Tinnitus - Anything New In Asia?

[hermespan]

I won't bore you with my medical details. All the medical professionals I talk to want me to mange it, cover it up, put on a happy face about what sent Hemmingway for his shotgun. Well, when I have a wound on my limb I want to HEAL it, not ignore it or 'deal with it'.

So, does any member of this forum, who has long-term tinnitus or has some sort of inside knowledge of these matters that just haven't yet been approved by the secret cabal of government medical doctors wanting to make us all dependent on chemicals (;-)) know of a specialist, witch doctor, kabbalarian Anthroposophist cranial massage therapist voodist, or dispenser of expensive addictive drugs with horrible side-effects, who has some success substantially reducing moderate to severe tinnitus?

I saw an ENT in Malaysia and nothing much came of it. I read of all sorts of promising cutting edge technologies and research announced with much fanfare in the newspapers and internet. Then after a year or two... zero. They disappear. You never see headlines 'By the way, that theory/drug/surgery/ device/therapy much touted by the otoneurologists of Zambia - it was an expensive waste of time. The other one promoted by herbalists of Uzbekistan turned people into frogs with epilepsy.'

I am willing to travel to anywhere in the world, pay up to $25,000 and dress up like a bunny rabbit and eat only chocolate scones for the rest of my life. If it works. To me 'works' means a 30-80% reduction.

I'm freaking out because over 10 years it has gotten worse with every brain injury, ear infection, and now fire alarm bell from hell. Trying to figure out how to invest your life savings and be surrounded by nubile triplets seem like small challenges compared to having an electric brain on fire.

[Nigelmartin]

There an article in the daily mail (uk) today on a new device.

[canuckamuck]

Had it as long as I can remember, I thought it was normal to have ringing in the ears. Than last year I heard it had a name and not everybody has it. I would also like to see some news on this front. All I have heard is that taking magnesium might reduce it. For me it didn't.

[Sheryl]

Sadly, no. Nothing new AFAIK anywhere in the world.

[wpcoe]

This was just published this past week in Scientific American. I hope we will be hearing more about it. I've dealt with tinnitis for so long that I can't recall when it started.

My greatest hope has been for research where they identify the frequency of the ringing and then target a counter-frequency to cancel/silence it, but haven't heard much about that strategy either.

[Naam]

This was just published this past week in Scientific American. I hope we will be hearing more about it. I've dealt with tinnitis for so long that I can't recall when it started.

My greatest hope has been for research where they identify the frequency of the ringing and then target a counter-frequency to cancel/silence it, but haven't heard much about that strategy either.

that's done since quite some years, by a "white noise" generator available either combined with a hearing aid or just the generator. old friend of mine wears one after a bad ear infection but has still problems 30% of the time as the frequency changes once in a while.

i suffer since 15 years from Tinnitus in one ear but learned years ago in three sessions autogenic training, each lasting one hour, (by a travelling Nepalese "guru monk" in Switzerland) to mentally suppress (actually ignore) it. suppression does not work always and the severity depends on my state of mind as well as the noise level in whatever ambience i am.

[bdenner]

Don't hold your breath waiting for any sort of scientific/medical relief. I firmly believe it will be 'mind over matter' into the foreseeable future as has been over the past 10 years, in my case.

My ears are screaming to the roof tops now just writing this! Time to move on to another topic.

[necronx99]

Don't hold your breath waiting for any sort of scientific/medical relief. I firmly believe it will be 'mind over matter' into the foreseeable future as has been over the past 10 years, in my case.

My ears are screaming to the roof tops now just writing this! Time to move on to another topic.

Thanks for reminding me. There's 35 yrs of mental block flushed down the loo.

[wpcoe]

This was just published this past week in Scientific American. I hope we will be hearing more about it. I've dealt with tinnitis for so long that I can't recall when it started.

My greatest hope has been for research where they identify the frequency of the ringing and then target a counter-frequency to cancel/silence it, but haven't heard much about that strategy either.

that's done since quite some years, by a "white noise" generator available either combined with a hearing aid or just the generator. old friend of mine wears one after a bad ear infection but has still problems 30% of the time as the frequency changes once in a while.

