Tinnitus

[bindeweede]

At the moment, mine is driving me up the bend ( or is it round the pole? )
Has anyone found anything that helps? Really.

[Allo Allo]

At the moment, mine is driving me up the bend ( or is it round the pole? )
Has anyone found anything that helps? Really.

Death - complete cure - every time...

M

:knitter:

[Allo Allo]

Apolgies for being flippant Bindeweed. Tinnitus is a frustrating thing to suffer from...I went through many years of it. I used to have the radio send me to sleep and wake me - I found I listened to my ears mostly at that time and the radio distracted me. At times it made me quite suicidal! I know friends who have it - they try all sorts of solutions - but don't report much success. I was told - just "get used to it". But it suddenly simply went away. I am sure other people know more about it than I do.

Could it be stress related? On hindsight, when I had mine I was going through a particularly bad time in my life.

M

[bindeweede]

Death - complete cure - every time...

M

:knitter:
Yes, death is a great cure for most things.
In my effort to find some sort of relief, I bought a book from Amazon about calming the noises. It was one of those American books - I don't know if you have come across this type - where the first 100 pages tell you how good the second 100 pages are going to be. He then lists all of the things that are supposed to help, but usually don't. The one thing he was confident would help is hypnotherapy. And, would you believe it, he happened to be a hypnotherapist himself. His sessions were a bargain at $1000 a time ( or whatever it was). The sort of therapy Americans seem to fall for.

My tinnitus only started last February, and I wasn't aware of being particularly stressed. I'm just looking forward to the morning I wake up and it's gone.

[Well, you've got to clutch at something!]

[Mongrel]

As Allo pointed out, a quiet background noise can help greatly, May take a while to find out what works for you but a looped CD of classic music is a good starting point. Some people have also had success with the 'hippy' soundtracks; rainfall, random wind noise etc

[bindeweede]

As Allo pointed out, a quiet background noise can help greatly, May take a while to find out what works for you but a looped CD of classic music is a good starting point. Some people have also had success with the 'hippy' soundtracks; rainfall, random wind noise etc

I have one of these under-the-pillow speakers. When the tinnitus is really bad, I plug it into the radio and tune in to Radio 4. At about 1am, after "Sailing By", the World Service cuts in. I find quiet talking quite relaxing. Music is fine, but it has to be the non-dramatic sort - something that doesn't draw your attention. I haven't yet tried the natural sound cds, but might do soon. I think the Tinnitus Society (if that's what it's called) and the RNID sell them.

[BBridgefordBBD]

Since January 2007, I started experiencing the typical "ringing" symptom. It appeared to coincide with the onset of a severe head/ear cold. While I sometimes awoke in the morning with no symptom, it would often present itself after exposure to fluorescent lighting (ceiling lights, LCD TV or computer screens) leading me to consider it a RFI (radio frequency interference) effect.

In my pursuit of causes, I purchased micro-surge filters to reduce the level of RFI or "dirty hydro" in my house. Some reduction in sensitivity and volume resulted.

Another effort to reduce the ringing led me to eliminate many sources of salicylate intakes (muscle rubs, orange juice, broccoli), leading to further success.

When tinnitus symptoms resulted from computer or TV sessions, I found that tinnitus volume levels could be greatly reduced by massaging the tissue areas behind and below my ears, using the rotating head of my battery operated tooth brush. A draining sensation accompanied the elimination or reduction in the "ringing".

While all these efforts have successfully reduced the level and duration of my tinnitus symptoms, I have gained a much greater degree of success by my latest discovery of many references online to the part often played by "sensitive teeth toothpaste" containing 5% Potassium Nitrate and my resulting cessation of its use. These references report that within 6 to 12 months of regular use of such toothpastes, a number of people have experienced partial deafness, a fullness feeling in the ears and/or tinnitus. Realizing that I had been regularly using such a toothpaste since the spring of 2006, I immediately switched to a conventional product. That was only three days ago and I already am experiencing large improvements. After working under fluorescents at the office and after TV programs and computer sessions on LCD monitors at home, I'm sensing no noticeable onset of tinnitus symptoms. Only at bedtime, in the quite of the bedroom am I sensing any degree of "ringing" .. so low that I'm wondering if I'm just imagining it.

I'm sharing my experiences with as many online tinnitus forums as I can, hoping other sufferers may benefit.

Thank you

[Tin Lizzie]

I've suffered tinnitus since childhood. the most recent research i saw came to the conclusion that the circulatory system plays the main part somehow. there are some flash-looking laser earpieces on the market but they cost a bomb.
I like the 'massaging below the ear using a toothbrush', i'll give that a whirl.

[bindeweede]

Since January 2007, I started experiencing the typical "ringing" symptom. It appeared to coincide with the onset of a severe head/ear cold. While I sometimes awoke in the morning with no symptom, it would often present itself after exposure to fluorescent lighting (ceiling lights, LCD TV or computer screens) leading me to consider it a RFI (radio frequency interference) effect.

In my pursuit of causes, I purchased micro-surge filters to reduce the level of RFI or "dirty hydro" in my house. Some reduction in sensitivity and volume resulted.

Another effort to reduce the ringing led me to eliminate many sources of salicylate intakes (muscle rubs, orange juice, broccoli), leading to further success.

When tinnitus symptoms resulted from computer or TV sessions, I found that tinnitus volume levels could be greatly reduced by massaging the tissue areas behind and below my ears, using the rotating head of my battery operated tooth brush. A draining sensation accompanied the elimination or reduction in the "ringing".

While all these efforts have successfully reduced the level and duration of my tinnitus symptoms, I have gained a much greater degree of success by my latest discovery of many references online to the part often played by "sensitive teeth toothpaste" containing 5% Potassium Nitrate and my resulting cessation of its use. These references report that within 6 to 12 months of regular use of such toothpastes, a number of people have experienced partial deafness, a fullness feeling in the ears and/or tinnitus. Realizing that I had been regularly using such a toothpaste since the spring of 2006, I immediately switched to a conventional product. That was only three days ago and I already am experiencing large improvements. After working under fluorescents at the office and after TV programs and computer sessions on LCD monitors at home, I'm sensing no noticeable onset of tinnitus symptoms. Only at bedtime, in the quite of the bedroom am I sensing any degree of "ringing" .. so low that I'm wondering if I'm just imagining it.

I'm sharing my experiences with as many online tinnitus forums as I can, hoping other sufferers may benefit.

Thank you

And thank you. My tinnitus is there when I wake and for the rest of the time I am conscious. What you say about "sensitive teeth toothpaste" is especially interesting. I have been using it for 3-4 years now, so I rushed up to look. My stuff does not contain potassium nitrate. The tube gives the active ingredients...

potassium chloride (3.75%)
sodium fluoride (0.32%)
triclosan (0.3%)

Still, I will try using something else for a few days to see if anything changes. I don't really drink a lot of orange juice, or eat a lot of broccoli, but I'll try cutting them out too.

[bindeweede]

And, of course, my proposed course of action is totally illogical. Back to the DB.

[Zaira]

I found listening to music through a good set of stereo earphones helped when it was at it’s worst.

[vbloke]

Just as an aside, have you tried ear drops / ear syringing?

Sometimes, things like this can be caused simply by impacted earwax building up and causing pressure on the sensitive parts of the ear.

I suffered from ringing ears a few years ago and a quick visit to to doctors to get my ears syringed worked a treat.

I'm not saying that this would work for everyone, or is the cause of all tinnitus, but it may be worth a shot.

[Tin Lizzie]

Just as an aside, have you tried ear drops / ear syringing?

Sometimes, things like this can be caused simply by impacted earwax building up and causing pressure on the sensitive parts of the ear.

I suffered from ringing ears a few years ago and a quick visit to to doctors to get my ears syringed worked a treat.

I'm not saying that this would work for everyone, or is the cause of all tinnitus, but it may be worth a shot.

i get my ears syringed almost once a year as i have a naturally high accumulation. sadly this doesn't help my tinnitus although it does feel each time as though i am hearing for the very first time! I go for the connection with the circulatory system, mine always seems at its worst during the winter.

[bindeweede]

Just as an aside, have you tried ear drops / ear syringing?

Sometimes, things like this can be caused simply by impacted earwax building up and causing pressure on the sensitive parts of the ear.

I suffered from ringing ears a few years ago and a quick visit to to doctors to get my ears syringed worked a treat.

I'm not saying that this would work for everyone, or is the cause of all tinnitus, but it may be worth a shot.

I haven't tried ear drops, but when I saw my GP, he checked and said I didn't need syringing, or drops. I eventually saw an ENT Consultant who also checked. I had an MRI brain scan. It is still there apparently, but no sign of any physical cause of the tinnitus.

