound of Tinnitus is often described as ringing but  takes different forms in different people. Here are the most common descriptions of the tinnitus sound.

Ringing, Whistling, Whining, Buzzing, Hissing, Whooshing, Jet Noise, Screaming, Roaring, Crickets, Tree Frogs, white noise such as wind or ocean waves, pulsing, high pitched and so on…

It is often referred to as a ‘phantom sound’ because no-one else can hear it – known as ‘Subjective Tinnitus” and there is no apparent cause - but there are cases where others can hear the sound too – this is called Objective Tinnitus.  Sometimes the sound comes and goes intermittently, other times it is continuous, but the amount of suffering seems to depend on the individual person, not necessarily the nature of the sound.

Types of Tinnitus

It is important to understand that Tinnitus is an umbrella name to cover a wide range of similar symptoms, so is not an illness or disease in itself, but the result of a whole variety of different underlying causes. Two main medical differentiations are Objective Tinnitus (where others can hear the sound too) and Subjective Tinnitus (only the sufferer can perceive it). It can also be differentiated by Unilateral (one ear) or Bilateral (both ears), or other more experiential differences such as Pulsatile – which pulses, for example.

Objective Tinnitus

Although quite rare compared to subjective Tinnitus, in some cases clinicians can perceive a real, actual sound emanating from a persons ear. When the sound can be heard by someone else, this is called Objective Tinnitus.

It is believed this might be caused by muscle spasms that cause clicks or crackling in the middle ear, or by increased  blood flow in the arteries, which then becomes audible, in the case of pulsatile Tinnitus. It is called Pulsatile tinnitus because it pulses in time with the beats of the heart and blood flow. Sometimes there may be no cause for the audibility of this, other than the patients suddenly develops an increased awareness of it.

Occasionally, pulsatile tinnitus may be the result of something more dangerous such as problems associated with the carotid artery (aneurysm or dissection). 

 Subjective Tinnitus

 In a way this is much more frustrating for the patient as no-one else can hear something that may seem unbearably loud to the sufferer. It is also undetectable which means we currently have no direct means for measuring it, hence word ‘subjective’.

Two people may both say they have tinnitus but the sound, intensity, and how it affects them, for example, could be worlds apart, but only definable by the subject themselves.

Standard objective measuring tests do not really provide an accurate guide as to what is really going and tend to only give indirect. Audio metric tests can give an indication as to the frequency of the sound but the most common measurement is the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Questionnaire (THI). This is a series of questions that really help understand how the tinnitus is affecting the life of thew subject, rather than about the tinnitus condition itself.

For example, it will help a clinician diagnose how the tinnitus is affecting sleep, work, , daily life and so on. The diagnose then become slightly less scientific,m using phrases ranging from ‘Slight’ to ‘Catastrophic’.

The Tinnitus handicap Inventory is also used in research as a means to test whethera treatment or intervention is successful. Although still primitive really, it is the best means availableat the moment.

Causes of Tinnitus

Although it is possible to list many phenomenon that seem to cause the onset of Tinnitus, it is not always known exactly why they do, and the actual mechanism of Tinnitus is still a bit of an open mystery. Couple this with the fact that the same ‘trigger’ does not always seem to create the same effect in everybody and you can see why clinicians have struggled to find a unifying cure. For example, some people say that alcohol helps reduce Tinnitus – whilst others say it makes it worse.

Tinnitus causes are often subdivided into two categories.

Otic– meaning affecting the inner ear and auditory nerve.

Somatic – meaning outside the inner ear and auditory nerve but still within the head and neck.

On top of this there are many drugs or oral medications that are known to cause a Tinnitus response, such as aspirin, for example. Tinnitus may also result from an abnormally low level of serotonin activity and is a classical side effect of Quinidine an anti-arrhythmic. Drugs that are harmful to the ear or hearing system are called  Ototoxic.

In many cases, however, no underlying physical cause can be identified and some people, such as hypnotherapist Andrew Parr, believe that many of these cases of Tinnitus are caused by stress, anxiety or emotional trauma.

