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May 24th, 2012
06:31 PM ET
Finally, a treatment for that buzzing in your earsImagine the incessant, grating sound of buzzing in your ears - or constant beeping, whistling, dripping, or clicking. Imagine the chatter of crickets or birds resonating in your head all day long. Then realize that there are no actual birds or crickets. No dripping faucet. No clicking or whistling happening in the vicinity. That is a small glimpse of life with tinnitus: The perception of sound, that doesn't exist, manufactured by the brain. "I hear tree frogs and crickets and bugs, and really loud noise on top of that," said Ginny Morrell, 60, who has suffered with tinnitus for two years. "It started one day and never went away. It never wavers, 24 hours a day." "It's not going to kill me, it's not cancer," said Morrell. "But it might drive me crazy." But according to a new study, the most effective treatment for Morrell's tinnitus may involve just the opposite of what she's currently doing: Rather than ignoring the sound, focus on it. "In the study we thought, what if we try to intervene in this avoidance behavior and we expose patients to their tinnitus sounds," said Rilana Cima, the study's lead author and a clinical psychologist at Adelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology in the Netherlands. "If you expose people to something they're afraid of, they actually habituate to this stimulation." Cima compares the approach, which has its roots in cognitive behavioral therapy, to helping people with a spider phobia to slowly stem that fear. Intermittent exposure to a spider - or in the case of tinnitus, that annoying buzzing - may temper the fear associated with it. The study, conducted in the Netherlands, involved 492 patients. Half received an audiological work-up and no other structured treatment, while the other half received integrated care, including tinnitus-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapy included having patients perform mundane, everyday tasks, while being exposed to whatever sound is associated with their tinnitus. "People usually avoid their own sound," said Cima. "So they practice paying attention to their sound and what reactions they're having because of that sound." Among the group who got the therapy, about 70% reported improvements in their quality of life or decreased tinnitus a year after beginning treatment. Importantly, for a malady that has its roots in the brain, many patients also reported improvements in tinnitus-related fear and anxiety. "The sound didn't disappear but fear reactions did," said Cima. What makes tinnitus so difficult to treat is that it is virtually impossible to pinpoint the origin of the sound (there is no established neural origin for the condition) and each sufferer's experience is unique. That makes it difficult to craft a treatment that works for everyone. The study, published today in the Lancet, is one of the first rigorous trials suggesting relief for the approximately 50 million tinnitus sufferers in the U.S., according to the American Tinnitus Association. Richard Salvi, a tinnitus expert with the Center for Hearing & Deafness at the University of Buffalo, said the study is important and should be encouraging for people like Morrell. But, he adds, most tinnitus sufferers are looking for a cure. "Many tinnitus patients expect immediate and complete cessation of their tinnitus," said Salvi in an email to CNN. "None of the current treatments meet these patient expectations. Consequently, much more work needs to be done." Morrell is heartened that a treatment may be out there but, from where she sits in small-town Brockton, Massachusetts, it seems elusive. She says few physicians in her area understand her condition, let alone how to treat it using cognitive behavioral therapy. "I had one doctor say to me I should take Klonopin (an anti-seizure/anti-anxiety medication) for my tinnitus," said Morrell. "He said to take one the first day, two the second, and to keep stepping it up to 12 a day if I needed to. Can you believe that?" What nags Morrell almost as much as her condition, is the fear associated with it - that it will get worse. Mostly, she wants something simple that she used to take for granted: "My issue with it is not hearing silence," she said. "I will never hear silence again." What Morrell craves is a reset button that will make the noise disappear. Curing tinnitus may never be that simple.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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As a forty something musician I have had tinnitus for a long time. I barely notice it anymore even though it's as loud as ever. It's just background noise I tune out for the most part. A cure would be nice, but I don't count on it. I also recently saw an over the counter medicine that claims to help. Crowded loud places make it hard to understand other people in a conversation.
Nodack, I am doing work with a discipline called EFT. I have listed my contact info below. If you are interested give me a call. This is not a sales pitch nor do I have anything to sell. I do have the free manual to learn EFT, for those interested. Thank you.
To those who suffer from this noise, which I also suffer from for the last 15+ years. I am beginning to achieve results using a procedure call EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique. I am doing research, as a layman, using different approaches to tinnitus, such as tapping on statements surrounding the tympanic membrane, the cochlea, the ear canal and various variations. I am experiencing relief which started out as a 7 on a scale of 0 – 10, first day use went to 0 the next morning for the whole day, what a relief, then came back to a 4. I have continued tapping using different phrases to bring it to conscious awareness. Today which is four days since my silent day I am at a 1! I plan to create a marketable cd to help people once I experience lasting results. Anyone wanting to learn more or get phone help and additional knowledge may call me at 408-888-9290. Email: bestdealnow65@yahoo.com. Good luck to all of the sufferers of this very anoying malady. Thanks for reading my post. Tim
I have tinnitus. Tons of vitamins keep it down, especially A & E and Magnesium. Its still there but its a low buzz cricket type more often than a whining high pitch insane whistle. I also find sleeping on my back helps, any neck tension increases the sound. Tinnitus is a pain in the butt, but there are worse things in life, like hyperacusis!!! Now that really sucks. Any sound is so loud it blows your mind, even a quiet chirping of a bird.