[Zaira]

"Just as an aside, have you tried ear drops / ear syringing?"

Would it hurt? :smiley:

[bindeweede]

"Just as an aside, have you tried ear drops / ear syringing?"


Would it hurt? :smiley:

If it is done properly, I don't think it would hurt. They just apply warm water to soften and remove hardened wax, AFIK. Ear drops just tickle:smiley:

[Corpse Cruncher]

I haven't tried ear drops, but when I saw my GP, he checked and said I didn't need syringing, or drops. I eventually saw an ENT Consultant who also checked. I had an MRI brain scan. It is still there apparently, but no sign of any physical cause of the tinnitus.

Do you get ear ache or jaw ache a lot?

[Cuddles]

Would it hurt? :smiley:

It won't hurt, but do not try doing it yourself. The best advice I've heard is: never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow.

[bindeweede]

Do you get ear ache or jaw ache a lot?

No - not at all. Just the hissing/swishing stuff. ALL the time.

[tablemonkey]

My dad suffers with tinnitus. He found it was really bad after he had a heart attack, obviously his stress levels made it come forward more than it was before. He had difficulty getting to sleep because it seemed so loud.

I don't think there is anything out there that can get rid of it. I have heard somewhere that listening to white noise at a low volume can lessen the effects once turned off.

[bindeweede]

My dad suffers with tinnitus. He found it was really bad after he had a heart attack, obviously his stress levels made it come forward more than it was before. He had difficulty getting to sleep because it seemed so loud.

I don't think there is anything out there that can get rid of it. I have heard somewhere that listening to white noise at a low volume can lessen the effects once turned off.

Playing white noise, natural sounds like streams rippling, waves breaking on the shore, can help to mask the sound, but I don't know about that lessening the tinnitus. I suppose it might have a distracting effect as well. There is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, which I believe is available on the NHS, after a lengthy wait, I suppose. But I think it just helps you ignore the noise.

[SKIRRID5]

Mongrel - sorry to nitpick, but you seem to be one of these people who think classical music is always gentle and soothing. It can be wildly exciting and very loud. A hundred-piece orchestra going full blast might drown out the tinnitus, but then it might also damage your ears further!

[bindeweede]

Mongrel - sorry to nitpick, but you seem to be one of these people who think classical music is always gentle and soothing. It can be wildly exciting and very loud. A hundred-piece orchestra going full blast might drown out the tinnitus, but then it might also damage your ears further!

Well, the totally tedious, dreadful heap of poo "1812 Overture" certainly gets me off.

[bindeweede]

Mongrel - sorry to nitpick, but you seem to be one of these people who think classical music is always gentle and soothing. It can be wildly exciting and very loud. A hundred-piece orchestra going full blast might drown out the tinnitus, but then it might also damage your ears further!

And sorry to criticise, but your comment is slightly condescending.

Well, "rather".

[Mongrel]

Mongrel - sorry to nitpick, but you seem to be one of these people who think classical music is always gentle and soothing. It can be wildly exciting and very loud. A hundred-piece orchestra going full blast might drown out the tinnitus, but then it might also damage your ears further!

Bwahahahahahaha, you're so wrong ;D

One of my "Top 5 best nights ever" involved copious amounts of Cornish Rebellion beer, Pendennis Castle (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.11391), The BBC Philharmocic, and a combination of Carmina Burana and THAT bit from the 1812 - with live cannons (I helped mix the gunk that shot 12' flames from the cannons)

[bindeweede]

Bwahahahahahaha, you're so wrong ;D

One of my "Top 5 best nights ever" involved copious amounts of Cornish Rebellion beer, Pendennis Castle (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.11391), The BBC Philharmocic, and a combination of Carmina Burana and THAT bit from the 1812 - with live cannons (I helped mix the gunk that shot 12' flames from the cannons)

Well, "Carmina Burana" is totally gorgeous..............."Oh, Fortuna....."

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Well, "Carmina Burana" is totally gorgeous..............."Oh, Fortuna....."

Don't start that again...

:smiley:

[SKIRRID5]

Bindweede - actually, I think its a bit condescending to characterize classical music wrongly if you don't listen to much of it.

[SKIRRID5]

Mongrel - I don't see your point. I'm wrong? Do you mean "1812" is NOT exciting, or that it's gentle and soothing, or merely that it didn't hurt your ears?

[Mongrel]

Mongrel - I don't see your point. I'm wrong? Do you mean "1812" is NOT exciting, or that it's gentle and soothing, or merely that it didn't hurt your ears?

1812 is exciting but gentle and soothing as well, and my ears were already ringing from a 12lb cannon going off 5" above my head earlier that day.

[fatthinslim]

Since January 2007, I started experiencing the typical "ringing" symptom. It appeared to coincide with the onset of a severe head/ear cold. While I sometimes awoke in the morning with no symptom, it would often present itself after exposure to fluorescent lighting (ceiling lights, LCD TV or computer screens) leading me to consider it a RFI (radio frequency interference) effect.

In my pursuit of causes, I purchased micro-surge filters to reduce the level of RFI or "dirty hydro" in my house. Some reduction in sensitivity and volume resulted.

Another effort to reduce the ringing led me to eliminate many sources of salicylate intakes (muscle rubs, orange juice, broccoli), leading to further success.

When tinnitus symptoms resulted from computer or TV sessions, I found that tinnitus volume levels could be greatly reduced by massaging the tissue areas behind and below my ears, using the rotating head of my battery operated tooth brush. A draining sensation accompanied the elimination or reduction in the "ringing".

While all these efforts have successfully reduced the level and duration of my tinnitus symptoms, I have gained a much greater degree of success by my latest discovery of many references online to the part often played by "sensitive teeth toothpaste" containing 5% Potassium Nitrate and my resulting cessation of its use. These references report that within 6 to 12 months of regular use of such toothpastes, a number of people have experienced partial deafness, a fullness feeling in the ears and/or tinnitus. Realizing that I had been regularly using such a toothpaste since the spring of 2006, I immediately switched to a conventional product. That was only three days ago and I already am experiencing large improvements. After working under fluorescents at the office and after TV programs and computer sessions on LCD monitors at home, I'm sensing no noticeable onset of tinnitus symptoms. Only at bedtime, in the quite of the bedroom am I sensing any degree of "ringing" .. so low that I'm wondering if I'm just imagining it.

I'm sharing my experiences with as many online tinnitus forums as I can, hoping other sufferers may benefit.

Thank you

Having read your experience with tinnitus I can relate to what you say as I started getting Tinnitus December last year but didnt think anything of it at first , then went for a new job and had a hearing test in one of those booths and nearly failed it due to this constant high pitch sound, fom then I started thinking about it and listening for it and it was there but not very loud and just noticable. I had a cold in july this year and it got worse and was constant 24hrs aday and sleeping was hell. then it started to go away in october but has come back and just like you if i walk near flourescent lighting or CRT televisions it kind of amplyfies it as if i can hear the electrical appliances. Sadly doctor said deal with it. well i have tried somany things to see if they help, If i put mild pressure using hands behing the ear lobs the T increases then let go and it tempoarily goes, gritting jaw does the same as does swallowing. I was so happy a few months ago when it started to go and couldnt believe my luck then it came back and until someone has experienced this they have no idea how awful this is.

[LeQue]

Ahh, our good friend Tinnitus. I notice mine mostly in the silence that comes before bed. When I wake up I've forgotten about it and don't notice again for a few days or weeks. It's always there if I listen for it, but it is the sound of silence to me. I think trying to stay calm about it can help not feel trapped in a wet-wineglass-rim head.

[squirrel81]

Dear All,

If you have tinnitus or knows someone who has this terrible condition please go to the British Tinnitus Association web page.

http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/

There is a link on the page there to take you to an E-petition

petition the Prime Minister for action (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/tinnitus-funding/)


The E-petition is asking the Prime Minister for money to fund tinnitus research.

Its easy to get your name on the petition and the more names the petition gets, the stronger the case for funding.

If you prefer you can go straight to the petition.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/tinnitus-funding/

Its easy to complete, all you do is fill in the form and then you will get an e-mail confirmation which you just need to click on to register your name.
Please do this if you have tinnitus or know someone who has it. You don't have to have tinnitus to add your name to the petition

[ATR]

Action for Tinnitus Research is holding a free event in London on Thursday 27th March 2008 from 2pm-5pm, which will provide a rare opportunity for you to meet the scientists who are working to find a cure for tinnitus, and find out about the cutting edge tinnitus research in progress.

To find out more, or to book a place, please visit http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php (http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php)

If you would like any further information about the event, please call Sophie Cowles on 020 7679 8907. We hope you will be able to join us!

