Amazon.com’s Best Books for Tinnitus Hearing Loss Relief
Tinnitus hearing loss causes constant, irritating ringing in the ears, and ear pain. There is no cure for tinnitus, but some therapies may ease the symptoms.
There is no “one” cure for tinnitus
The internet abounds with sites promising to deliver the magic cure you’ve been searching for- the secret to weight loss, an end to chronic pain, the magical fountain of youth, and of course, a guaranteed cure for the annoying symptoms of tinnitus that plague your waking…and sleeping…hours. The problem is, there is no one universal cure. Because the causes of tinnitus are diverse. They are:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Chronic ear infections
- Punctured eardrums
- Drug interactions
- Listening to music on your iPod with the volume set too high
- Working in a construction area
- Being near an explosion
- Cranial deformity
Remedies, we have a few
There might not be a permanent cure to end tinnitus, but many therapies, treatments, and nutritional supplements alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus, including:
- Tinnitus retraining therapy
- White noise
- Hypnosis
- Herbal and nutritional supplements, including Gingko Biloba, black cohosh, and CoQ10.
Here are 10 popular books on Amazon.com that will help you find relief from tinnitus:
1- Dizziness, Hearing Loss, and Tinnitus
2-Tinnitus, Turning the Volume Down: Proven Strategies for Quieting the Noise in Your Head
3-The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus
4-The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss and Hearing AIDS: A Bridge to Healing
5- Tinnitus: Questions and Answers
6- Help! I’m Losing My Hearing-What Do I Do Now?: A Basic Guide to Hearing Loss (and Other Ear Problems)
, by Neil G. Bauman, $47.60
7- Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music & Other Spooky Sounds: Musical Ear Syndrome
8- Save Your Hearing Now: The Revolutionary Program That Can Prevent and May Even Reverse Hearing Loss
9- Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms…How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective
10- Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model
Also read:
Finding Tranquility with Tinnitus, Part II: Homeopathy
Amazon.com’s Top 5 Best Selling Phones for the Hearing Impaired
A start-up of Ohio University is working on a new treatment for tinnitus symptoms; the device, similar to an iPod, will be a giant leap towards ending the constant ringing in the ears which tinnitus sufferers have to endure, according to many reports.
Sanuthera, Inc. is developing an MP3 device which includes a wireless pair of ear buds. Similar to other tinnitus maskers, this iPod-like device will allow tinnitus patients to program their own playlist of background environmental sounds which effectively block out the irritating buzzing, hissing or ringing noises characteristic of chronic tinnitus. Patients who wish to use this tinnitus retraining therapy will also receive counseling to help them learn how to focus on the white noise emitted from the wireless device and eventually train themselves to ignore the tinnitus ear ringing.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
How will this Sanuthera device differ from other tinnitus masking devices?
“Unlike many other tinnitus devices on the market, our sounds are not generated by the device, but stored on the device,” explains Sanuthera CEO Jeff DiGiovanni. Also, this device will also double as a hearing aid, making it a good option for people who suffer hearing loss and tinnitus. Sanuthera received $337,000 funding from TechGROWTH Ohio (TGO) towards development of a prototype of this tinnitus miracle cure.
DiGiovanni is hopeful that marketing for the tinnitus device will begin within a year.
What are the symptoms of tinnitus?
About 50 million Americans have experienced some form of tinnitus. Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a condition in which sufferers hear an ongoing noise in one or both ears that is not relevant to any existing noise in the environment; only the tinnitus patient can hear the noise, which is usually described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, clicking, roaring, chirping or screaming. Tinnitus symptoms can be restricted to one ear, both ears at the same time, or may alternate between sides. The severity, pitch, volume and frequency of tinnitus symptoms vary according to the level of inner ear damage or In some cases tinnitus symptoms come and go, and in other situations the tinnitus noises are constant, often waking the chronic tinnitus sufferer in the middle of the night. Tinnitus sufferers often go through bouts of depression and anxiety as a result of loss of sleep and desperation at the lack of any long-term cure for tinnitus.