Hi Neil. I have my tinnitus on the past 10 or more years and it sucks but I can live with it. Most blood thinners helps like Ginkgo Biloba (Ginkgold Max that costs about US$ 20 per month) for example before going to sleep. The air conditioning fan is the best and there is a inexpensive alarm clock model Timex-Redi which has a fantastic background sound and always you need to sleep on your back. I got used to it even sometimes I just sleep on the side and try to take the constant sound. I understand that so far there is no cure. That is life no? These background sounds evidently upset my precious wife that has to put a noise blocker on her ears to sleep on my side or send me to the couch in another room to give her a break once in a while. Pardon for my English because I speak other languages and cannot speak or write it properly.
I have Tinnitus for more then ten years and from a scale of one to ten, it is a nine now. It was so bad last October, it put me in the Hospital for three days. Their are things I don't understand and Ihave tried to explain it to my Doctor what Iam going through but he has no answers except to say try Lipo-Flavonoid three times a day. I live in Florida and I believe the Weather plays a big part with my Tinnitus. I saw on the internet that in Brazil, they are treating Tinnitus with a Drug called Campral and are having a 80% sucess rate. In the US they use this Drug to treat a drinking problem and has not been approve to treat Tinnitus.
Have had tinnitus for over 10 years, now side effects of a medicine for another condition have caused more tinnitus at another pitch...so I have two pitches going all the time now. Wish they'd cancel each other out sound wise, no such luck. Major disappoint with headline, thought there would be a cure mentioned in this story. Phooey!
I have a very good friend who suffers from this. He avoids loud situations at all costs. Otherwise he is able to deal with it. I am sure there are varying levels of tinnitus.
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So that is what it is called. I have been going to heavy metal and rock concerts since 1978 and like my stereo, the louder the better. Maybe a little less loud these days but still 100 decibels at least.
It is something I always knew could damage my hearing so it is my choice and I have to live with it. Of course some of the noises I hear, other than the occasional ringing are probably auditory hallucinations but they are probably from drinking too much coffee and RC Colas during the day.
Sometimes when I am around radio or microwave towers I hear alot more noises that are not really there other than I hear them.
I don't know what to say about that? I am really confused. I know the article is about something that clears noise in ears but I don't think it's much detailed.
Methinks Claire's been hitting the bottle.
Interesting report. It seems to be suggest treatment that is just the opposite to what has been used in the past. I'm sure it will give tinnitus sufferers some hope for relief. Look forward to reading more about this method.
I have had tinnitus since early childhood, and didn't know it until I was about 16. I have always had a high-pitched ringing in my ears but always thought it was normal. It's weird, but I don't know what silence sounds like. I think this is probably why it's easier for me to tune out. I used to listen to the ringing all the time, so it makes sense to me reading about this study that paying attention to the sound helps curb tinnitus-related anxiety. It will be interesting if they ever identify the source of this condition.
Same here. All my childhood, I thought "silence" was a whistling sound, and never thought to mention it to anyone. In my mid-teens, I heard about tinnitus and realized I had no idea what perfect stillness is like. It doesn't bother me since I can't really imagine not having it. I guess I'm lucky it's mild enough that it doesn't interfere with my hearing. If I really focus on it, I can almost hear both a steady whistling and a high-paced chirping. Oh, well. My very own orchestra.
My father was an avid hunter. As a boy he would take me to the rifle range. He would teach me gun safety and how to handle high powered rifles. I once asked him about ear protection as I saw others wearing coordinated outfits, tinted glasses and headgear. His reply being, "He looks like a girl and you don't wear headsets in the field." By the time we would get back to the car my ears would be ringing so badly I could barely hear. I am sixty two now. My father is gone. How I wish I would have had a pair of headsets. To this day the ringing is constant and at times deafening.
I've had it since childhood. It's such a part of me now that I really don't pay that much attention to it. Mine sounds more than electrical current that chirping. I do however, notice that when I have a bad sinus headache or cold, that it does seem louder. Nothing that I can't deal with.
Mine is a "high pitch PBS television going out of the air" kind of noise. My doctor told me to use the tip of my tongue to forcifully touch the roof of my mouth to relax the muscle. Stops immediately.