[bindeweede]

Action for Tinnitus Research is holding a free event in London on Thursday 27th March 2008 from 2pm-5pm, which will provide a rare opportunity for you to meet the scientists who are working to find a cure for tinnitus, and find out about the cutting edge tinnitus research in progress.

To find out more, or to book a place, please visit http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php (http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php)

If you would like any further information about the event, please call Sophie Cowles on 020 7679 8907. We hope you will be able to join us!

It sounds very interesting. Thanks for the post, and welcome to UKS by the way. I have filled in the booking form - just waiting for a reply.

[bindeweede]

It sounds very interesting. Thanks for the post, and welcome to UKS by the way. I have filled in the booking form - just waiting for a reply.

Email confirmation arrived this afternoon, so I'll be there.

[core433]

Hi guys,

There are MANY, MANY depressing posts on Tinnitus online, and if you're new to the condition, you must feel really despaired at this point after doing hours upon hours of research and hearing others just like you being driven mad by the constant noise.

Well, I'm here to provide you some honest comfort. I'm not trying to lie to you just to make you feel more at ease. I want to sincerely convince you that if your Tinnitus is slight to mild, it will not ruin your life at all.

Here is my story.

I got Tinnitus almost 3 months ago right around Christmas. I was blasting computer game sounds through my headphones, and the gunshots and explosions 10 hours a day really took a toll on my ears. A few days later I started noticing (at a wedding, actually, when the priest was delivering the vows) a ringing noise. I asked my relatives if they heard it, but they told me it's only there if I focused on it. But mine was pretty darn loud in the quiet church, and it wouldn't go away.

A week later I had self-diagnosed it as Tinnitus. I started believing it would never go away. I was scared as hell, because there was no cure. I came online and read hundreds of horror stories, of people wallowing in self pity because of a "constant noise that has ruined their life." My life, I had felt, was ruined as well. I kept thinking to myself, "this is something people get when they're 60, I'm only 21 and none of my friends have it, it's not fair, I'm ruined, I'm disabled and I've destroyed my life." Yes, I at times considered in passing suicide. I read how other people contemplated suicide. I was on the verge of tears all the time, I felt so alone, and every waking moment, I'd listen and focus in on the ringing to confirm to myself that my undoing was still there, always haunting me. I could not believe at ALL that I would get over this. At night, I'd wake up 5 times a night, toss and turn due to the noise, and feel like I was ruined. I thought I could NEVER get a good night's sleep again. This was a curse that would haunt me and debilitate me for the REST of my life, I thought. I couldn't focus in class, I did poorly on my final exams because the ringing was SO loud. The more I listened to it, the LOUDER it got, but I just couldn't stop listening to it! I wanted a CURE, I hated humanity for existing so long and not solving this PANDEMIC! I considered blowing thousands of dollars on all kinds of therapies, TRT, whatever those mumbo-jumbo are called (as a side, they are for SEVERE sufferers and people who simply are emotionally unable to get over Tinnitus. Yes, it's more about your EMOTIONAL ability than your physical condition). In short, I was probably where YOU, my dear reader, are right now at this moment. This is why you're looking at this forum, isn't it? You want to see others who suffer your fate share with you your pity. Well stop that, it's not healthy. After reading this post, stop doing research! Stop hoping for a cure! I'll tell you EXACTLY why...

The good news is, you DO get over it! You get ABSOLUTELY over it if you want! I didn't believe people who said "you get used to it" when I was in my moping stage. I thought the best I could do is hear it all the time and just consciously try to block it out. I thought I would have to acknowledge it and forcefully use my mental power to force myself to ignore it for the rest of my life. C'mon, I'm TWENTY-ONE years old! To me, this was like getting Arthritis at my age!

Yet my "salvation" came during a ski retreat over a week-long break from school. I stayed up late with friends, we played so many fun games, and by the time I went to bed, I simply dropped dead asleep. I laughed, I had fun, I enjoyed life every day, and I had my friends there (plus I was exhausted from all the fun before I slept). Now, the ringing never went away (and it probably never will), but what the experience DID teach me was that I COULD get a good night's sleep, and I COULD live without acknowledging it. When I got back to school, a week of not putting Tinnitus at the top of my "to-pay-attention-to" list had worked wonders! I still heard it now and then and wished it would stop, but I simply started ignoring it. Now, less than three months later, it's for all intents and purposes not even an issue in my life... No, I'm not one of those "super lucky" people whose Tinnitus noise simply disappeared. I can still hear it if I want. But I will say this. 99.99% of my day, I don't even think or notice it. And when I do, it doesn't even bother me. For the past week I've slept every night without any problem. I don't even "hear" it when I lie down in my dead silent room. The point, folks, is the noise is there, I simply don't even register it as a sensory input anymore.

I want to DRILL into your head that you WILL get over Tinnitus. The MAJOR obstacle to you NOT getting over it is your own mentality. You want a cure, you want it to disappear, you want to turn back time and not go to that concert, not play those video games, not have done whatever it is that you can never undo. Get your LIFE back again man! The more you worship Tinnitus, the longer it will take you to reach where I am now. And let me tell you, it is sweet being where I am. Don't worry about the noise never going away. You won't notice it. Your life is GRAND and full of things worth living. All you need to do is give it time, do things you love, hang out with people important to you who will support you, but DON'T complain to them incessantly about your poor self and your "demonic" Tinnitus.

Just stay faithful and know that this can be overcome. This is NOT a stupid sermon I'm saying to instill false hope in you, or to simply make you feel better. I'm not telling a dead man walking the green mile "the governor will prolly call right now and cancel your execution..." nor am I telling somebody with a terminal disease that they're going to be just fine. That would just be a LIE (albeit done in good faith). You're NOT walking a green mile, you're NOT doomed, my friend. I'm telling you the truth of the matter is you're NOT condemned to a lifelong suffering. C'mon, we ALL know that people who come online to post horror stories about their Tinnitus have either just gotten it or just never were able to get over it themselves. YOU don't have to be like that. I just wish that when I had come online, I had read more posts like mine instead of all the negative nancies. You know why you don't read more posts like mine? Cause people who get over Tinnitus (MOST of people who have it get over it) simply have no reason to come on this forum, create an account, open their email to confirm their registration, then post these messages. They don't even CARE about Tinnitus anymore, man. THAT'S why you don't hear the positives. I simply was thankful just now, as a random thought, that I had passed that terrible stage in my life, and wanted to help people who have just gotten it out.

NOW, I've gone on for long enough, and you're tired of reading this. GET OUT THERE AND START LIVING AGAIN, MAN!

One last note:

Make sure that if you see your friends or loved ones or even strangers abusing their ears, teach them about Tinnitus! It can be absolutely gotten over, but hey, not having it is pretty sweet too ;) But make sure you don't make it sound like a pity seminar about your misfortunes. Oh, and PROTECT YOUR EARS! But I'm sure after this experience, you won't need me to tell you that 8)

[bindeweede]

Action for Tinnitus Research is holding a free event in London on Thursday 27th March 2008 from 2pm-5pm, which will provide a rare opportunity for you to meet the scientists who are working to find a cure for tinnitus, and find out about the cutting edge tinnitus research in progress.

To find out more, or to book a place, please visit http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php (http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/meet-scientists.php)

If you would like any further information about the event, please call Sophie Cowles on 020 7679 8907. We hope you will be able to join us!

Thanks for posting this. I went to the meeting - very interesting. I have been cutting down on the caffeine - no need, apparently. 2 -3 cups of coffee a day are unlikely to make it worse.

The brain's "gain" function in dealing with sound sounds a possible cause of tinnitus.

Sorry, not a detailed summary.

[bindeweede]

This is from a document produced by deafness research uk, for those interested.


What direction is tinnitus research currently taking?

A key focus of research is to study both the brain and the hearing system to clarify how and from where tinnitus can originate:



Imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET are being used to demonstrate tinnitus-related activity in the brains of individuals who are able to alter or modify their tinnitus (known as somatic modulation). This is giving valuable information about how the brain processes information from the ears.
Researchers are investigating evidence to suggest that when the brain lacks signals from the ears (when hair cells in the cochlea aren’t working any more), it creates its own sounds which are heard as tinnitus.
As well as achieving a better understanding of how the tiny hair cells in the inner ear work, scientists are learning more about the supporting cells that surround them. A chemical called ATP which is released by these cells while they are developing in the womb could explain why people experience tinnitus in later life.

[helloZoZo]

Hi Guys,

I thought you might be interested in watching my film about tinnitus. I have recently taken part in a show called The Shooting Party which is about 9 disabled people making a short film on channel 4. My film may interest some of you guys who experience the maddening sounds!