Tinnitus Symptoms Drive Many Sufferers to Suicide
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus correlates with a variety of underlying conditions, the most common being:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Noise-induced inner ear damage
- Puncturing of the eardrum
- Chronic ear infections
- Diseases such as Meniere’s disease
- Temporomandibular joint disorder- Is TMJ Causing Your Tinnitus? 7 Exercises to Release Jaw Tension
- Drug interactions, such as anti-inflammatories, birth control, antibiotics, quinine or antidepressants
- For more information about tinnitus causes, please read The Many Causes of Tinnitus.
Sources:
Organized Wisdom, Med City News, Ohio University, Ohio State University Medical Center
Find your inner sanctum.
Tranquility with Tinnitus? Sounds like an oxymoron if there ever was one, but it’s no joke. Finding peace of mind with a constant ringing in your ear or some of the various other sounds associated with tinnitus might seem like a distant dream. Whooshing, clicks, cricket sounds- it seems like more than you can handle.
There might not be any outright cures for tinnitus in this day and age, but there are coping mechanisms to help you find peace of mind: meditation, homeopathic remedies…and faith.
Part I of Tranquility with Tinnitus will help you find your inner sanctuary from tinnitus using three relaxation techniques recommended by the Mayo Clinic.
Setting the Scenario
Begin by finding a nice warm, quiet room free of disturbances. If there is a telephone, disconnect it. Cover the television or computer with a small throw. Soften the lights, set up some soothing “white noise” like a gentle fan or relaxation CD. Take off your shoes, lay down on a mat or soft rug and begin…
1) Autogenic relaxation
Autogenic relaxation means looking inwards with your “third eye,” as it’s referred to in transcendental meditation.
- Slowly breathe in at the count of three;
- Hold the breathe for the count of three;
- Very slowly release your breathe at the count of six, imagining a balloon gently losing air through a pinhole.
- Concentrate on slowing your heartbeat.
- Make a mental checklist of any sensations, sounds or pains which are going through your body; recognize them, accept them and breathe towards them.
- Repeat a soothing mantra; use that mantra throughout the day anytime you feel stressed and feel and need to return to your “safe place.”
2) Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive relaxation is a great way to give your muscles a massage from the inside. In times of acute anxiety a mini-PMR can be done inconspicuously at your desk or even while dining at a restaurant.
- Lie flat, getting yourself into a relaxed position.
- Will your muscles to let go, release tension.
- Direct your inner eye to your right foot; clench it tightly. Now, let go and feel the warmth as your muscles relax. Repeat with the left foot.
- Slowly and systematically work your way upwards, tightening and releasing your legs, abdominal muscles, chest, back, shoulders and arms.
- Much stress is stored in the head, so don’t neglect this vital area. Focus on your neck, jaws, cheeks, ears, eyes and forehead.
- Many find that PMR, with practice, brings on a deep sensation of euphoria and inner quietude.
3) Visualization
Another common practice is to use your imagination as a tool for relaxation; many meditation CD’s are available which will guide you through various exercises.
- Imagine yourself in your comfort zone; this could be anyplace that makes you feel happy and safe, such as the beach or a rustic woods. See the deep blue ocean, a purplish sunrise or emerald green pastures.
- Focus on all the sounds of your comfort zone; crashing waves, birds winging, etc.
- Now imagine tactile sensations, like the gentle breeze, woolly pine needles, or the warm sun on your face.
- Smell the salty ocean air or the deep incense of the forest.
Many tinnitus sufferers have found their symptoms lessened through practiced meditation. If you have a hectic schedule, try waking up a half-hour early and setting aside that time to meditate. Not only will it get your day off to a good start, it will also give you a sort of mental “home page” to go back to when things seem to be spiraling out of control.
Recommended reading: The Calm Technique: Meditation without Magic or Mysticism, by Paul Wilson
Sources:
Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group
One popular treatment for tinnitus is tinnitus masking. It was created based on the notion that when tinnitus sufferers listen to relaxing sounds, their noises in their heads would become less noticeable. This method was developed by Dr. Jack Vernon in the mid 1970s.
Tinnitus masking basically helps people pay less attention to the irritating noises in their heads through tinnitus maskers. Tinnitus maskers are devices that play recorded sounds on a CD or MP3 player hooked up to a pillow or a headset. Tinnitus masking generally utilizes the soothing sounds of the ocean, waterfall or other “white noises”.