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I thought I was losing my mind, thanks for all your post. I have a family of crickets in my ear. It seems to be getting worse as time passes. My doctor says it could be my blood pressure which I take medication for, I am under a lot of stress right now and wonder if that could be making it worse. I have never had many ear problems. I use a fan at night to drowned out the sound, its during the day when its quiet when its the worse.
Tinnitus can be caused by other health issues, some are more serious than the others. ..
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Hi....I have this too....worse with even a slight stuffy cold, very high pitched and hard to sleep..so I iwear headphones and listen to talking books...I can still here it but I try and concentrate on the words....that can help at night. As can a fan in the summer ...day time it is not so bad unless I concentrate on it. Oh for silence.
Oh and I heard that an operation can remove something in the ear that can leave you deaf but at least sound free in one ear. A consultant told me about this .but sounds a bit unpleasant ....
I'm shocked that this article doesn't mention the device that has been doing this already for years. NEUROMONICS!
Although relatively expensive, I made the investment out of desperation and I'm thrilled I did. It is programmed to play back the sounds you are hearing and hides it in soft, relaxing music. It helps relieve stress because of the relaxing tones, and the tinnitis as well as hyperacusis improves drastically in 6 months. I rarely notice mine anymore after not being able to sleep for 4 years.
I'm 20, so now I bring it to class once in a while to stay focused and to not hear the ringing during tests. I really encourage you to look it up!
Hello fellow sufferers of tinnitus. At times I think I'm going insane. My tinnitus is all over the map. I will have silence for a day and then it comes roaring back like a freight train. Even though they say not to wear earbuds I do with the music cranked up all the way so I don't hear the noise. Sometimes after wearing the buds the noise is quieter but that doesn't last long. My tinnitus started in October of 2008 one month after having a tooth pulled. And I've been fighting the battle ever since. I've gone to Urgent Cares all over town and ER's to get steroid injections because that gives silence but it doesn't usually last for more than a day. I had all my teeth worked on because my first ENT told me my bite was off. But it's only been 3 months since the teeth work. I refuse to believe that it will never go away. Sometimes in the middle of the night and I have silence then after I go back to sleep and then get up it's back. I can't function normally. I avoid going out if I don't have to. I have a headset to listen to while I watch tv and that is a lifesaver. I started taking Lipoflavonoid 2 months ago and am so hopeful that this will help. HA, a fan would never drown out the noise for me to sleep. I need to be medicated and have ear buds in at night with just music and no lyrics. This tinnitus had robbed me of a normal life. I get so depressed. I am under a doctor's care but other than the steroid shots which you can't get all of the time there isn't anything they can do. None of my medicines are attributing to it. I contacted the Tinnitus Association to send me out their information a long time ago and still haven't gotten it but I did get an e-mail from them asking me or money(not a good sign). I've had an MRI and two CAT Scans that were normal and 4 hearing tests in the past 4 years and my hearing is fine. I don't go to movies, art festivals, volunteer, church, the gym, art classes, all the things I did before this started. Can I say I'm learning to live with it, no, but I am living with it. Wish I could just say don't let it bother you and go ahead and do all that stuff anyway but I just can't. Outdoor stimulation makes it worse. Too many noises going on at once. But on a silent day and I go out that stuff doesn't bother me. I wonder have they done any research on brains donated to science? I can't explain how bad mine is to the few people that I speak to, they just can't understand it. I pray the Lipoflavonoid will eventually make it better.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
I'm sorry I just saw I misspelled a word. Please overlook it. I should have proof read it before I posted it.
Elizabeth
After reading your post, I feel the exact same way as you. When the doctors give you a steroid shot, are they doing it in your ear or somewhere in your neck? Thank you
Is there a Dr. or qualified person around the Vera, Spain, area who can help with this problem, which I have had for some years?
Have been dealing with this for several years... some days more noticeable than others... Today, very loud! I haven't been to a doctor since 1992 (no insurance & don't trust, for "drug" reasons!)... IF there is anything that will help... non-drug... I will try! Thanks!
IT MAY NOT BE TINNITUS. CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE I FOUND . THE WELLNESS DIGEST.COM. I WAS TOLD BY TWO DOCTORS. THATS WHAT I HAD. AFTER I GOT MY HANDS ON MY MRI REPORT I WENT LOOKING . I FOUND THAT MY HABIT OF CHEWING ICE HAS INFLAMMED A MUSCAL IN MY FACE WHICH CAUSED VERY BAD HEAD ACHES AND A BUZZING NOISE IN MY EAR AND ALSO PAIN. THE MUSCLE IS THE MASSETER. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT. I FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS NOW.
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