Here's the link -

http://www.channel4.com/4talent/shootingparty/films.html - I recommend watching this with headphones, that's if you are not deaf like me!

If you want to watch the whole documentary then you need to go to 4Od.

All the best,

Zoe.

[FuerteFuerza]

Hello guys

Well everyone is writing only about the annoying voice the tinnitus is causing, but in my case I experience strong "sensitivity" to louder voices. When I hear some loud voice my head and ears are going to explode, I just cant stand it. Sometimes I cant even listen the quiet music nor watch TV, is this normal symptom of tinnitus ?

[Mongrel]

Hello guys

Well everyone is writing only about the annoying voice the tinnitus is causing, but in my case I experience strong "sensitivity" to louder voices. When I hear some loud voice my head and ears are going to explode, I just cant stand it. Sometimes I cant even listen the quiet music nor watch TV, is this normal symptom of tinnitus ?

According to the BTA site (http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/index.php?q=information/info+sheets/front+page/what_is_tinnitus.htm) - no.

As always - this is an internet forum so you should always have any health issues checked by a qualified medical professional.

[FuerteFuerza]

As always - this is an internet forum so you should always have any health issues checked by a qualified medical professional.


I found this at that site "People with tinnitus can usually tolerate moderately noisy surroundings, but others (with hyperacusis) may be disturbed by everyday noises."

But its quite strange, because I didnt have this problem for 6 months (I had "no problem" tinnitus) and it came from nowhere

thanks I guess that I have hyperacusis too

[Mongrel]

But its quite strange, because I didnt have this problem for 6 months (I had "no problem" tinnitus) and it came from nowhere

thanks I guess that I have hyperacusis too

Bad FF! Self diagnosis from the internet. Shame on you >:-)

;)

If it appeared suddenly see a Doctor. Like tinnitus there's sometimes a physical problem that can be fixed, if it can't then counselling or training is available form an Audiologist.

[TexJingle]

9/2/08
Dear Bindeweede,
This is my first post here on your forum! I've had tinnitus for 12 years. I find that the herb St. John's Wort quiets the ringing. Two capsules before bedtime are enough to give me a decent night's sleep. Have you tried this already?
- TexJingle

[bindeweede]

9/2/08
Dear Bindeweede,
This is my first post here on your forum! I've had tinnitus for 12 years. I find that the herb St. John's Wort quiets the ringing. Two capsules before bedtime are enough to give me a decent night's sleep. Have you tried this already?
- TexJingle

Welcome TexJingle

From what I've read St John's Wort can be effective with mild to moderate depression. I haven't tried it myself - a quick Google indicates some people find it helpful, some don't

At night, I put a small speaker under the pillow and listen to the radio - that tends to mask the ringing - I don't have any problem getting to sleep, usually.

I definitely won't be trying this nonsense....




As well as Ear Candling being effectively used to relieve ENT conditions its also a great way to take some time out for yourself to relax and unwind, letting go of all of your stresses.
Ear Candling can help with:
• Excessive or compacted wax
• Sinus problems
• Asthma / Hayfever
• Tinnitus
• Loss of hearing
• Glue Ear
• Snoring
• Flying Problems
• Regular colds / Flu
• Headaches / Migraines
• Bells Palsy
• PET
• Vertigo or poor balance
• Meniere's disease
• Pregnancy related conditions
• Swimmers / Surfers / Divers Earhttp://www.tranquillus.co.uk/therapies_hopiearcandling.php

The usual garbage about the Hopi tribe. There is a thread about that here...

http://www.uksceptics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2346

[DB1923]

I have very loud ringing Tinnitus in both ears but have not read anywhere about my kind.
Sometimes I wake in the morning and its completely gone. If I happen to doze off anytime during the day (like while watching TV while sitting up usually) its back with a vengance. This happens even after a few seconds of sleep. Once its back I have it non-stop for days till I happen to wake up without it. My wife says I snort, gasp and snore a lot while I am asleep. I have experimented with not using a pillow and sometimes I find this works.
Could I have a pressure problem in my ears/sinuses? It seems like my head position while sleeping has something to do with it.
Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Thanks
John

[TexJingle]

9/9/08
St. John's Wort causes the noise of my tinnitus to be dramatically reduced - whether daytime or night time - plus it helps me have a longer night time sleep without waking up. The St. John's Wort has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Most herbs, including St. John's Wort, are not specifically just helpful for one thing and one thing only. That's the beauty of herbs.

There has been speculation that tinnitus occurs when a bacteria or virus makes it past the blood brain barrier. If this is indeed what has occurred in our brains, then it seems logical that the antibacterial and antiviral properties of St. John's Wort would be what is effecting a quieting of the noise of tinnitus. - TexJingle

[bindeweede]

9/9/08
St. John's Wort causes the noise of my tinnitus to be dramatically reduced - whether daytime or night time - plus it helps me have a longer night time sleep without waking up. The St. John's Wort has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Most herbs, including St. John's Wort, are not specifically just helpful for one thing and one thing only. That's the beauty of herbs.

There has been speculation that tinnitus occurs when a bacteria or virus makes it past the blood brain barrier. If this is indeed what has occurred in our brains, then it seems logical that the antibacterial and antiviral properties of St. John's Wort would be what is effecting a quieting of the noise of tinnitus. - TexJingle

A fairly recent report from Deafness Research uk suggests tinnitus originates from the brain or cochlea.


It is now widely accepted that one cause of tinnitus is the release of excessive amounts of the
neurotransmitter glutamate by hair cells in the inner ear. Normally, glutamate plays a vital role in
communication between nerve cells, making them more likely to send a signal onwards. However,
when the cells are subjected to stress - for example by exposure to loud noise or to drugs that are
toxic to hair cells - they over-produce glutamate, causing a negative effect known as excitotoxicity.
The result is that the original connections between hair cells and the nerves that carry signals from
the inner ear on to the brain are destroyed, but can later be replaced by the growth of new ones.
These new connections are of a different type to the originals and function differently, becoming
over-active when glutamate is released. The over-activity is then perceived as tinnitusSorry, it is a pdf.

http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/factsheets/tinnitus-research.pdf

But I might have got that wrong.

[Mongrel]

9/9/08
St. John's Wort causes the noise of my tinnitus to be dramatically reduced - whether daytime or night time - plus it helps me have a longer night time sleep without waking up. The St. John's Wort has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Got any studies for this?

Most herbs, including St. John's Wort, are not specifically just helpful for one thing and one thing only. That's the beauty of herbs.
...and the unregulated preparation, the unmeasured dosage, the variance of active ingredient depending on which part of the plant is used, the differences in breed of plant and the herbal industries refusal to do tests instead relying on anecdotes...
Herbs are great ::)


Or it could just be that;
a) It's just a placebo effect
b) SJW can have an effect as an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) an effect of which is to cause drowsiness.

[Matt]

Lets not forget it's interaction with other drugs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1802943.stm

Yes many effects indeed. Not all entirely desirable.

[TexJingle]

9/14/08
Dear Bindeweede,
I enjoyed the link that you gave us. Thanks. I still have my tinnitus. Until it's gone, I'll be open to new ideas, and if I find a cure (or even relief), I'll be sharing whatever I know with other sufferers.

I haven't examined the pdf in detail yet, but I can see that someone has put a lot of thought into it.

I grew St. John's Wort for a short time. It has very tiny leaves, and didn't grow very fast. And sadly, the Texas climate is unforgiving of the plant owner who forgets to water her favorite plant for a couple of scorching days in a row. I'm glad there's no law on 'plant rights'! I'd be in big trouble.

Bindeweede, I'm not seeing any Private Message (PM) function here on this forum. Is there one? It's nice to meet others who have been coping with this most annoying problem. - TexJingle

[TexJingle]

9/14/08
Dear Bindeweede,
I plan to do some reading on the tinnitus in relation to the words “glutamate”, “liver”, and “St. John’s Wort”. Here are some ideas:
Your link, Bindeweede, has this information on tinnitus and glutamate:
“These new connections are of a different type to the originals and function differently, becoming over-active when glutamate is released.”
This is from the deafnessresearch url that you gave us. (As a newbie, I am not allowed to post urls.)


Matt’s link contained this information on St. John’s Wort, the liver, and hyperforin:
“… the [St. John’s Wort] herbal extract contained a substance called hyperforin, which made the liver work more efficiently,…”
This is from the news dot bcc dot co dot uk url that Matt gave us.

