Tinnitus Awareness Week 3-9 February – Useful Therapies for Managing Symptoms from Hidden Hearing

Tinnitus Awareness Week 2014 runs from 3-9 February. The British Tinnitus Association will be raising awareness of the condition throughout the week.

Tinnitus can commonly sound like ringing or buzzing in the ears. It’s not a disease or an illness and it’s generated within a person’s own auditory pathways. For some people it comes and goes and in more severe cases it is present permanently, causing problems with sleep and concentration.

If you are one of the many people who suffer from persistent or occasional tinnitus, here are five useful therapies for managing tinnitus:

Firstly, try not to worry. One of the things that we do know about tinnitus is that stress can bring it on or even make it worse. There is help available and this will probably mean managing the condition – it may even disappear if a symptom of an underlying condition can be treated.

What can be done?

Tinnitus therapies vary and it is important to point out that we can only talk about relieving tinnitus. Most therapies revolve around counselling and using alternative forms of sound as a distraction to the tinnitus.

Suggested Therapies:

*Sound Relaxation Ball – This plays seven sounds of nature and includes a built-in timer and can be used anywhere.

* Sound CDs – A box of four relaxation CDs including Tranquil Horizons, Cloud Dances, Classical Thunderstorms and Harmony can be listened to anywhere you have access to a CD player.

* Tinnitus Masker – A hearing aid device that plays white noise to mask the sound of your tinnitus. Noise exposure is a common contributor to Tinnitus. Tinnitus therapy can involve the sufferer listening to another sound source to serve as a distraction.

* Amplification – Hearing aids themselves have been known to help where there is a hearing loss. Some now even have a dedicated program for tinnitus distraction.

* Tinnitus Counselling – A trained Tinnitus Counsellor can help discuss how to manage the condition.

Anybody who might be concerned about their tinnitus can avail of a free hearing test and consultation at any of the Hidden Hearing branches in Northern Ireland, you can find your nearest clinic here. Or you can book a hearing check free of charge by calling our Freephone number 0800 587 7267 or by visiting www.hiddenhearing.org

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Dr Hilary Jones Discusses Hearing Loss on the U105 Morning Show.

Dr Hilary Jones interviewed on U105

Dr Hilary Jones TV Health Broadcaster and Author talks to U105 FM Morning Show discussing hearing loss and it’s effects. Click the play button above to listen to the interview with Dr Jones.

Migraine sufferers at increased risk of hearing loss

People who suffer from migraines are at an increased risk for developing hearing loss, report researchers.

Such individuals are more likely to have lowered otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR), which are early indicators of impending auditory dysfunction that can lead to hearing loss, they say.

As reported in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, an assessment of 58 migrainesufferers showed that auditory dysfunction symptoms phonophobia (fear of loud noises) and tinnitus were present in 20.7% and 13.8% of individuals, respectively.

In addition, nearly two-thirds of the migraine patients had one or more abnormalities in auditory electrophysiologic testing, despite almost all of them being classified as having a normal hearing level.

TEOAE and DPOAE are generated when the ear’s outer hair cells, which are responsible for cochlear sound amplification, move in response to acoustic stimuli – a process known of as electromotility.

“Otoacoustic emissions permit sensitive assessment of cochlear function and objectively monitor dynamic changes in cochlear responsiveness before functional and significant hearing loss occurs from any cause,” explain Sherifa Ahmad Hamed (Assiut University Hospital, Egypt) and colleagues.

However, basic audiologic examination revealed that few patients had evidence suggesting a conductive hearing problem – otoscopy and standard aural imittance procedures confirmed normal middle ear status in all but five ears.

The finding that migraine patients are at high risk for peripheral and/or central auditory dysfunction is important for specialists caring for these patients, say Hamed and team.

If you have any questions about hearing loss contact Hidden Hearing.

Justin Bieber caused my tinnitus

A mother who took her daughter to a Justin Bieber concert is now suing the teenage idol for $9.2 million. The mother claims that she is suffering from hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis caused by Bieber’s concert.

Stacey Wilson Betts is suing Justin Bieber after taking her daughter to one of his concerts in July 2010. The court documents state, that the mother now suffers from hearing loss, severe tinnitus and hyperacusis in both of her ears from Bieber’s concert.

Betts is suing for $9.2 million, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon. She stated that she was injured by noise that “exceeded safe decibel levels” and that this was “due to an unforeseen aspect of the show.”

