Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, a constant buzzing, roaring or chirping sound in the inner or outer ear. While some head noise is normal, individuals with severe tinnitus are plagued with incessant babble throughout their day. Routine activities such as checking one’s email and driving to the market become unbearably difficult and full of distractions. Many patients of this incurable disease fall into bouts of anxiety and depression.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is often caused by exposure to loud noises; musicians and army soldiers make up for a large percentage of its patients. Health experts predict an increase in tinnitus and other hearing-related diseases as a result of the popularity of noise-cancelling iPod earbuds which produce unhealthy levels of noise waves and may cause permanent ear damage.
Musicians warn teens to lower the volume
Most people are unaware of this affliction; many probably have it and didn’t realize they were not alone. Celebrities such as Wil.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and William Shatner are trying to change all that.
Wil.i.am told the Sun that music is his only escape from the constant ringing of tinnitus; much of his success can be attributed to his inability to slow down.
Music is his only escape
“I don’t know what silence sounds like any more. Music is the only thing which eases my pain,” says the singer for the Black Eyed Peas.
Jack Black, famous for his rowdy rocker persona, also warns teens to protect their hearing in this YouTube video:
Heavy metal drummer Lars Ulrich of Metallica, who also suffers from tinnitus, delivers his speech on hearing loss in this video funded by H.E.A.R:
The Tinnitus Foundation released this montage of famous people with tinnitus, including Pete Townshend, David Letterman, Barbra Streisand and Ronald Reagan.
William Shatner and co-star Leonard Nimoy were often exposed to loud eruptions on the sets of the Star Trek films. In his video for the American Tinnitus Association, William Shatner describes an explosion during filming which forever altered his hearing ability.
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
More people are sticking things into their ears than ever before.
Specifically, I’m referring to canal-filling ear buds, Bluetooth devices and noise-cancelling headphones. Yes, even 75-year-old grandmothers can be seen chatting away on their cell phones while picking up a latte on the way to their bingo tournaments. And no strangers to technology are your average kindergarteners. Witness the latest Monkey Preschool Lunchbox app on iTunes:
It’s the auditory equivalent of jabbing a q-tip in your ears.
Experts are warning people to throw away the ear bud devices which come with every iPod. According to hear-it.org, more people are suffering from hearing loss and tinnitus than ever before, and at an earlier age than previously recorded; you don’t need to look much further than your own handheld smartphone to see why. Technology produces headsets that are louder, longer-lasting and more powerful, promising consumers a completely sound-proof vacuum of telephonic paradise.
Hearing damage is irreversible.
Hurting your ears isn’t like breaking a bone that can be repaired. Once you’ve damaged the tiny “hair cells” in the ear’s cochlea the damage is permanent, as your body is not able to regenerate new cells. Many people who are exposed loud noises in the workplace experience lifelong hearing loss and tinnitus.
How cool is that?
Not too cool.
Take it from pop/rock stars such as will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and Lars Ulrich of Metallica, who have been reaching out to teens and warning them to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. Says will.i.am regarding the constant ringing he has in his ears as a result of tinnitus,”I don’t know what silence sounds like any more. Music is the only thing which eases my pain.”
Ginkgo biloba is often used to treat tinnitus.
How loud is too loud?
One hour of iPod music in the range of 110-120 decibels causes the same amount of damage as a rock concert. Comparatively, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets a safety standard of no more than 110 dBA, 30 minutes per day, while the typical preteen listens mp3 music for several hours every day.
What are your alternatives?
Safe headphones may be purchased online. IHearSafe uses Safe Volume technology and guarantees their headphones will never go over 85 decibels, regardless of setting.
What are some good treatments for tinnitus?
Sufferers of tinnitus have found some relief through breathing exercises, stress management, acupuncture and supplements such as Tinnitus DX.
Sources:
Studies have borne out Ginkgo Biloba for its ability to increase blood flow to the extremities and the brain, and help reduce tinnitus. Chinese medicine has used the extract of the Ginkgo Biloba tree for over 5,000 years. This tree, also known as the Maidenhair tree, is capable of reaching 100 feet in height. The seeds are edible. However, the extract of the fan-shaped leaves contains the health benefits.
Gingko Biloba Tree:
In the fall, the leaves turn from green to yellow. During this time, the leaves are harvested and dried. A special facility grinds the leaves and mixes them with organic solvents to further enhance their fundamental qualities.
Gingko Biloba Leaf:
The natural ingredients of Ginkgo Biloba extract contain flavonoids, glycosides and ginkoglides. Together, these components have many beneficial effects, as supported by numerous studies.
Research studies on geriatric patients have found that Gingko Biloba helps reduce headaches, senility, depression, tinnitus, fatigue and poor circulation. It is theorized that Ginkgo Biloba helps increase blood flow, thereby reversing the effects of aging. Furthermore, studies have shown that this miracle plant successfully prevents the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in those afflicted.
Ginkgo Biloba contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants. These help protect the membranes of red blood cells, extending their lives in the process. As mentioned previously, studies have borne out Ginkgo Biloba’s ability to increase blood flow to the extremities and the brain, and reduce tinnitus.
Our product, Tinnitus DX, contains Ginkgo Biloba.