I’ve found a link to an ‘abstract’ which relates St. John’s Wort, glutamate, and hyperforin:
“We have recently shown that hyperforin, a major active constituent of St. John's Wort, not only inhibits the neuronal uptake of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, but also that of L-glutamate and GABA. No other antidepressant compound exhibits a similar broad uptake inhibiting profile. To investigate this unique kind of property, kinetic analyses were performed regarding the uptake of 3H-L-glutamate and 3H-GABA into synaptosomal preparations of mouse brain. Michaelis-Menten kinetics revealed a reduction of Vmax (8.27 to 1.80 pmol/mg/min for 3H-L-glutamate, 2.76 to 0.77 pmol/mg/min for 3H-GABA) while Km was nearly unchanged in both cases, suggesting non-competitive inhibition. The unselective uptake inhibition by hyperforin could be mimicked by the Na+- ionophore monensin and by the Na+-K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain. However, both mechanisms can be discarded for hyperforin.”

World wide web dot nature dot com slash npp slash journal slash v23 slash n2 slash abs slash 1395510a dot html


As Proverbs 27:17 says, “By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another. “

If this forum does not have the Private Message function, could you, Bindeweede, follow me to another forum that allows private conversations? We could exchange email addresses there. World wide web dot dyscalculiaforum dot com is one such forum. – TexJingle

[bindeweede]

TexJingle,

Yes, the forum supports private messages. If you click on the name of the member you wish to contact, you will find a PM option, but that might only work when you have made 15 posts. It doesn't seem to be active on your name yet.

If you go to the "User CP (top left of the page) you can set it so that you receive an email whenever a PM has arrived in your inbox.

[Mike K]

Hi,

I was diagnosed with tinnitus 15 years ago but it is very seldom that it bothers me at all these days. If it does seem worse on any given day I can normally pinpoint the reason quickly.

You need to concentrate on two main things: reducing stress and increasing your general wellbeing. Whether it be giving up caffeine or smoking, improving your diet or exercising more, all of these will have a positive effect on you and your sense of wellbeing. This decreases stress and that definitely reduces tinnitus. Stress has THE most negative impact on tinnitus. If you can remove as much stress as possible from your life you will notice the difference immediately.

Also, try and find ten minutes every day where you focus completely on relaxing. Try and find those same ten minutes at the same time every day and you will soon see a pattern emerging when your tinnitus reduces. Make a mental note to try and add more "pockets" of ten minutes each day if you can.

I am unable to post links as I am a new member but if you want to learn more about my experiences check out [removed] Google.

I hope some of this helps you.

Mike

[TexJingle]

9/20/08
Thanks Bindeweede,
I think I have my 'settings' set so that I can now receive a PM, unless, that is, being a newbie prevents it at this time.

I haven't gotten to do the reading on tinnitus that I'd planned. I'm in college, so my two classes have to come first. I wanted to tell you that I have had my ears 'candled', and yes, I had it done hoping that it would cure my tinnitus. That was about 10 years ago, so obviously it didn't work. But I will say that I enjoyed it and that it made me 'feel' better. I seemed to be able to hear more accutely afterward. Being, myself, a 'do-it-yourselfer' and having a friend who is also a 'do-it-yourselfer', we figured out how to do the procedure and she very kindly 'candled' my ears for me. I bought the bees waxed paper 'cone' at Wholefoods grocery store, made the paper plate (or was it aluminum?) with a hole in it that I cut out myself, and we followed whatever directions came with the beeswax candling cone. I sat in a chair in her dining room, and of course, we kept the cone tilted slight downward.

I flee from any kind of 'hocus pokus'. It is disgusting to me. In this, you and I are in complete agreement. And just now, I did look up on Google a page called 'Why Ear Candling is Not a Good Idea'. I can see how 'accidents' could happen with this procedure. But if that same neighbor lady would help me again, I'd like to have my ears candled again. It did nothing to stop the tinnitus, but it felt good.

Thanks for explaining to me how to open up the PM function on my profile. I seem to be website-impaired. - TexJingle

[OlderDad]

Radio 4 had a Dutch Doctor on it who treated his patients using a electrical stimulator. quick google brought this up

http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=99073

IIRC it was implanted under the skull but above the dura.

Pretty Drastic.

[ATR]

To mark National Tinnitus Week (9-15 February), Deafness Research UK have set up a blog which will initially involve three Deafness Research UK supporters talking frankly about how they cope with their tinnitus on a daily basis. Share their experiences and join in at the Tinnitus for a Week blog: deafnessresearchuk.blogspot.com

Do you sometimes wonder how other people manage to cope with their tinnitus? Could you make small changes that would make your life more bearable? Could you get more help for your tinnitus on the NHS?

From Saturday 7 February, meet our bloggers Kate, John and Gemma who, contrary to the usual advice of trying not to dwell on the symptoms, are focusing on their tinnitus in order to help others learn from their experiences and cope with tinnitus better.

Readers who want further information about tinnitus can call the Deafness Research UK information line, free of charge, on 0808 808 2222. The helpline is open 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday (a message can be left at other times) to answer specific questions about tinnitus. If the Information team cannot answer a question directly, it will be referred to one of Deafness Research UK’s scientific or medical advisers.


You can also email Deafness Research UK. Check out the website for all contact details.

[AudioTherapist]

My name is Tim Husband and I'm an Audiologist and Hearing Therapist working part time for the NHS and part time in my own private practice based in Sheffield.

I try to ensure my practice is strongly evidence based and am not at all a fan of exploitative quackery such as LLLT, Tinnitool, Tinnex, Hopi Ear candles etc etc.

I'm very up for evidence based discussion on Tinnitus treatments. You can read about my practice at ...hearingtherapy.net and biographical professional info plus mini blog at ...timhusband.info.

Obviously I'm at least in part trying to drum up extra traffic to my website, but I'm actually very keen to engage in robust skeptical discussion - to that end I've also set up a Facebook group called 'TinnitusTreatments with an Evidence Base' that you may want to check out.

Love to hear from you,

Regards,

Tim

[karen32]

I have very loud ringing Tinnitus in both ears but have not read anywhere about my kind.
Sometimes I wake in the morning and its completely gone. If I happen to doze off anytime during the day (like while watching TV while sitting up usually) its back with a vengance. This happens even after a few seconds of sleep. Once its back I have it non-stop for days till I happen to wake up without it. My wife says I snort, gasp and snore a lot while I am asleep. I have experimented with not using a pillow and sometimes I find this works.
Could I have a pressure problem in my ears/sinuses? It seems like my head position while sleeping has something to do with it.
Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Thanks
John

I have the same condition, I dont snort but I snore while sleeping. I will try the pillow thing to see if it works.

[Sem]

Hi, I suffer from terrible ear ringing - Tinnitus, mainly in my right ear.

I have read both positive & negative opinions about using Healtone's healing sounds for Tinnitus.

Well here's my verdict after one week of listening.

It does ease and even eliminates the riming for several hours, but it does not cure it, at least not in my case.

It is definitely better than white noise. White noise works only as long as it's on. Once I switch it off, the ringing is back.

On a scale of 1-10 I would give the Healtone sounds an 8.

[bindeweede]

Hi, I suffer from terrible ear ringing - Tinnitus, mainly in my right ear.

I have read both positive & negative opinions about using Healtone's healing sounds for Tinnitus.

Well here's my verdict after one week of listening.

It does ease and even eliminates the riming for several hours, but it does not cure it, at least not in my case.

It is definitely better than white noise. White noise works only as long as it's on. Once I switch it off, the ringing is back.

On a scale of 1-10 I would give the Healtone sounds an 8.

Sem, I am glad you have found benefit from Healtone sounds. Apparently, the sounds can also be used to "treat" cancer, aids, IBS, fybromyalgia, and many other conditions, and only for $14.95.

http://www.healtone.com/english/Article.aspx?Item=808

And I am sure you will be aware of the thread on the RNID forum, coming to the conclusion that


ATTENTION GROUP: For the time being can we please treat this as a scam, simply designed to defraud us. It appears to fit the profile of all other 'healing sound waves" (notably Yale audio) that we have encountered on this board. On investigation these websites appear to offering nothing better than the mp3's you can download for free elsewhere. This site has the potential to be more sinister since they have healing files for cancer, AIDS !http://www.rnid.org.uk/community/forums/tinnitus/great_help_for_my_tinnitus_with_sound_frequencies/?pn=1

[Sem]

As I was saying, it's not a complete cure, but it's definitely not scam.

On the first day I thought it might be a placebo, but now I know it has a more into it. Actually it all connects a to brain attention. With white-noise I came to realize that the neutralizing factor is the prolonged SHSHSHSHSHSH that overrides the ringing. That draws the brain attention to a sound that is easier to listen to. The Healtone sounds however, do not create such an effect. Somehow these sounds are overriding the source that creates the ringing. I know that the way I describe it is odd, but this is exactly how I feel.