According to the mother, the unforeseen aspect of the concert was when Justin Bieber “climbed into a heart shaped, aluminium/steel gondola and was pulled out over the crowd” creating a “wave like effect of screaming” that “enticed the crowd into a frenzy of screams by continuously waving his arms in a quick and upward motion”.

Betts explains that the steel gondola acted as “a sound conductor,” creating a “sound blast” that has damaged both her ears”.

Stacey Wilson Betts is suing both Justin Bieber, his record label, Def Jam, for “loss of quality of life and permanent disability and impairment” to both her ears.

If you have any questions about hearing loss or hearing aids contact Hidden Hearing.

Ringing Ears Not Just for Old Folks

Can you speak louder please?  Hearing loss has been long considered as a feature common among the elderly, yet according to a recent medical report, hearing loss can also occur in the younger, general population.  According to the report published in the British Medical Journal, hearing loss may also be caused by specific occupations that are strongly associated with loud noises.  It is thus important to understand and identify specific factors that trigger early symptoms of hearing loss in order to adopt preventative measures to decrease the risk of deafness.  Knowing possible causes of progressive hearing loss may also help in the design of treatment schemes for hearing loss.

Ringing in the Ears and Hearing Loss

One general complaint that is strongly associated with hearing loss is ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus.  This condition involves the hearing a sound even in the absence of an acoustic source.  Tinnitus may thus be annoying to some individuals and can also become distracting, thus prompting these individuals to seek medical treatment to decrease this uncomfortable sensation and to learn of preventative measures against deafness.  For others, ringing in the ears may disturb sleep patterns, resulting in physical and emotional imbalances due to the lack to rest that may be caused by these noises.  It is thus important that the appropriate treatment for ringing in the ears be given as soon as possible, as a preventative measure against more serious complications.

It has been suggested that tinnitus may represent the existence of physical damage in the inner region of the ear, namely the cochlea, which is responsible in the transmission of sound waves to the brain.  The continuous stimulation of the cochlea by the nerves in the ear may thus result in the perception of sound, even in the absence of a source.  For certain individuals, the treatment for damaged cochlea involves the use of hearing aids, which amplifies the sound and thus augments hearing loss.  The use of hearing aids may also serve as preventative scheme against accidents that may be caused by a decrease in hearing due to ringing in the ears.

According to the medical report, ringing in the ears may also occur in the general population, especially when exposed to environments that are characterized by loud noises.  Construction workers, who are often operating machines that emit loud noises, are thus more likely to experience tinnitus and are thus in need of preventative schemes against noise exposure.  The absence of treatment of and preventative measures against continuous exposure to loud noises may eventually result in the development of hearing loss.  Ringing in the ears may also be caused by exposure to toxins, infections, and diseases and thus it is important that proper and effective treatment be given to patients as a preventative measure against the development of deafness.

What is Causing Ringing Ears?

The medical report lists a number of conditions that are strongly associated with experiencing ringing in the ears and possibly hearing loss if preventative measures against the causative factors are not controlled.  It is also possible to design treatment schemes for ringing in the ears, which may usually focus in decreasing the loud noises that continuously surround these individuals at work or at home.  Using a study population consisting of approximately 49,948 adults, the investigators conducted a survey on the type and nature of occupation of these study participants, taking note of noise exposure and other factors that may play a role in the development of ringing in the ears and ultimately, hearing loss.

The results of the study showed that the type of occupation plays a role in the development of tinnitus.  This information may be used in the design of treatment plans for tinnitus patients, decreasing the discomfort associated with this auditory condition.  More importantly, the report showed that a major preventative measure against ringing in the ears involved self-reporting of the existence of loud noise, thus allowing the workplace’s management to control the amount of noise exposure for these individuals.  Among the male study participants, those working at construction sites were identified to be at high risk for ringing in the ears.

Interestingly, female study participants who led a generally inactive lifestyle were shown to be more likely to experience ringing in the ears.  Although the discrepancies between genders may be quite stunning, the results of the study may provide information in the design of treatment schemes for ringing in the ears.  For example, the use of ear protectors may serve as preventative equipment against damage to the ears.  On the other hand, physical exercise may be suggested as another possible treatment for inactive women suffering from ringing in the ears.  It is thus important to be aware of continuous noise exposure and to control its occurrence, if possible, in order to decrease the risk of tinnitus and deafness.