As you can see, Tinnitus can have many different causes. The scientific view is that it generally results from otologic disorders, the most common cause being noise-induced hearing loss – caused by exposure to excessive or loud noises – but here is a more comprehensive listing of possible causes of the Tinnitus syndrome.

Causes of tinnitus may include

1. Otologic Problems and Hearing Loss

a. Conductive hearing loss - External ear infection, Acoustic Shock, Cerumen (Earwax Blockage), Effusion of the Middle Ear, Superior Canal Dehiscence

b. Sensorineural Hearing Loss - Exposure to excessive or loud noise, Presbycusis (Hearing loss associated with old-age), Meniere’s Disease, Acoustic Neuroma, Mercury or Lead poisoning, Ototoxic Medications (aspirin, etc.).

2 . Neurologic Disorders

Chiari Malformation, Multiple Sclerosis. Head Injury (skull fracture, whiplash, temporomandibular joint disorder)

3. Metabolic Disorder

Thyroid disorder, Hyperlipidemia, Vitamin B12 Deficiency

4 . Psychological Disorders

Stress, anxiety, emotional shock, depression, anger,fatigue.

5 .Miscellaneous Other Causes sometimes believed to cause Tinnitus

Tension Myositis Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Hypertonia (muscle tension), thoracic outlet syndrome, lyme disease, hypnogogia, sleep paralysis, Glomus Tympanicum.

What are the mechanisms of Tinnitus? What actually produces the sound?

Whilst there are some good theories, and a lot of evidence to support those theories,  the actual mechanism of tinnitus is still a bit of a mystery. Here are some of the most popular theories.

Hair Cell Damage/Interference

 The inner  ear contains thousands of tiny hair-cells, called stereo-cilia. When sound enters the ear canal and on down through to the inner ear, these hair cells vibrate in response to the sound waves. This vibration is then converted to a neural signal which eventually then passes along the auditory nerve to the brain, where the signal is interpreted as sound. The vibratory cells are set to ‘idle’, (like a car engine ticking over) just below the level of self-oscillation – which makes them very sensitive.

Anything that interferes with this process may cause a false signal/message to be sent ot the brain, which the brain perceives as Tinnitus.

If the Receptor Cells/Hair cells are damaged  - temporarily or permanently – by loud noise for example, studies have indicated that the afferent neurons may be activated, again,possibly sending a signal to the brain when there is actually none. Constant exposure to loud noiseor loud music can kill hair cells permanently – resulting in a permanently false signal, which we hear as Tinnitus.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

This one causes a puzzle –why should dental issues or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder cause Tinnitus? There is another theory that some ‘somatic tinnitus’ may be caused by a cross talk in the brain, where head and neck nerves enter the brain in close proximity.

Over Stimulation of Auditory Nerve Cells

Some studies have implied that tinnitus is associated with increased neural activity in the auditory brain stem. If some of the nerve cells become over-excited, it may have the same effect as stimulating the hair cells where no signal is present. This over excitement may be caused my changes in the gens that regulate the activity of the nerve cells – or by other more direct means – stress, tension, anxiety and so on.

If this is the case, any treatment that reduces the neural stimulation  - either by electrical, chemical or psychological means - should therefore bring about a reduction of the Tinnitus sound.

 Tinnitus Awareness

 In 1953 Heller and Bergman conducted a study of 80 tinnitus-free university students. They were placed in an placed in an anechoic chamber (ie zero sound– absolute silence) and it was reported that 93% of them later reported hearing a buzzing, pulsing or whistling sound. The implication is that a form of Tinnitus is present in each one of us – but normally resides below our normal level of consciousness.

Where no physical cause is present, it may be that any form of stress or anxiety may cause an individual to become aware of their internal sound, which then creates more stress. A psychological/physiological loop then  develops which maintains both the stress and the Tinnitus awareness.

Anything reduce the emotional stress and anxiety of a patient will therefore help break the loop. This is supported by clinical experience of people such as Hypnotherapist Andrew Parr.

