Pinpoint Origin of Tinnitus With New Technique
A New technique can pinpoint tinnitus
MEG (Magnetoencephalography) brain-scan
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) measures electrical currents in nerve cells in the brain Using this technique it is possible to pinpoint the area of the brain that is activated when a person suffers from tinnitus, according to US doctors. Tinnitus is a condition where sounds are heard in one or both ears when there is no external source.
While doctors had thought tinnitus was generated by only ear problems, they now believe it is also generated in the brain. The team at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit used a special scanner to map the locations in the brain. They hope it will allow more targeted therapies to be developed.
The scan is called magnetoencephalography (MEG) and it measures the very small magnetic fields generated by intracellular electrical currents in the neuron cells in the brain.
The team at the Henry Ford Hospital have already tried using chips which generate electrical noise directly in the brain in two patients to try to interfere with the tinnitus signals.
They are presenting their findings to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
Scanning results
The doctors collected MEG results from 17 patients with tinnitus and 10 patients without. They played patients various sounds until they agreed that that was the sound they experienced and then scanned their brains while the sound was played. For patients with ringing in both ears, MEG revealed activity in both hemispheres of the brain, with greater activity appearing in the opposite side of the brain to the ear with the strongest perception of tinnitus.
The director of neurologic surgery at the Henry Ford Hospital, who led the work, said 2-4% of sufferers had really persistent tinnitus that they found impossible to ignore. He said: “Using MEG, we can actually see the areas in the brain that are generating the patient’s tinnitus which allows us to target and treat it.
“Another part of the brain that lights up is the limbic system which is supposed to govern how we react to things. “This may explain why some patients can fairly successfully ignore their tinnitus while others find themselves fixated on it.” Dr Seidman said imaging systems currently used to study tinnitus provide a general location compared to the sophistication of MEG.
He said: “It’s like having the lights on in only the city of Detroit, compared to having the lights on in the entire state of Michigan.” Dr Mark Downs, executive director at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People said, more than half a million people in the UK had their health seriously affected by tinnitus.
He said: “This work could potentially solve a further piece of the tinnitus puzzle. “It is a unique way to monitor how the brain is affected by tinnitus in real time, helping researchers to see how effective new treatments are.”
Source: BBC News
Understanding Tinnitus Symptoms
Did you know that many people have tinnitus and aren’t even aware of it? This is because the average person has a hard time with understanding tinnitus symptoms or even recognizing them in the first place.
Many people all across the nation suffer from tinnitus and most don’t even realize they have it. Could you be one of them? Have you been told that there is nothing really wrong or that you need to learn to deal with it? Maybe you’ve even been told that these symptoms are all in your head?
Chances are, you’ve been lied to and it’s time to get to the truth! Tinnitus doesn’t have to be a part of your everyday life and you do not have to just “learn to live with it”. The first step to help is understanding tinnitus symptoms and learning to recognize your own.
Tinnitus can manifest itself in a variety of different ways. It can be present in one or both ears and it can produce different types of sounds for different people and even at different times of the day or points in the person’s life.
Understanding these sounds can give you great insight into what’s causing your tinnitus. Except for one rare condition that affects only a small number of cases of tinnitus, there are no actual noises present in the ear and no one else will be able to hear the noises the tinnitus sufferer hears.
If you hear any of the following sounds, either intermittently or on a regular basis, then you may have tinnitus:
- Buzzing
- Ringing
- Whistling
- Roaring
- Clicking
- Hissing
- Chirping
These can range anywhere between the very low sounds that can only be heard when you’re in a quiet environment, to extremely loud sounds that seem to drown out everything else.
They can occur all the time, once in awhile or they can be pulsating, where, the sound will beat in rhythm with a person’s heartbeat. However, this is very rare. Simply put, symptoms of tinnitus include hearing any noise that is not created directly from an external source.
Tinnitus can be heard in either one or both ears. These sounds can be a single tone or multi-tonal, depending on the type of tinnitus you have. In many cases, it’ll sound more like a noise instead of a tone. This condition can come on suddenly with no warning at all or it can happen gradually.
Some tinnitus sufferers find it difficult to sleep at night from the loud noises that seem to project themselves when in a quiet environment. If you find your tinnitus symptoms are worse at night, white noise could be one option to help you sleep.
One of the biggest reasons why understanding tinnitus symptoms is so important is that it can actually help you determine the cause of your tinnitus. This can then lead to answers about the right treatment for your condition. Understanding your tinnitus symptoms can actually be the key to getting rid of those symptoms for good!
How to Stop Ringing in the Ears
There is only one thing the millions of people suffering from tinnitus want to know, and that is how to stop the ringing in the ears that can be such a nuisance at the least and debilitating at the worst.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound coming from the ear or inside the head without a corresponding external source. It usually manifests itself as an intermittent or constant ringing in the ear. It has also been described as a roaring, crackling, and chirping sound and can range in intensity from subtle to piercing.