[Croydon Bob]

As I was saying, it's not a complete cure, but it's definitely not scam.

From the links that Bindeweede provided it certainly looks like Healtone is a scam.

It claims to treat cancer. Do you believe that?

[Matt]

Hi Sem, thanks for coming back and discussing.

This is a forum dedicated to the process of critical thinking. The examination of evidence for claims.

The evidence you've so far provided is a in category called anecdotal. It's an unreliable form of evidence.

Here's what we actually know.

Some people have tinnitus.

Some people with tinnitus experience the severity increase and decrease for various and often unknown reasons.

Certain audible tones exist which are sold for their claimed healing properties.

People buy and use these tones.

So we have two ways of categorising people.

I - Those who experience an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms.
~I - Those who don't
H - Those who buy and use healtones.
~H Those who don't

Using these two distinguishing feature we could divide the world up into four categories.

~I~H Don't experience any improvement in their tinnitus symptoms and don't use healtones
~IH Don't experience any improvement in their tinnitus symptoms despite using healtones.
I~H Experience an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms despite not using healtones.
IH Experience an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms and use healtones.

Whether healtones works or not we'd expect there to be people in all four categories.

Your anecdotal evidence merely tells uis that there's at least one person in group IH, you. However, like I said we'd expect to see that whether healtone's works or not. Remember sometimes tinnitus just reduces by itself.

But what do I know. I don't experience the pain and suffering of tinnitus. Who am I to say that the severity of symptoms just ebb and flow. You know your symptoms and you know that something unprecedented happened am I right?

Well that why it would be interesting to see just exactly how unprecedented it is. Not just in one person's experience but across the board of a large number of tinnitus sufferers.

If we look at the people who don't use healtones by looking at the ratio of I~H to ~I~H then we've got an idea of how many people simply feel better for various reason other than healtones - including unknown reasons or even no good reason at all.

If we then compared that to the ratio IH to ~IH that is the proportion of people who get better who do use healtones then we'd take a little step up the hierarchy of evidence.

You can see that this would be better evidence than just one person's testimony.

Your evidence suffers from a logical fallacy called post hoc ergo propter hoc. High fallutin' Latin for "It happened afterwards so therefore it happened because of."

What you seem to be saying to us is: "Your improvement in symptoms happened after using healtones therefore it happened because of using healtones." As you can see this fits the template of the post hoc fallacy.

In truth there may be many things that happened just before you experience an improvement in symptoms. You walked a certain way back from the library the first time, you stood behind the Widow Johnson in the post office queue for the first time. We focus on healtone because they make healing claims, but that’s rather circuitous logic

The sort of comparison I described above is an improvement over anecdotes but it still suffers from some similar flaws. One of these is regression to the mean.

Imagine as I say, symptoms ebbing and flowing. It tends to be when symptoms are at their worst that people try desperate measures. Also when symptoms are at their worst is when they can't get any worse. They can only get better.

Such a study as I described would be subject to this confounding problem. It could like like healtones was causing the improvement but really it was just people choosing to use it when their symptoms were peaking. We could try to correct for this problem but ideally what we'd do it try to remove it.

As such a more rigorous trial would be to have a groups of people and we'd decide who got to use healtone and who wouldn't. That would be a controlled trial one step up again.

Here the placebo effect raises it's ugly head and if you think that the placebo effect simply effect subjective reporting you'd be wrong. Suggestion alone can produces profound measurable physiological changes even including death.

So the next step up would be to give everyone tones, some would be healtones, others would just be random sounds. A blind test.

Except the placebo effect doesn't just work on suggestion but expectation too. If the people measuring dishing out the CD's know which one is supposed to work and which one isn't then this can affect the result. Also when the results are measured expectation can play a role. Furthermore when these measurements are statistically analysed, expectation can play a role there. At this stage we're looking at double and triple blind studies.

Then of course there's the allocation of test subjects into groups. You could if you chose put the hopeless cases in the control group and the promising cases in the group with healtones. Turns out your subconscious mind has ways of tricking you into doing this sort of thing without any conscious intention to cheat. So we have another step up the heirarchy of evidence a randomised controlled trial.

I've no idea weather healtones works for tinnitus or not. I've no idea whether, if it does work, it only works as a placebo of if there's a plausible mechanism for it's healing power.

Certainly claims that it can heal a wide range of ailments such as cancer and AIDS etc. positively scream SCAM! Do you believe these claims or is tinnitus all you're concerned about?

I'm not calling you a liar (nor for that matter discounting that shills might be dishonestly employed by scam artists) but even believing all the evidence from your story, I can't reach the same conclusion without better evidence.

[Sem]

I am not an augmentative person, yet I'm quite impressed by your deep analysis and the way you express yourself intellectually. I am sorry, but I do not have the ability to comply with complicated arguments.

I have no way to verify Healtone's overall validity of their sounds. But I can testify that the sounds for Tinnitus work and have real impact on me.

I respect your doubts and I am ready to accept the possibility that the improvement came as a result something different than the hesltone sounds, yet still my personal experience is that the improvement came as a result of these sounds.

[Pebble]

I am not an augmentative person, yet I'm quite impressed by your deep analysis and the way you express yourself intellectually. I am sorry, but I do not have the ability to comply with complicated arguments.

I have no way to verify Healtone's overall validity of their sounds. But I can testify that the sounds for Tinnitus work and have real impact on me.

I respect your doubts and I am ready to accept the possibility that the improvement came as a result something different than the hesltone sounds, yet still my personal experience is that the improvement came as a result of these sounds.

Small correction: you have observed that there is an association between your use of these sounds and a reduction in your suffering. That is different to saying one is the result of the other.

[Sem]

Small correction: you have observed that there is an association between your use of these sounds and a reduction in your suffering. That is different to saying one is the result of the other.

Well isn’t that kind of association the basis of any novice's ground to decide if any treatment works or not?

If I suffer from head cash and I take Aspirin and the pain goes away, I will probably ascribe it to the Aspirin, though it is possible to say exactly what you said:
“You have observed that there is an association between your use of the Aspirin and a reduction in your suffering.”
I do not have the means to scientifically examine the sounds for Tinnitus, but I see that after few days of using them, the ringing is subsiding. That did not happened before I was using the sounds. So my common sense conclusion is that there is a connection between the two occurrences and there is positive impact of the sounds on my Tinnitus. On the practical level that is all I care about.

[Pebble]

Well isn’t that kind of association the basis of any novice's ground to decide if any treatment works or not?

If I suffer from head cash and I take Aspirin and the pain goes away, I will probably ascribe it to the Aspirin, though it is possible to say exactly what you said:
“You have observed that there is an association between your use of the Aspirin and a reduction in your suffering.”
I do not have the means to scientifically examine the sounds for Tinnitus, but I see that after few days of using them, the ringing is subsiding. That did not happened before I was using the sounds. So my common sense conclusion is that there is a connection between the two occurrences and there is positive impact of the sounds on my Tinnitus. On the practical level that is all I care about.





Despite your previous protestations it is clear that you are argumentative if a clear statement of the obvious leads to this rather circular restatement of your original position.

[Mika]

Hey Tinnitus folk!

I want to show you how i have almost cured my tinnitus with my own therapy which is free for everyone!!!

My short story:
I am suffering from tinnitus for a year now and it killed me in the beginning. But with my own developed therapy its 70% better. I cannot promise you anything but i just want to help people like me (22years old) suffering from the same noise. So here it is:

Therapy:
1) Download/Buy Adobe Audition
2) Open and go to "Generate" and "Tones"
3) Step by step get closer to your tinnitus frequency. (Mine is very high at 15000hz like a tv high tone)
5) Make sure it is quiet!
4) Now start this training:
Over about 3 month every day try to sing/whizle/think the tones near to your personal tinnitus frequenzy up and down (best for me: third). Please make sure the volume is very low so your brain has really to listen closly!
6) After some time do that with some sound in the background like a mp3. sound of people in a Bar/Restaurant or classic music. Try again to hear out the tones near you frequency thourgh the background noises and most of all try to sing them!

Theory: Your damaged hearing-cells will do their real job again and the noise will be better and better thourgh that hearing training.

Remark:
I know it sound wired to sing along stupid tones near your tinnitus. But the effect is awesome and its a good training for your hearingsystem.
You should additionaly try alternative therapy like :
a) Read good informativ books about tinnitus so you will be less afraid about the orchestra in you.
b) Do sport twice a week.
c) Sauna (helped me a lot)
d) Enjoy life, go out with friends!
e) Avoid loud places like pubs, concerts, discos
f) If you go to those loud places make sure you have earpluggs and don't stay more then 4 houres once a week. (Was important for my type of Tinnitus because mine was probably caused by loud music --> a played in several rock bands in switzerland)
g) Laugh!
h) Listen to classic music you like (not doing anything but listening) and try to hear out the instruments.

