Websites, Blogs and Forums for Tinnitus Sufferers and the Hearing-Impaired
Tinnitus ringing in the ears can drive anybody mad. Constant buzzing, shrieking, whooshing, or siren noises that nobody else can hear make it difficult to focus, relax, enjoy music, hear others or get any sleep at night. Tinnitus and hearing loss are both hearing disorders that often come as a pair, but not exclusively. Tinnitus symptoms may vary in frequency, pitch, volume and duration. Tinnitus sufferers experience symptoms in either one ear or both ears at the same time.
Tinnitus causes are:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Gradual inner ear damage caused by loud noises
- Chronic ear infections
- Drug interactions
- Meniere’s disease
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
This Tinnitus Awareness Week, Learn how to Cope with Tinnitus Symptoms
Below is a handy set of links to over 40 websites and blogs to help patients of tinnitus or hearing loss. They provide useful tips, resources, forums, support groups, and hearing-related product information. (* The starred titles are “Must See” favorites.)
Forums:
*Daily Strength Tinnitus Support Group Over 114 pages of forum topics related to tinnitus. Daily Strength is a wonderful resource for all health-related information.
Naked Scientists Discussion Forum Don’t be put off by the title. This forum is one of many interesting and unique science topics covered on this site.
Blogs:
The Healing Music Organization Read about “phantom” tinnitus noises.
Hearing Exchange This blog by Paula Rosenthal is no longer updated, but it has lots of great blog posts and links that are aimed at helping young adults with hearing loss. Worth the look.
I Love Ellie Sweet blog written by the mom of a hearing-impaired girl.
Linda’s Helps for the Hard of Hearing Tips about dealing with cochlear implants from a patient’s perspective.
*Lipreading Mom Shanna Groves manages this inspiring blog about deaf motherhood, hearing aids, and deaf rights.
*SayWhatClub More than a blog, it’s really a global forum for the hearing impaired, chock-full of blog articles, resources and links.
Associations:
Action on Hearing Loss (UK) Lots of helpful tools for British citizens who suffer from hearing loss.
*American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) ASHA is an organization that focuses on raising awareness of communication rights for the hearing impaired.
**American Tinnitus Association (ATA) The American Tinnitus Association just celebrated their 40th anniversary, and for good reason. They are the leading resource on the web for tinnitus information, services and medical support.
Australian Tinnitus Association
*British Tinnitus Association Excellence resource for tinnitus sufferers who require services in the UK.
Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning
Euro Tinnitus Association (English site)
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) The HLAA is a website devoted to helping the hearing-impaired find support.
International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH)
Tinnitus Association of Canada
Helpful Sites:
ABILITY Jobs Ability aids disabled individuals in finding employment.
Acoustic Simulations Listen to a simulation of music through cochlear implants, in addition to other samples.
*Captionfish Locate movie theaters and blockbusters in your area that provide captioning for the hearing-impaired.
Handspeak Informative site for individuals wishing to learn American sign language.
*Hear It Hear-it has a wide selection of newsworthy articles related to tinnitus and hearing loss.
Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (H.E.A.R.)
*Listen Up Excellent landing base for hearing loss information, including hundreds of links, articles and resources.
Medline Plus Interactive Health Tutorial on Tinnitus The National Library of Medicine site features this virtual lesson on tinnitus.
Microsoft Guide for Individuals with Hearing Impairments Learn how to access hearing-impaired functional tools from Windows 7, Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 8, and Microsoft Office 10.
New York Times Health Guide: Tinnitus
Useful Services, Products and Gear:
Ability Hub Ability hub displays assistive technology devices for the disabled.
Cochlear Cochlear is the world leader in advanced hearing solutions website, including nucleus cochlear implants and the BAHA system.
*Dogs for the Deaf “Dogs for the Deaf” rescues dogs from animal shelters and trains them to aid deaf and autistic individuals.
Healthy Hearing Healthy Hearing is an inclusive site for information about buying hearing aids for tinnitus or hearing loss.
Hearing Pocket Hearing Pockets are comfortable alternatives to traditional cochlear implant harnessing for children. The 100% cotton shirts and onesies have a convenient pouch for storing cochlear implant devices.
Kidlfyx Kreations Creator of custom designed accessories for bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs), including a sporty baseball cap and sweet headband. They also have a cute selection of earbud covers.
SleepPhones SleepPhones are soft headphones that are comfortable enough to wear to sleep and plug into any mp3 device. Excellent for accessing white noise tinnitus therapy, the fleece headbands are nonirritating and double as a sleeping mask.
Sound Oasis White noise is an effective therapy for hushing the annoying symptoms of tinnitus. Sound Oasis sells a variety of therapy systems for utilizing environmental background noise in curing tinnitus. White Noise Sound Machines- The 5 Best Reviewed by Customers
Tinnitus: Questions and Answers, Jack A. Vernon (Amazon Books) Frequently asked questions about tinnitus written by the author of “Tinnitus Today” magazine and founder of the Tinnitus Clinic.
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Tinnitus and hearing loss are on the rise, and researchers are attempting to prove that stress is one cause of partial deafness, high to low frequency hearing loss and tinnitus.
Scientists agree that many of the symptoms of tinnitus, the characteristic buzzing or high pitch ringing noise in the ears, are often age-related or a result of overexposure to dangerously high noise decibels. New research has been presented that secondhand smoke (passive smoking) might also be a cause for tinnitus, hearing loss and ear infections among children. Scientists concede that half of all cases of hearing impairment are preventable.
Another theory which some scientists believe is that stress, the common denominator in all illness, might also play a factor in causing hearing loss and tinnitus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a report stating that 80% of all individuals who have a hearing impairment live in low-income to middle-income living areas in developing countries. Researchers conducted a study to prove a link between stress levels in less affluent countries and escalating cases of hearing-related disorders such as tinnitus.
- Researchers in Sweden conducted a 120-question survey designed to determine the impact of stress on one’s health.
- Participants answered questions about their physical and psychosocial work environment, home environment, physical health and mental health.
- Participants were also questioned about the symptoms of tinnitus, such as continuous ringing in the ears, and their ability to hear and carry out conversations.
- Scientists found a direct correlation between stress and hearing ability; the participants who suffered the most stress were more likely to become ill, have difficulty sleeping and suffer hearing-related illnesses such as partial deafness and tinnitus.
- Women were just as likely to suffer from stress-induced hearing loss as men.
- Scientists also noted a direct correlation between high stress and lower tolerance to infections, another possible cause of tinnitus.
Read Finding Tranquility with Tinnitus: Relax the Mind
If you think you might be suffering from tinnitus or any other hearing impairment, a visit to an audiologist or ENT is necessary in order to prevent any further damage.
For more information about preventing tinnitus and hearing loss, read:
Gear Up to Prevent Hearing Loss: Five Things you Should Buy Now
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