Maybe I should check on that again. It's probably been 10-15 years since I was most curious about it. I thought the "white noise" solutions were more general things like using "ambient 747 cabin noise" type of recordings, which of course obliterate a lot of ambient noise as well.

What I recall reading (don't remember when or where) was some implanted or inserted device that would somehow monitor the frequency of the tinnitus ringing and then generate the opposite sine wave to counteract it. The problem at the time I read it was developing an accurate measuring device.

And, yes, when reading these tinnitus threads the ringing is most prominent!

[Naam]

What I recall reading (don't remember when or where) was some implanted or inserted device that would somehow monitor the frequency of the tinnitus ringing and then generate the opposite sine wave to counteract it. The problem at the time I read it was developing an accurate measuring device.

the problem is that there is no way to measure tinnitus frequencies because physically they do not exist. they are generated by and only exist in some of our gray cells. determination of the frequency and selection of the cancelling white noise can only be done by the "patient".

[ravip]

I found some sites advertising some 'home remedies'.

Have a look and see if any of them are worth trying out.

Of course before taking anything, always discuss with your doctor.

http://www.homemademedicine.com/home-remedies-tinnitus.html

http://www.ringinginearstreatment.com/tinnitus-home-remedies/

http://dremilykane.com/2002/05/10/top-five-remedies-for-tinnitus/

http://www.gethelpfortinnitus.com/natural-remedies-for-tinnitus/

http://www.cure-for-tinnitus.org/

[soloman]

I heard that going to a Chiropractor may help. All that it did was put a big dent in my pocket. Like a lot of people, it is mostly when the subject comes up that it bothers me. If the quiet of night gets to you, there are noise making devices that you can put next to your bed and dial up a sound. eg white noise, rain, waterfall etc. I get regular mail from a tinnitus mob but I have not read of any advances in treatment. The only way that I cope is to try to forget about it. The more that I think about it, search for information on it etc. the more that it gets to me.

[canuckamuck]

So true Soloman

[yannic]

not sure why no one of you has tried acupuncture? The best and cheapest place is in ChinaTown, the HuaChiew Hospital, they have great Chinese doctors and the treatment is extremly affordable with around 15 USD per session.

http://www.huachiewhospital.com/contact_1.htm

[canuckamuck]

not sure why no one of you has tried acupuncture? The best and cheapest place is in ChinaTown, the HuaChiew Hospital, they have great Chinese doctors and the treatment is extremly affordable with around 15 USD per session.

http://www.huachiewh...m/contact_1.htm

Do you have a testimonial to go along with that? I am sure they have great doctors, but has anyone been cured or had the tinitus decreased?

[TruthEyes]

Very sorry about your condition there hermespan, must be so frustrating for you.

A colleague of mine also has tinnitus and has had no success in finding an effective treatment.

Fingers crossed

[yannic]

not sure why no one of you has tried acupuncture? The best and cheapest place is in ChinaTown, the HuaChiew Hospital, they have great Chinese doctors and the treatment is extremly affordable with around 15 USD per session.

http://www.huachiewh...m/contact_1.htm

Do you have a testimonial to go along with that? I am sure they have great doctors, but has anyone been cured or had the tinitus decreased?

why don't you go and try, you don't loose much but you can gain a lot...

[Tolley]

I suggest you google acupuncture and tinnitus. There is a lot of information there. The good thing about this approach is that it is non invasive so the worst that can happen is nothing reallly.

If i had it i would definitely give it a go.

[yannic]

1. 
   

   Acupuncture

   
   Several controlled studies have shown acupuncture to improve tinnitus; just as many claim no benefit from acupuncture. Choose a licensed acupuncturist who has studied in China or Japan as part of their clinical training. Generally an MD acupuncturist has much less training. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) distinguishes chronic or intermittent tinnitus from an acute, or sudden onset. The chronic form usually presents with a low, buzzing sound and is associated with general weakness, and thought to be a “deficiency” condition. Thus, “tonifying” is indicated. The sudden onset tinnitus is thought to be due to “excess” and the ringing is low, like screaming or thunder, and is not relieved by pressure on the ear. This presentation is treated by removing the “obstruction” in the channels (meridians) around the ears. A basic acupuncture prescription for tinnitus, which may take 10 to 15 sessions for improvement, is San Jao 3 and 17, Gallbladder 2 and 43, with Kidney 3 and 6 for the chronic type. Scalp or ear points are also useful. TCM has been around for many centuries; acupuncture often works, and it doesn’t hurt.