I assume that you can cure your tinnitus like that without spending all the money the doctors spend. I have read a lot of books abouit tinnitus and i know that there is no cure but only individual therapies that help. Before you donate your money try to do what i recommended you.

If you have any questions you can mail me: [edit by JJ: actually, no you can't.]

I can not always answer everything so dont be made when it takes some time.

I have one last wish for you guys reading my article: Please copy it and paste it in every Tinnitus Forum you know, so that everyone can profit from this free home therapy. I have not enough time to do so, so please make this wish come trough and let the internet be a help for everyone who can not afford expensive therapies. Try it out and you will see it works!

Best wishes!
Mika!::)

[bindeweede]

Hey Tinnitus folk!

I want to show you how i have almost cured my tinnitus with my own therapy which is free for everyone!!!

I am glad you have almost cured your tinnitus. Can you explain how buying Adobe Audition 3 for £316.25 makes your therapy free? I do apologise if I have misunderstood, but having had tinnitus for 3 years, I do get a bit angry when people post cures.

https://store2.adobe.com/cfusion/store/index.cfm?store=OLS-UK&view=ols_prod&category=%2FApplications%2FAudition&distributionMethod=FULL&nr=0#category=/Applications/Audition&store=OLS-UK&loc=en_gb&view=ols_prod

[Trinoc]

I had a similar comment. Get Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) for free - it does everything you want.

The idea of treating tinnitus with sounds is not at all implausible, but it doesn't need to cost anything, either for software to generate sounds or for ready-made tapes or CDs.

[bindeweede]

For anyone with tinnitus, I came across this excellent site via the RNID Tinnitus forum. I got my Sennheisers out and tried all 9 pulses. No 8 is weird and 9 a bit uncomfortable. DO start at low volume and then adjust to what is comfortable.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any change to my tinnitus, but some people might find some benefit.

http://lets-beat-tinnitus.co.uk/blog/free-tinnitus-pulse-therapy/

[AudioTherapist]

Hi All,

It's taken me a while to get back to this forum but I'm glad I've made it, there's some really interesting posts.

Bindeweede, the resource you link to is suggesting the use of residual inhibition which has been discredited as a therapy for Tinnitus for many years. There is evidence to suggest that it can even lead to a worsening of Tinnitus due to central changes in Auditory gain.

There's a free Tinnitus management programme just started which people might well find useful. If you search for Clitheroe Therapies you'll find it.

I have also started a skeptical blog looking at the evidence base for purported Tinnitus treatments which has been audited positively by some of the most senior Tinnitus experts in the country. It's called BadTinnitus.net, I have so far covered Hopi Ear Candles, Low level Laser Therapy and an overview of .ritical thinking in healthcare.

Looking at both Sem and Mika's posts I can certainly see why they both may be deriving some benefit. Sem is probably getting simple sound enrichment effects, but Mika as he has arrived at his own solution also has the benefit of feeling very empowered and self-satisfied. It's easy to see how someone naive to the science may feel that there's something inherently healing in the sound waves if they are also experiencing some benefit.

I'd been very keen to hear from people thoughts about the BadTinnitus blog and maybe ideas for further treatments (such as Healtone) for me to cover in future posts,

Regards,

Tim

[polomint38]

Hi Tim,

There seems to be problem with my browser as the link to UK Skeptics (http://www.ukskeptics.com) doesn't seem to be showing up. :cheesy:

Also for some reason I seem to be getting a link to Jack of Kent (http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/), surely a mistake. ;D

Nice blog. O0

[bindeweede]

http://www.badtinnitus.net/

Tim,

I read the 4 main articles with interest.. And your experience with chiropractic will interest many others on this forum.

Good links also, with the obvious omission, as polomint suggested.

I'm looking forward to see how it develops.

[AudioTherapist]

Omission, what omission? (just finishing the upload now....)

Ok, you caught me. But it's on there now :-)

Thanks for the kind words. I'm hoping to persuade a number of my colleagues to contribute posts as time goes on.

Over the past few months I've become a complete convert to the skeptical world view and listen to far too many skeptical podcasts. I've even managed to get signed up to deliver a skeptical lecture at this years British Tinnitus Association conference on 3rd September which I'm really looking forward to.

Cheers,

Tim

[AudioTherapist]

Just a quick heads up. I've added a forum to the BadTinnitus site for patients and professionals to discuss the evidence base for all the treatments, woo or otherwise.

I felt this was a necessary move as debate is often inappropriate and unwelcome on support sites.

If anyone feels like a ghoulish giggle I suggest you have a look at the website of one Zephiloyd. This chap seems to feel that attaching a stereo to phono splitter and some speaker cable plugs to an overblown TENS machine then plugging it into his (and other peoples) ears is a jolly jape...

Tim

[sophiesmom]

Yes, I have.
I attended the very first support session in Colorado Springs, in 2005. It was a middle-aged man, and he held it at a school. I went to only one session.
I have screeching tinnitus in both ears, and would like to share what I've been doing to cope since I went to that group for help.
I have an Ipod that sits on a speaker near my bed. I fill it with ambient sounds; rain, ocean sounds, wind chimes, etc. I play it at night and it drowns out the tinnitus with more pleasant sounds. Most people use an Ipod with ear buds----however, you can go to apple.com and buy a speaker that the Ipod plugs into---and there you have it!
I attended that one and only meeting because the gentleman who hosted it was a very sad individual. He had suffered for 18 years, at that point, and admitted that he wanted to organize a meeting in the hopes that one of us had come up with an idea to diffuse the noises. Well....as of 6 months ago, I have used this treatment and it works very well for tinnitus sufferers. Itunes has many ambient sounds you can buy, and there are nature tapes at amazon.com.
I wanted to share this info with you.
Regards,
Susan

[bindeweede]

Just a quick heads up. I've added a forum to the BadTinnitus site for patients and professionals to discuss the evidence base for all the treatments, woo or otherwise.

I felt this was a necessary move as debate is often inappropriate and unwelcome on support sites.

If anyone feels like a ghoulish giggle I suggest you have a look at the website of one Zephiloyd. This chap seems to feel that attaching a stereo to phono splitter and some speaker cable plugs to an overblown TENS machine then plugging it into his (and other peoples) ears is a jolly jape...

Tim

Tim, via your site I came across a link to The Tinnitus E Programme.

http://www.tinnituseprogramme.org/AbouttheEProgramme.html

I have filled in the necessary questionnaires and have made a start. Just 2 days in, but I can't see how I would have anything to lose.

[polomint38]

@bindeweede

The good thing about tinnitus is it does drown out everything that I say to you ;D

[bindeweede]

I have heard people say that caffeine can make tinnitus worse. Well, it seems not to be the case.

Caffeine Abstinence: An Ineffective And Potentially Distressing Tinnitus Therapy




"This new paper reports on a detailed analysis of the effects of caffeine consumption, withdrawal, abstinence and the severity of tinnitus symptoms. It provides the first experimental evidence to challenge the theory that caffeine triggers or aggravates tinnitus."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/175881.php

[asthmatic camel]

A bit late to the party but, I've found that caffeine, alcohol and some antidepressants, Mirtazapine in particular, aggravate the condition considerably. Perhaps oddly, I find the gentle hum of a PC fan helpful.

[bindeweede]

I came across this on the Irish Tinnitus Association's site. At the moment, I find it very hard to believe.


About 85% of those who experience tinnitus do not find it intrusive, disturbing or anxiety provoking. The reason for this is not so much because the quality or loudness of the tinnitus is different; in fact we have found that tinnitus is a very similar sound in those who are bothered by it and those who are not. The main difference is that those who find tinnitus troublesome, perceive it as a threat, rather than something of little or no consequence. Just as the animal alerted to danger by the sound of a predator focuses solely on that sound in order to survive, so those who consider that tinnitus is a threat or warning signal are unable to do anything but listen to it. It is part of the mechanism that humans have developed for self preservation, although clearly in this situation it is not working to our advantage!But the rest of the article is very similar to what I have been reading in Week 3 of the Tinnitus E-Programme.

http://www.deafhear.ie/pages/1_11_5.html

[Tulpa]

Having looked at thisa one extensively and finding no satisfactory answers, I had a word with a psychiatrist colleague who told me that there is a wealth of research that suggests the link betweeen tinnitus and voice hearing may be significant. The processes that interfere between right and left hemispheres of the cortex may be similarly disrupted resulting in one half of the brain interpreting the other half's stimulus as external. If anyone's interested, I could dig out the references?

