Studies point to new understanding of phantom noises in the ear

[flashl]

Modern life is loud. The jolting buzz of an alarm clock awakens the ears to a daily din of trucks idling, sirens blaring, televisions droning, computers pinging and phones ringing - not to mention refrigerators humming and air-conditioners thrumming. But for the millions who suffer from severe tinnitus, the phantom tones inside their head are louder than anything else.

Often caused by prolonged or sudden exposure to loud noises, tinnitus is becoming an increasingly common complaint, particularly among soldiers returning from combat, users of portable music players, and aging baby boomers reared on rock 'n' roll. Other causes include stress, some kinds of chemotherapy, head and neck trauma, sinus infections, and multiple sclerosis.

Although there is no cure, researchers say they have never had a better understanding of the cascade of physiological and psychological mechanisms responsible for tinnitus. As a result, new treatments under investigation show promise in helping patients manage the ringing, pinging and hissing that otherwise drives them to distraction.

The most promising therapies, experts say, are based on discoveries made in the last five years about the brain activity of people with tinnitus. With brain-scanning equipment like functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers in the United States and Europe have independently discovered that the brain areas responsible for interpreting sound and producing fearful emotions are exceptionally active in people who complain of tinnitus.

IHT

[here_is_to_hope]

1. Interesting article, I have my own issues

with hearing. After waking up in the morning, I have to have silence for a time or my mood turns really sour...because I hear so acutely then. By noon, not so much.
Thanks for posting this!

[pocoloco]

2. Does this cover the sounds of sniper bullets buzzing past your ears???

Just checking.

[prole_for_peace]

3. My boss' car guy killed himself a few days ago because of this.

He was a friend of my boss and was the guy he bought and sold all his cars through. He injured his head years ago and ever since had heard what sounded like a train. All the time! Nothing had helped and I guess he just gave up. It is really sad.

[trotsky]

5. Very sad, but understandable.

That kind of noise, 24 hrs a day, is torture, plain and simple.

[Warpy]

4. Back in the bad old days when I was first diagnosed

with lupus, I was put on 24 aspirin tablets a day. That lasted for about a month, after which I had tinnitus so loud I could barely hear other people talk plus severe, constant gastric pain. I decided the treatment was worse than the disease and stopped. Most of the pain and the worst of the tinnitus cleared, although I have had a persistent hiss since then. It's something I can live with, at least it doesn't change pitch every time I moved my head the way it did while I was on the aspirin.

I've made my peace with it, in other words. There is even an up side--I no longer hear surface hiss on my old LPs.

I'm also grateful that treatments for lupus have progressed since then.