   
   

[canuckamuck]

Thanks for the info. I will consider it.

[impulse]

I suggest you google acupuncture and tinnitus. There is a lot of information there. The good thing about this approach is that it is non invasive so the worst that can happen is nothing reallly.

If i had it i would definitely give it a go.

I'm intrigued by the idea of acupuncture, but I have always wondered about the hygiene standards for needles that are going to be used. Do they use new needles each time, or sterilize and reuse? If they do use new needles, how good is the sanitary packaging? If they sterilize and reuse, how reliable is that process.

I'd hate to go in for tinnitus and come out with something worse...

[Pormax]

Not that it vhelps but I symphasise with anyone having sever tinnitus.

Many moons ago after qualifying as a trained audiometric technician in both the army and NHS and later becoming a teacher in the army for audiology I was bought out of the army to work for a company who had at the time a new revolutionary Hearing Aid. I was the Dispenser training Manager and my main job was to teach all other private Hearing Aid Dispensers in the UK how to use the new technology. But part of my job description was to work on research and development. One thing we did a lot of work on was Tinnitus. This was really only for the very severe cases that were being driven mad to the point of suicide.

First of all Tinnitus is a noise that comes from the inner ear, the Cochlea, where there are many hair cells that move around in fluid which then give out an electrical impulse later deciphered into sound waves. There has never been and I believe never will be a cure for Tinnitus as we cannot get into the actual inner ear to see what is happening. To open up the inner ear means that the fluid is lost and the function of the ear ceases.. Sometimes the sounds can be suppressed marginally but nothing to date has made it go away completely and forever.Billions of GBP/Dollars have been invested in research for decades and still no actual answers as to what is the cause or successful treatment. There are so many theories as to the causes of tinnitus, and I have mine, but nothing as yet, to my knowledge,100% proven.

When I worked for this company we had a machine that not only could give out single tones, white noise at differing frequencies but other sounds like bees buzzing, noise from a passing train, whistles etc. There was hundreds of sounds with varying frequencies. Anyway the idea was that the person would sit in front of you with headphones and one would try and match the sound of the tinnitus. If this was achieved or when it was as near as one could get, the sound was then recorded onto a cassette (no CD's then) and this was then given for the person to play on a personal walkman. The idea was that not that it would diminish the noise in the head but that one did have some control over the level of noises heard. In a way it worked like a Hearing Aid masker but on a grander scale and more tuned to the individuals needs.

The main problem with Tinnitus, when it is there, it is constant and can drive you mad and there is nothing you can do to make it go away. The walkman idea was a partial success for the most critical cases. But not the answer most sufferers are looking for

I hope that for those whose quality of life is affected by this condition that someone, somewhere will find a cure or treatment.

[wpcoe]

Anyway the idea was that the person would sit in front of you with headphones and one would try and match the sound of the tinnitus. If this was achieved or when it was as near as one could get, the sound was then recorded onto a cassette (no CD's then) and this was then given for the person to play on a personal walkman. The idea was that not that it would diminish the noise in the head but that one did have some control over the level of noises heard. In a way it worked like a Hearing Aid masker but on a grander scale and more tuned to the individuals needs.

As a tinnitus endurer for decades, I'm very interested whenever I hear about possible treatments. I've accepted that there probably won't be a "cure" during my lifetime, but if there is a way to lessen the ringing, I'm all ears, so to speak.

I'm not clear what your "walkman therapy" did. After sitting with the headphones to match the tinnitus sound, did the cassette you made have the reverse sine-wave of the frequency? If not, what did you record on that cassette?

One thing about long-term tinnitus, in my case at least, is that with time it becomes somewhat easy to ignore. The main time I'm aware of the ringing is when discussions such as this pop up, and I suddenly remember I have tinnitus. However, the real problem is that the ringing, whether I consciously hear it or not, masks a significant amount of frequencies of noise. In particular, I have difficulty hearing certain voice types.