It should be remembered that tinnitus is not a disease per se but may be a symptom of some other underlying medical cause. As such, there is no one way on how to stop ringing in the ears. Medical practitioners usually treat the underlying medical cause in order to make the tinnitus go away.
This is why it is important to have yourself examined by and to consult a medical specialist should you feel that you have tinnitus. In order to effectively treat the symptom and to provide you with the relief you need, the disease or condition triggering the tinnitus has to be identified and addressed.
Tinnitus can also be caused by over consumption of certain foods, substances and medication. This is especially true when one is already suffering from or taking medication for an existing medical disorder or disease. Generally, foods which make the disease worse can also make the tinnitus worse. For instance, those with Menieres disease should avoid the intake of salt and those with high blood pressure should avoid foods which have a high cholesterol content. Caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol are also known triggers and aggravators of tinnitus.
There are also medications which have ototoxic side effects and thus blamed as an ear ringing cause. Over consumption of over-the-counter medication such as aspirin and some medication for allergies can also cause tinnitus. In order to stop ringing in the ears brought about by medication, it may just be as simple a matter as to stop taking it. This may be fine for some over-the-counter medications but other medications taken to control the progression of some diseases should not be stopped without consultation with your doctor. Should you suspect your medication is what is causing your tinnitus or making your tinnitus worse, ask your doctor for an alternative.
Looking for Tinnitus Relief?
Did you ever hear from someone or read somewhere that there is nothing you can do to stop your ears from ringing? Although most doctors will say that there is no absolute cure for tinnitus, none so far says that nothing can be done. This information is unhelpful. Tinnitus relief means freedom to many sufferers.
Tinnitus is described by some as a dreadful hearing condition, characterized by hearing of noise or tones in the head or ears without apparent external source. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Patients who succumb to ringing, buzzing or roaring symptoms report of difficulties as sleeplessness, anxiety and irritability. This is why during the early stages of the condition, doctors prescribe anti-anxiety medication. Sedatives may also be prescribed in case of sleeplessness. However, long term dependence on them is not advisable.
The treatment depends on the cause, in cases which the cause is identified. These identified causes may be one of the following: ear infection, earwax build-up, eardrum perforation, sinus infections, allergies, head trauma, Meniere’s disease, jaw misalignments, atherosclerosis, hypertension, hypotension, anemia, tumor, and age-related disorders. However, specialists point that half the cases of tinnitus have unknown causes. This is where the problem with regards to treatment arises.
In most cases, there is no way to permanently muffle the abnormal noises. Tinnitus relief methods, however, are geared to making the ear or head noise less bothersome or changing the way an individual reacts to it.
Tinnitus treatment may include at least one of the following: Teflon cochlear implant, gamma radiosurgery, melatonin intake, electrode stimulation of the auditory cortex, and photobiomodulation or low level laser therapy. Take note that melatonin is given to those with tinnitus-induced insomnia. Ear maskers and hearing aids are useful tools in making the abnormal noise less noticeable. Counseling and therapy help individuals cope by relearning responses towards their condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy are geared to helping patients experience tinnitus in a less troublesome, less bothersome, and less alarming ways. Both changes the way persons live with their condition, however, CBT works further by attacking the anxiety and depression brought about by the ear malady.
Experts would always advise lifestyle modification. This includes avoidance of stress, which is an aggravating factor. Another important is avoidance of excessive noise exposure since loud noise is a leading culprit of tinnitus. In addition, avoiding excessively noisy areas prevents further damage. Wearing ear muffs or covering the ear is a wise option should exposure be inevitable. Smoking is much more discouraged this time. Diet is another factor; any treatment procedure would to no avail if you still indulge in high salt, high fat, and high caffeine diet.
Tinnitus relief through surgery is rarely, if ever, an option.
Handbook on Tinnitus Is Useful
Handbook on Tinnitus Is Useful
The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus is a useful tool for the people suffering from tinnitus. This book provides information about this disorder and tells how to find help and suggest possible coping strategies. Tinnitus is a ringing or high pitched sound in the ears when there is no external source. Tinnitus can be very disabling and impair the normal everyday functioning of an individual. Communication with others is inhibited. Sleeping and relaxing may be difficult for sufferers.
About one in ten people suffer from tinnitus. Nearly half of the people with tinnitus are bothered by it. Tinnitus is more common among people with hearing loss, although it may occur in people who do not have significant hearing loss. Tinnitus is more common among males because they are exposed to damaging noise more than females. Noise exposure is on cause of tinnitus, but other causes are head injury, medications, and aging. Sometimes the cause is not known, or there may be several contributing causes.
Tinnitus can be an isolating experience. Psychological symptoms are expressed in many patients. Fear, anxiety, and depression are present in many patients and may require treatment from the appropriate professionals. Sufferers are often fearful that their symptoms will get worse, although this is usually not the case. There is no easy tinnitus cure. However, understanding of the disorder often helps the patient cope.