If you have questions about tinnitus or hearing loss contact hidden hearing.

Hidden Hearing Promotes Tinnitus Awareness Week

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound that has no external source.

Hidden Hearing  is helping to promote Tinnitus Awareness Week – a single week that is set aside to focus specifically on increasing public awareness about tinnitus and most importantly the need for increased funding for tinnitus research. There currently is no known cure for tinnitus. Although it is important to note that a study published in a Hearing Review found that many tinnitus sufferers report that their hearing aids significantly help them with their tinnitus.

Dolores Madden Marketing Manager with Hidden Hearing said “Many people – almost twice as many as previously believed – suffer from persistent, chronic tinnitus. That’s about ten percent of the population. And for people ages 65 to 84, that number jumps to almost 27 percent”. Madden believes that helping “create the awareness”  is the first step.

A recent study found that over 40 percent of survey respondents with tinnitus were helped at least mildly with hearing aids. And 3 out of 10 were helped moderately-to-substantially. For those whose where hearing health professionals used best practices in fitting hearing aids, that figure jumped to 50 percent.

Madden believes It is important for the hearing health community to help promote Tinnitus Awareness, especially because relatively few people seek help for their tinnitus – despite the fact that there are effective therapies available, including the use of hearing aids, to help tinnitus sufferers. If you have any questions about tinnitus or any aspect of hearing health contact Hidden Hearing.

Drug treatments to prevent the onset of tinnitus could soon be developed

The first drug treatments to prevent the onset of tinnitus could soon be developed after doctors discovered how to tone down overactive neurons in the brain.

Researchers from the University Of Leicester have identified a key cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of ringing in the ears following exposure to loud noises.

The discovery could lead to novel tinnitus treatments, and investigations into potential drugs to prevent tinnitus are underway. Although the word tinnitus comes from the Latin for ‘ringing’, the noise can be a buzz, hum or even a whistle – heard in one ear, both ears or in the middle of the head.

For most people the problem is mild, or disappears with time. But for others it can become chronic and almost intolerable. There are currently no drugs available to treat or prevent tinnitus. Scientists have previously speculated that it results from damage to nerve cells connected to the ears.

Lead researcher Dr Martine Hamann said: ‘We need to know the implications of acoustic over-exposure, not only in terms of hearing loss but also what’s happening in the brain and central nervous system.

‘It’s believed that tinnitus results from changes in excitability in cells in the brain – cells become more reactive, in this case more reactive to an unknown sound.’

Dr Hamann and her team looked at cells in an area of the brain called the dorsal cochlear nucleus – the relay carrying signals from nerve cells in the ear to the parts of the brain that decode and make sense of sounds.

Following exposure to loud noises, some of the nerve cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus start to fire erratically, and this uncontrolled activity eventually leads to tinnitus.

Dr Hamann said: ‘We showed that exposure to loud sound triggers hearing loss a few days after the exposure to the sound. It also triggers this uncontrolled activity in the neurons of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. ’This is all happening very quickly, in a matter of days.’

In a key breakthrough, the team also discovered the specific cellular mechanism that leads to the neurons’ over-activity. Malfunctions in specific potassium channels that help regulate the nerve cell’s electrical activity mean the neurons cannot return to an equilibrium resting state.

Ordinarily, these cells only fire regularly and therefore regularly return to a rest state. However, if the potassium channels are not working properly, the cells cannot return to a rest state and instead fire continuously in random bursts, creating the sensation of constant noise when none exists.

Dr Hamann said: ‘In normal conditions the channel helps to drag down the cellular electrical activity to its resting state and this allows the cell to function with a regular pattern.

‘After exposure to loud sound, the channel is functioning less and therefore the cell is constantly active, being unable to reach its resting state and displaying those irregular bursts.’

Although many researchers have investigated the mechanisms underlying tinnitus, this is the first time that cellular bursting activity has been characterised and linked to specific potassium channels.

Identifying the potassium channels involved in the early stages of tinnitus opens up new possibilities for preventing tinnitus with early drug treatments. Dr Hamann’s team is currently investigating potential drugs that could regulate the damaged cells, preventing their erratic firing and returning them to a resting state.

If suitable drug compounds are discovered, they could be given to patients who have been exposed to loud noises to protect them against the onset of tinnitus.

