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The cause of tinnitus is not certain. Exposure to loud noises can damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear and lead to hearing loss. Sometimes that hearing loss is associated with a "ringing" sound in the ears. Wax build-up in the ear canal can also obstruct hearing and cause tinnitus.
Some medications can cause ear ringing as a side effect. Certain drugs can also damage the hearing structures in the ear. Certain physical conditions can cause the ear to perceive sound. Some people with cardiovascular disease "hear" a pulsating sound that occurs in conjunction with the heart beat (caused by the pressure of blood as it flows through the blood vessels, which is misinterpreted as a sound). Head and neck trauma or brain tumor can also cause tinnitus.
According to the American Tinnitus Association, about 50 million Americans have some degree of tinnitus. For about two million of them, the symptoms are so severe they have difficulty functioning in normal everyday activities. Tinnitus can affect people of ages, but is most commonly diagnosed in older adults. Research indicates the condition affects about 12.1 percent of those 60 to 69. By 70, up to 30 percent of patients report the symptoms. In the U.S., men are affected more often than women.
Treating Tinnitus There is no cure for tinnitus. However, there are some treatments that may ease the symptoms or enable a patient to cope with the "noise." Hearing aids may be useful for patients with hearing loss. The devices amplify sound and increase clarity, making it easier for some people to ignore the extra sounds. Some patients gain relief with medications or relaxation techniques.
Masking devices are tiny electronic units that emit various sounds. Introduction of another sound sometimes helps filter out the tinnitus. It may take some time to find the best sound filter. But once identified, the new sound provides immediate relief. A similar treatment, called tinnitus retraining therapy, uses a combination of a low-volume sound generator and counseling to retrain the brain to ignore the tinnitus. It can take up to two years for tinnitus retraining therapy to reach maximum effectiveness.
New Uses for an Old Drug Some researchers compare tinnitus to a condition called phantom limb pain. Patients with phantom limb pain continue to experience perceived pain in an amputated limb despite the physical loss of the limb. In other words, the limb is no longer there, but patients continue to feel pain as if it was still attached to the body. Tinnitus has a similar effect though there is no real sound, the ear still "hears" noise.
Several years ago, a doctor prescribed the anti-seizure drug, gabapentin for a patient with phantom limb pain. The drug had no effect on the symptoms of phantom limb pain, but the patient reported an improvement in his tinnitus. Although gabapentin isn't approved for tinnitus, doctors wanted to further explore the potential use of the drug for the condition.
In a small pilot study, doctors gave gabapentin to 20 patients with tinnitus. About one-third of those treated with the drug experienced relief of their symptoms. The drug wasn't a cure. But the apparent ability to tone down the tinnitus symptoms warranted more study.
Researchers in St. Louis are currently enrolling 160 patients with tinnitus in a study with gabapentin. Half the participants will get the drug and half will get a placebo. Neither doctors nor participants will know who is receiving the active medication.
Once the study is complete, doctors will evaluate the findings. If gabapentin proves to be useful, it will be the first medication to actually treat tinnitus not just the symptoms. Doctors stress gabapentin doesn't work for everyone and some patients may gain enough relief from simple interventions, like masking or tinnitus retraining therapy.
From WSOCTV.com
Some medications can cause ear ringing as a side effect. Certain drugs can also damage the hearing structures in the ear. Certain physical conditions can cause the ear to perceive sound. Some people with cardiovascular disease "hear" a pulsating sound that occurs in conjunction with the heart beat (caused by the pressure of blood as it flows through the blood vessels, which is misinterpreted as a sound). Head and neck trauma or brain tumor can also cause tinnitus.
According to the American Tinnitus Association, about 50 million Americans have some degree of tinnitus. For about two million of them, the symptoms are so severe they have difficulty functioning in normal everyday activities. Tinnitus can affect people of ages, but is most commonly diagnosed in older adults. Research indicates the condition affects about 12.1 percent of those 60 to 69. By 70, up to 30 percent of patients report the symptoms. In the U.S., men are affected more often than women.
Treating Tinnitus There is no cure for tinnitus. However, there are some treatments that may ease the symptoms or enable a patient to cope with the "noise." Hearing aids may be useful for patients with hearing loss. The devices amplify sound and increase clarity, making it easier for some people to ignore the extra sounds. Some patients gain relief with medications or relaxation techniques.
Masking devices are tiny electronic units that emit various sounds. Introduction of another sound sometimes helps filter out the tinnitus. It may take some time to find the best sound filter. But once identified, the new sound provides immediate relief. A similar treatment, called tinnitus retraining therapy, uses a combination of a low-volume sound generator and counseling to retrain the brain to ignore the tinnitus. It can take up to two years for tinnitus retraining therapy to reach maximum effectiveness.
New Uses for an Old Drug Some researchers compare tinnitus to a condition called phantom limb pain. Patients with phantom limb pain continue to experience perceived pain in an amputated limb despite the physical loss of the limb. In other words, the limb is no longer there, but patients continue to feel pain as if it was still attached to the body. Tinnitus has a similar effect though there is no real sound, the ear still "hears" noise.
Several years ago, a doctor prescribed the anti-seizure drug, gabapentin for a patient with phantom limb pain. The drug had no effect on the symptoms of phantom limb pain, but the patient reported an improvement in his tinnitus. Although gabapentin isn't approved for tinnitus, doctors wanted to further explore the potential use of the drug for the condition.
In a small pilot study, doctors gave gabapentin to 20 patients with tinnitus. About one-third of those treated with the drug experienced relief of their symptoms. The drug wasn't a cure. But the apparent ability to tone down the tinnitus symptoms warranted more study.
Researchers in St. Louis are currently enrolling 160 patients with tinnitus in a study with gabapentin. Half the participants will get the drug and half will get a placebo. Neither doctors nor participants will know who is receiving the active medication.
Once the study is complete, doctors will evaluate the findings. If gabapentin proves to be useful, it will be the first medication to actually treat tinnitus not just the symptoms. Doctors stress gabapentin doesn't work for everyone and some patients may gain enough relief from simple interventions, like masking or tinnitus retraining therapy.
From WSOCTV.com