[polomint38]

Having looked at thisa one extensively and finding no satisfactory answers, I had a word with a psychiatrist colleague who told me that there is a wealth of research that suggests the link betweeen tinnitus and voice hearing may be significant. The processes that interfere between right and left hemispheres of the cortex may be similarly disrupted resulting in one half of the brain interpreting the other half's stimulus as external. If anyone's interested, I could dig out the references?

References are a default on this forum, if you have them, show them O0

[Tulpa]

Ok.. of course sorry. :undecided:

This for a start..
Reorganization of auditory cortex in tinnitus



Werner Mühlnickel (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Werner+M%C3%BChlnickel&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)* (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),
Thomas Elbert (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Thomas+Elbert&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)† (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),
Edward Taub (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Edward+Taub&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)‡ (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1), and
Herta Flor (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Herta+Flor&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)* (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),§ (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#fn-1)

But I will check back with my colleague for his paper on the subject. It was interesting stuff!

[bindeweede]

Ok.. of course sorry. :undecided:

This for a start..
Reorganization of auditory cortex in tinnitus



Werner Mühlnickel (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Werner+M%C3%BChlnickel&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)* (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),
Thomas Elbert (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Thomas+Elbert&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)† (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),
Edward Taub (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Edward+Taub&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)‡ (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1), and
Herta Flor (http://www.pnas.org/search?author1=Herta+Flor&sortspec=date&submit=Submit)* (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#aff-1),§ (http://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10340.full#fn-1)

But I will check back with my colleague for his paper on the subject. It was interesting stuff!

I realise it is unreasonable, but is there any chance you could give a really brief summary, and suggest what folks could do to try to minimise tinnitus noises?

[Mr.Smoketoomuch]

Iv'e had tinnitus since about 1974. It may have started when I had some molars out, or most probably 5 Led Zeppelin concerts that could've been heard on the moon.

Right ear is a low buzzing, left ear a high sustained whistle, most of the time I can ignore it but sometimes, as like last night when I was trying to watch "New Tricks", its' a bloody nuisance.

One phenomenonon I have noticed is that I can hear conversations behind me, and slight noises accross the room, but if someone is standing right in front of me, I have to sort of lip-read to get what they'm saying.

I've always thought that it may account for people hearing voice's in their heads, as I often get random noises intruding, which can sound very much like words.
One particular bit of the prelude in Gotterdammerung always triggers the same anomolous sounds, viz.
Auf deines Rosses rucken,
In deines Schildes schirm,
You're wanted on the phone,
Als Siegfried acht ich nicht mehr...
I guess that really happened sometime, and every time I hear that particular piece, my brain interprets it to sound like someone calling me.

Chers, and as my Nan said, "Mind the 'orse-road".

[bindeweede]

Appointment at Addenbrooke's resulted in referral to Dr David Baguley. It will take a few weeks, no doubt, but an excellent outcome.

http://www.cuh.org.uk/addenbrookes/news/2008/september/national_prize.html

[bindeweede]

Appointment at Addenbrooke's resulted in referral to Dr David Baguley. It will take a few weeks, no doubt, but an excellent outcome.

http://www.cuh.org.uk/addenbrookes/news/2008/september/national_prize.html

I really was hoping that they weren't going to use the dreaded words "hearing aid". But they did, and have recommended a certain type for my high-end hearing loss.

Bugger.

But they did give me a device that makes soothing sounds that I can listen to late at night - sounds other than Radio 4/BBC World Service.

http://www.sound-oasis.com/products/sound_therapy_systems/sound_system_S56002.php

[diogop]

Myth: Tinnitus is a symptom of a serious illness.
While tinnitus has a range of about 15 possible causes, this is largely not the case. If you experience symptoms of tinnitus it’s very important to get a checkup, since your doctor can refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), who can confirm tinnitus for you, and help you narrow down its possible causes.

[bindeweede]

How odd. 2am, and my tinnitus has almost disappeared. Just a very slight hissing in the left ear. Not aware of having done anything in particular - apart from a drop of Bells - virtually no noise.

Of course, it won't last.

But here's hoping.

[DrS]

Well it would be irresponsible to give up on the Bells now that it seems to have had an effect ... ;)

Hope it stays away, BW, it must be dreadful. :-[

[bindeweede]

Well it would be irresponsible to give up on the Bells now that it seems to have had an effect ... ;)

Hope it stays away, BW, it must be dreadful. :-[

DrS, As I expected, it is back to normal today. The same happened one night in February. When I started a Tinnitus Management course earlier in the year, I scored 44/100 in a questionnaire on how the T effects everyday life, putting me in the "Moderate Tinnitus" category. When I'd finished the course, my score was 12! - so I'd improved coping skills. They call it "habituation" - i.e. just getting used to it.

Mine isn't as bad as some people's - just an irritation most of the time. And thinking positively, I could have a lot worse to cope with.

[Viking]

I've had Tinnitus for over 40 years. In my case, the cause is only too obvious. I had Measles very badly when I was a child and had the common complaint of earache quite often. At that time it was not usual to see a doctor for such a complaint. You just put warm olive oil in your ear and hoped for the best. It was only when I reached my early 20's that the real problems began. Seemingly the infection had taken root and I ended up with an abscess in my middle ear. It burst and destroyed the eardrum and the nerve. That was when my Tinnitus began. I had to take tranquilisers for a few months to be able to cope with it. For years now I've had the noises in both ears. They range from a moaning wind in low frequency through various engine sounds right up to the hissing jet plane sound which is the most noticeable. They say you can get used to anything and I hardly notice them now. The biggest help to me is my tiny hearing aid. Not only does it allow me to communicate with others but it also lessens the head noises because it increases external sounds. I didn't intend to be so long-winded but it's better to have Tinnitus than to be totally deaf. There is no cure, but acceptance goes a long way to making the condition bearable and this will come only through time.

[asydhouse]

I gave myself tinnitus nearly two years ago now, through a mishap with an iPod... no point going into exactly what happened, suffice to say a screechy bit of music at max volume for a few minutes (ok I was riding a bicycle in rain with layers of raincoat etc and no way to reach the iPod controls underneath clothing, forgot to lock it volume went to max, kept riding all the way to work with headphones inside helmet-and-cloth headcap) made my ears hurt, and never stopped ringing... at first I was appalled at what I'd done (after being so careful up until then!) but knew had to learn to ignore... very hard to do! At least the noises were interesting, not just a single tone, but very complex and shifting layers of noise with windows opening in louder noises to hear quieter ones roiling underneath... strangely, I noticed that my hearing was really sensitive to sounds that seemed quieter than my tinnitus, but were at different frequencies... which was encouraging to me, as it meant I wasn't actually deafened by the roaring... I too had moments (only a couple) where it seemed to clear up... but always came back soon after. (One time I took ecstacy, and the tinnitus disappeared for 4 hours while I was high, but music was playing, so I don't know how completely it went).

Anyway, I want to report that it slowly shifted to higher frequencies and died down in volume a bit, so that nowadays I forget about it most of the time, and when I do notice it is a gentle hiss, almost restful... so I tell myself! Not stressing over it is very important, just so you don't go mad! I am hoping stem cell research may provide a cure before I die, so that helps psychologically. If anyone else reading this has recently got tinnitus, all I can say is it might improve over the next few months, if you protect your ears (I hardly ever use my iPod now, and not for long, and obviously at well-controlled volume... in fact I have changed the focus of my leisure time to visual things, and got into making movies/animation instead of playing with noises on the computer. And many less hours of music every week... had to change my love! But luckily my understanding wife is still with me!)

So, try to be nice to yourself, try to distract yourself from it... wear dj earplugs if you go to a gig!... and it may fade a little bit over time... plus you can just get so familiar with it you stop hearing it... if you are lucky like I have been! It is possible you will be much better in a few months or a year or two! O0

[Viking]

What you have said about not noticing it so much as you used to do is exactly what I find as well but, if there is the slightest change in the sounds, I hear it right away. Fortunately that hasn't happened for a very long time.

[asydhouse]

Yes Viking, changes draw your attention... I suppose I do notice it several times a day, but it is not so demanding as it was, and the contrast to how it was for the first few weeks (and months... it took me quite a while to really back off from exposing myself to too much noise... especially music, which I used to listen to at every opportunity) means that I am not bothered.

What is a real pain is that even though I am okay with it, the moment you try to listen to music the tinnitus comes right up to the fore... and since it is the production, ie the quality of the space in which the music occurs, which was my main interest in the music, my area of interest is totally polluted... which was almost heart-wrenching, but I do have other interests, (and I am adept at losing things I love!), so I just moved on to other things... I make it sound so easy! But that's what has to be done... find another way to lose yourself! (I mean immerse yourself).:tornado: ;)