These investigations are still in the preliminary stages, and any drug treatment would still be years away. The research was published in the journal Hearing Research.

If you have any questions about tinnitus or any other aspect of hearing loss contact Hidden Hearing.

Source: Daily Mail. Read More>

Coldplay star’s tinnitus trauma

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has revealed that he suffers from tinnitus

Chris Martin has revealed that years of playing live has left him with tinnitus.
The Coldplay frontman said he had suffered from the condition, which can leave people with a buzzing or ringing in their ears, for about 10 years and had now started protecting his ears.

He said: “I wish I’d thought about it earlier. Now we always use moulded filter plugs, or in-ear monitors, to try and protect our ears. You can use industrial headphones, but that looks strange at a party.”

The star has backed a campaign by Action On Hearing Loss about the potential danger of listening to loud music.

Rapper-turned-actor Plan B is also involved and said his tinnitus is so bad he is forced to sleep with earplugs.

He said: “There’s no doubt it’s been caused by years of being on stage and subjected to very loud decibels of music.”

If you have any questions about hearing loss or Tinnitus contact Hidden Hearing.

Source Belfast Telegraph >Read more

Research shows touch-sensing nerve cells may fuel ‘ringing in the ears’

U-M researcher Susan Shore and graduate student Seth Koehler discuss hearing data. Credit: University of Michigan Health System

A series of articles by various writers on medical topics this one is from medicalxpress.

We all know that it can take a little while for our hearing to bounce back after listening to our iPods too loud or attending a raucous concert. But new research at the University of Michigan Health System suggests over-exposure to noise can actually cause more lasting changes to our auditory circuitry – changes that may lead to tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears.

U-M researchers previously demonstrated that after hearing damage, touch-sensing “somatosensory” nerves in the face and neck can become overactive, seeming to overcompensate for the loss of auditory input in a way the brain interprets – or “hears” – as noise that isn’t really there.

The new study, which appears in the Feb. 1 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, found that somatosensory neurons maintain a high level of activity following exposure to loud noise, even after hearing itself returns to normal.

The findings were made in guinea pigs, but mark an important step toward potential relief for people plagued by tinnitus, says lead investigator Susan E. Shore, Ph.D., of U-M’s Kresge Hearing Research Institute and a professor of otolaryngology and molecular and integrative physiology at the U-M Medical School.

“The animals that developed tinnitus after a temporary loss in their hearing after loud noise exposure were the ones who had sustained increases in activity in these neural pathways,” Shore says. “In the future it may be possible to treat tinnitus patients by dampening the hyperactivity by reprogramming these auditory-touch circuits in the brain.”

In normal hearing, a part of the brain called the dorsal cochlear nucleus is the first stop for signals arriving from the ear via the auditory nerve. But it’s also a hub where “multitasking” neurons process other sensory signals, such as touch, together with hearing information.

During hearing loss, the other sensory signals entering the dorsal cochlear nucleus are amplified, Shore’s earlier research found. This overcompensation by the somatosensory neurons, which carry information about touch, vibration, skin temperature and pain, is believed to fuel tinnitus in many cases.

Tinnitus affects up to 50 million people in the United States and millions more worldwide, according to the American Tinnitus Association. It can range from intermittent and mildly annoying to chronic, severe and debilitating. There is no cure.

It especially affects baby boomers, who, as they reach an age at which hearing tends to diminish, increasingly find that tinnitus moves in. The condition most commonly occurs with hearing loss, but can also follow head and neck trauma, such as after an auto accident, or dental work. Tinnitus is the number one disability afflicting members of the armed forces.

The involvement of touch sensing (or “somatosensory”) nerves in the head and neck explains why many tinnitus sufferers can change the volume and pitch of the sound by clenching their jaw, or moving their head and neck, Shore explains.

While the new study builds on previous discoveries by Shore and her team, many aspects are new.

“This is the first research to show that, in the animals that developed tinnitus after hearing returned to normal, increased excitation from the somatosensory nerves in the head and neck continued. This dovetails with our previous research, which suggests this somatosensory excitation is a major component of tinnitus,” says Shore, who serves on the scientific advisory committee of the American Tinnitus Association.

“The better we understand the underlying causes of tinnitus, the better we’ll be able to develop new treatments,” she adds. If you have any questions about any aspect of hearing loss contact Hidden Hearing.