Recently, a more comprehensive approach to tinnitus masking has been developed, known as tinnitus retraining therapy. This approach involves therapy in addition to the tinnitus maskers.
The tinnitus retraining therapy involves directive counseling to engage the patient in discussion about the tinnitus. By educating the patients about their tinnitus, the patients become less anxious and fearful. The theory is a person who receives therapy targeted at his tinnitus will ultimately be less bothered by it.
The second component of tinnitus retraining therapy is sound therapy. During the sound therapy, the patient listens to a soft sound for eight hours a day, for the duration of a year-and-a-half. The sounds come from a noise generator. (It is similar to a tinnitus masker, but the sounds are softer.) After a while, the patients become used to both sounds, and no longer pay attention to either. When this happens, they are considered “habituated.” At this point, the use of the noise generator is discontinued.
The Tufts Unversity Health & Nutrition Letter (May, 2003) interviews Susan L. Gold, MA, CCC-SLP/A, an audiologist from the University of Maryland Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center. Even she admits that with regard to tinnitus retraining therapy, it takes a long time, and it doesn’t work for everyone.
We are the manufacturers of TinnitusDX, a dietary supplement that benefits people with tinnitus.
Tinnitus maskers are devices used to add natural or artificial sound into the environment of an individual suffering with tinnitus. They are used in suppressing or masking the perceived ringing of the patient.
Tinnitus maskers increase the amount and volume of sound in the environment and allow the brain to re-perceive the ringing in the sufferers head with a calming, less intrusive sound. It’s comparable to an individual trying to read or study or even have a phone conversation in a room with another person speaking directly at them, or as in a noisy study hall or airport, club or restaurant. The brain is able to filter out the unnecessary noise when, interestingly, there is more of it.
Tinnitus maskers are most often used when trying to sleep, as the quiet of the environment makes the symptoms all the more noticeable. Commonly a tinnitus masker is a CD/MP3 recordings or a noise generator which produce either natural noises like the ocean or rain, synthetic sounds such as white noise, or in more advanced models a combination of natural and synthetic noises calibrated to suppress specific frequencies of the experienced symptoms.
This method can be used very effectively with sound pillows, as they contain small embedded speakers, which help masking the tinnitus of the individual without causing disturbance to their partner. However, some individuals who have extremely intense tinnitus symptoms require a tinnitus masker which works around the clock. For these cases a wearable hearing-aid type device is available, which will either amplify ambient sound, generate synthetic sound or combine the two.
Tinnitus maskers can be an excellent “first-aid” treatment for tinnitus symptoms, as any alleviation of the buzzing and ringing can be a comfort. It allows the individual to become less tense, and as stress is a huge factor in the emergence and severity of the symptoms, the relaxation too should help to lessen the intensity of the perceived noise. When these maskers are used in tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), especially in a clinical setting, they can be as much as 95% effective in completely masking the symptoms.
However, as phenomenally helpful as these items are, they also may hinder the healing progress. Although it alleviates the symptoms during the time it’s used, the individual still continues to suffer from the tinnitus symptoms, as none of the many root causes of tinnitus are addressed or treated with this method. Some researchers also say that completely masking the symptoms may be counterproductive and may result in the brain beginning to focus the perception on the tinnitus symptoms despite the background noise.
Tinnitus maskers are best used in conjunction with any tinnitus treatment therapy. Whether you opt for the use of supplements like TinnitusDX or medications like tricyclics or lignocaine, cognitive-behavioural therapy or TRT, the maskers can assist with overwhelming symptoms as the therapy starts to work or in the case of an unexpected episode. They can be a tremendous helping hand in the success on tinnitus treatment and therapy by bringing a quick and comforting relief to a patient with little hope.
This treatment of tinnitus retraining therapy is a result of understanding how different areas of the brain are involved in tinnitus. Tinnitus retraining therapy attempts to interfere with the tinnitus signal in the brain by introducing a broadband frequency – usually 1000-6000 Hz – through wearable ear level noise generators. These instruments are set to a volume quieter than the level needed to mask the patient’s tinnitus.