How Can You Measure Tinnitus?

This is difficult to measure accurately but there are ways of  obtaining a quantitative measurement of Tinnitus. The brain has a tendency to select or focus on the loudest sounds – ie those with the greatest amplitude. By playing sounds of known amplitudes, you can ask the patient which one she/he hears, and as the sounds eventually match, you can obtain an estimate for the apparent amplitude of the Tinnitus.

 However, the results can be influenced by the subjects focus of attention. For example, a subject can often detect an external sample noise right down to a level of 5 db. This would imply that their Tinnitus is virtually silent, in order to allow them to detect the sample sound.  But when the same subject is told to focus on their tinnitus, they can report hearing it, even when the external sample sound is increased to 70 decibels – making the tinnitus louder than a ringing phone.

So the real/perceived amplitude of Tinnitus may depend upon what the patient is focusing on or attempting to hear. By switching attention, the tinnitus may change for  70 db toi 5 db and back. 

Patients who suffer most are often described as having  become obsessed with the noise. This is true, to a certain extent, but the real problem is their inability to override or ignore their tinnitus. When the noise is present in both quiet and noisy environments, and it can then become quite intrusive to their daily lives.

Prevention of Tinnitus

Theonly active prevention you can really put in place, without becoming obsessively fearful, it ot restrict your exposure to loud music and loud noise. Both these cause hearing loss – sometimes temporary, sometimes permanent. If you get ringing ears after a rock concert it is an indicator that there has been some damage.

Many musicians and DJ’s experience prolonged exposure to loud music and so special ear plugs have been developed to lower the volume without distorting the sound.  The same applies to anyone operating noisy machinery in the workplace, such as drills, hairdryers, lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners.

You may also prevent tinnitus by checking any medication for it’s ototoxicity. Some medications are ototoxic,and may either cause direct hearing loss, of exacerbate existing symptoms or conditions. You should check with your physician about the dosage and possible side effects, whicu could help reduce potential damage.

Tinnitus Treatment

At the moment there is no single treatment that can reliably cure or reduce all kinds of Tinnitus. Many, many claims are made, but they have varying degrees of statistical reliability. On this website we offer the Tinnitus Improvement Program but here are some of the other main treatments available for Tinnitus…

 Objective Tinnitus Treatments:

Gamma Knife Radio Surgery, Teflon implant to shield cochlea, Botulinum Toxin, Proprananol and Clonazepam, clearing ear canal (where build up of earwax present).

Subjective Tinnitus Treatments

Drugs and Nutrients:

 Ginkgo Biloba (completely unproven); Lidocaine – suppresses Tinnitus for 5 – 20 minutes but has major side-effects; Benzodiazepines, such as Lorazepam or clonazepam (in small doses); Tricyclics such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline); Zinc supplements (completely unproven, but may be effective where Zinc Deficiency is present; Acamprosate – has been successful for noise induced tinnitus; Etidronateor sodium fluoride has helped otosclerosis; lignocaine or anti-epileptics and anti-convulsants; Carbamazepine; Melatonin has helped with sleep disturbance; sertraline; some vitamin combinations.

Subjective TinnitusTreatment by Electrical Stimulation: 

 TMS (Trans Cranial Magnetic Stimulation) ; Trans Cranial Direct Current Stimulation: Trans-cutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation; implanting electrodes for direct stimulation of auditory cortex;

 Subjective Tinnitus Treatment By Surgery:

Implant of above mentioned electrodes for direct stimulation of auditorycortex; Repair of perilymph fistula.

Subjective Tinnitus Treatment By External Sound:

Neuromonics; low-pitched sound treatment; Tinnitus masking; TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy); Music therapy; hearing aids to compensate for lost frequencies; ultrasonic bone conduction by external acoustic stimulation; external noise avoidance for exogenous tinnitus.

Subject Treatment for Tinnitus using Psychological Means:

 CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) ; hypnosis and hypnotherapy;

Light Based Tinnitus Treatment

Low level Laser Therapy