There are many people who have experienced hearing loss and tinnitus and are not aware of it. Top five signs of hearing loss include:
- You find that you are missing out on parts of conversations when people talk
- You need to ask people to repeat things
- Your friends or relatives complain that your television/radio is too loud
- When you speak on the telephone, you can’t hear the person clearly
- You find yourself participating in group conversations less often because you won’t be able to follow them
If any of the above applies to you, it is recommended that you see an audiologist to assess your hearing.
If you hear noises in your ears that don’t exist, then you are also suffering from tinnitus. It may be a ringing, hissing, or whooshing sound.
Both hearing loss and tinnitus can be prevented by using hearing protection when exposed to loud noises, as well as lowering the volume of music generating devices. Both noises from construction equipment and music have been clinically proven to cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
If you are exposed to a loud noise and has no hearing protection on hand, you should move as far away from the source as possible. The further away you move, the less likely the sound will damage your ears.
It is also advised that you should not insert foreign objects into your ears, such as toothpicks, when trying to clean the ears. This can accidentally destroy the lining of the ear canal or perforate the eardrum, which will cause hearing loss.
If you suffer from tinnitus, you may want to try Tinnitus DX, a homeopathic remedy for tinnitus.
The Journal of Noise & Health (February 2008) discusses a study done by Vishakha W. Rawool and Lynda A. Colligon-Wayne. Rawool and Wayne distributed a survey among college students to determine their life styles and beliefs regarding exposure to loud noises.
The survey was distributed to 40 male college students and 198 female college students.
Some of the findings of this study were as follows:
- Twenty-nine percent of these students reported that they worked in noisy environments. Only 15% of these used hearing protection.
- About 50% of the students agreed that when they were using personal music devices, that people next to them could hear their music.
- Over 75% of students believed that they were not at risk for losing their hearing until later on in life.
- About 68% of the students have had ringing in their ears, which is symptomatic of tinnitus.
Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that educating students in schools would likely motivate students to use hearing protection when exposed to loud noises, and to lower the volume on their personal music devices.
Tinnitus is a Latin word which means “ringing”. We use tinnitus to refer to ringing of the ears, a sound that is heard but does not exist outside a person’s head. A person with tinnitus may also hear sounds of buzzing, hissing, high-pitched whistling or other sounds. There are approximately 50 million Americans who are afflicted, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA).
Many people suffering from tinnitus try to get information about this condition from Google. On average, 450,000 searches each month are performed on Google using the word “tinnitus.” Other search terms used in this endeavor include, “causes tinnitus” (9,900 searches) and “tinnitus cure” (14,800 searches).
Some people are not sure how to spell tinnitus. This results in many creative ways that they will search for information about this condition.
The search term “tinitus” is used 22,200 times each month in Google, and the misspelled “tinnitis” is used 18,100 times each month. The variation “tenitis” is searched by 1,900 users each month.
So, if you don’t know how to spell “tinnitus,” don’t feel bad because you are in good company.
We are the manufacturers of Tinnitus DX, a homeopathic supplement for tinnitus. .
Tinnitus, a hissing, roaring or high-pitched sound in the ears, is becoming more common in young people. Andrew Cheng, MD, a clinical professor at the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at New York Medical College, has stated that the more time a person spends listening to loud music, the more likely that person is to develop tinnitus.
Kids believe that they will live forever, and don’t foresee the consequences of their actions. Naturally, American teenagers will jack up the volume on the MP3 players, putting them at greater risk for tinnitus.
Should the U.S. government regulate volume output on personal music devices? Last year, Apple had to take their iPods off the market in France, and switch them with ones that limited the volume output to 100 decibels. Unfortunately, there is no such restriction in the United States. This places our teenagers and college students in jeopardy of developing tinnitus before they’ve even had a chance to enter the workforce.
Apple reports sales of over 50 million iPods each year. This does not include sales from other MP3 manufacturers. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time before multitudes of Americans will be complaining of debilitating tinnitus symptoms, which would impair their ability to sleep and work as a result.
We are the manufacturers of Tinnitus DX, a homeopathic supplement that benefits sufferers of tinnitus.
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 is believed to be the result of injury to the auditory system, which then causes neurons to be triggered for no apparent reason. The brain, in turn, perceives this as sound, even though no external sound is present.
The extent to which a person is bothered by it will determine how likely the person is to seek treatment. Many people with tinnitus suffer from insomnia and depression. This interferes with their ability to perform their usual work and social activities.
One treatment is tinnitus masking. It is based on the idea that having tinnitus sufferers listen to an outside noise will make their internal noise less noticeable. This concept was discovered by Dr. Jack Vernon in the mid 1970s.
At night, when it is quiet, the sounds generated by tinnitus are annoying. The sufferer can opt to listen to calming sounds played on a CD or MP3 player hooked up to a pillow, or choose to wear a headset. Tinnitus masking usually involves calming sounds of the ocean, rainfall or other “white noises”.
Does tinnitus masking work?
There are some professionals who believe that tinnitus masking can lead to habituation. This is another term for teaching the brain to become less stimulated by sound, so that a person no longer notices the noises.
The problem with tinnitus masking is that it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people with tinnitus don’t obtain relief through the tinnitus masking process. Likewise, there are those who continually use the masking devices and never experience habituation. For all victims of tinnitus, we recommend our product, Tinnitus DX, a dietary supplement for tinnitus.