[Pormax]

Anyway the idea was that the person would sit in front of you with headphones and one would try and match the sound of the tinnitus. If this was achieved or when it was as near as one could get, the sound was then recorded onto a cassette (no CD's then) and this was then given for the person to play on a personal walkman. The idea was that not that it would diminish the noise in the head but that one did have some control over the level of noises heard. In a way it worked like a Hearing Aid masker but on a grander scale and more tuned to the individuals needs.

As a tinnitus endurer for decades, I'm very interested whenever I hear about possible treatments. I've accepted that there probably won't be a "cure" during my lifetime, but if there is a way to lessen the ringing, I'm all ears, so to speak.

I'm not clear what your "walkman therapy" did. After sitting with the headphones to match the tinnitus sound, did the cassette you made have the reverse sine-wave of the frequency? If not, what did you record on that cassette?

One thing about long-term tinnitus, in my case at least, is that with time it becomes somewhat easy to ignore. The main time I'm aware of the ringing is when discussions such as this pop up, and I suddenly remember I have tinnitus. However, the real problem is that the ringing, whether I consciously hear it or not, masks a significant amount of frequencies of noise. In particular, I have difficulty hearing certain voice types.

Hi 'wpcoe'.

No the noises/sounds on the cassette were not the reverse sine wave of the frequencies of what one was subjected to by their tinnitus. The noise was matched as near as we could get to the actual sound one was hearing from their tinnitus. It was not always a single frquency but in many cases a multide of frequencies, sometimes it took many one hour sessions to achieve a similarity to the noises that the patient thought best for him. As I said this was for the suicidal cases (one could call severely acute) who could get no relief from a 24/7 extremely severe tinnitus. The actual idea thought up , at the time by an eminent ENT Consultant called Proffessor Hazel was that if the patient could alter the volume of sound and the sounds recorded acted partially as a masker then it would give a little relief. Maybe a little bit of phsycology there as well. As I said we had some success with this but not as much as we had hoped. But there again one thing does not suit everyone.

Thankfully though you have this horrible condition, which few, if they have not had tinnitus understand, you have learnt to tune it out or ignore except when people like me bring the subject up. My apologies for doing that.

As part of our training to try and understand what tinnitus sufferers have to go through we had to wear a special adapted Hearing Aid with just a single high piched frequency with non adjustable volume. We were supposed to wear the device for one hour. I believe the longest of the class of 8 managed was 20 minutes. It was horrendous and I have little doubt what discomfort we had to put up with was nothing compared to the most acute cases.

The possibility of a cure being found I feel is highly improbable. Even the most qualified, experienced Consultants and Audiologists can't agree the actual cause. Many theories. Until a cast iron reason can be found it cannot be effectively treated or cured. Its like that dreaded knocking in the car which you can't locate so can't fix. I am no longer in the field of Audiology having retired 5 years ago. There have been many ideas of how to reduce the level of tinnitus with drugs etc but to my knowledge nothing was or has been a real success.

Keep your fingers crossed, research continues all the time and mabe a breakthrough will happen in your life time.

Sorry I can't be of any help.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Pormax

[wpcoe]

Thanks for the explanation. I understand you were dealing with *extreme* cases, but was hoping for a glimmer of hope. Oh, well. I'm not so much frustrated by the constant ringing, as annoyed that it's masking other sounds, like voices. I'm not sure how long I've had it -- maybe 20 to 30 years? -- but I don't think it has gotten any worse in the past 10 years.

[wpcoe]

Thinking way outside the box, I wonder if this -- http://www.tomshardw...ower,19012.html -- may have tinnitus ramifications? If there is a way to safely embed electronic sensors in the inner ear, perhaps research can be done to identify and address the impulses that cause the ringing?

[newarrior]

Had tinnitus and hearing loss since 1996--both conditions are getting worse and worse--along with soi dogs loud noise and my inability to do most night related things are the 2 main reasons I DON"T move to Thailand.,,,,..too sad :-(

[machesta]

I have found that Bioflavonoids work, and this is the active ingredient in those Tinnitus pills.