Posted on 05/08/2018 1:26:57 PM PDT by Red Badger
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Tinnitus affects 50 million Americans. It’s commonly called ringing in the ears, but it can bring other sounds like whooshing, hissing, whistling, buzzing and humming, and there’s no cure for the annoying, sometimes debilitating problem.
But there’s now new technology that is helping alleviate the symptoms.
Nick Stein says he has tried just about everything to relieve the ringing in his ears.
“Having to have a fan on when I went to sleep, or having a machine that makes sounds, like the sound of rain or a burbling brook,” Stein said.
So his doctor suggested he try the Levo System. Dr. Yu-Tung Wong of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles says the recently FDA-cleared therapy trains the brain to ignore the ringing.
“It’s very difficult to say that you are going to be able to make the sound disappear completely. What you’re trying to do with most tinnitus treatments is make the sound more tolerable,” Wong said.
The technology mimics the sound of a patient’s tinnitus. The patient then listens to the sound on an iPod while sleeping for 90 nights non-stop. The brain becomes more accustomed to the sound over that time.
“At nighttime when you’re sleeping your brain is more plastic. It’s more receptive to these kinds of changes,” Wong said.
Stein said his perception of the ringing sound has been reduced by 50 percent.
“My mood has improved. My focus has improved,” he said.
And he said he’s grateful he can now go for days and hardly notice his tinnitus.
Conventional tinnitus-masking systems produce sounds that distract the sufferer. The Levo system may actually re-wire the brain so that it can ignore the tinnitus. It’s not a cure, but it could be a relief.
buzzingI really hope I never get that.
Mine has always been ‘ringing’ but on some days there is ‘Gregorian Chants’...................
Nothing ‘new’ here.
I have been experiencing the periods of ‘forgetting’ my ears etal are ‘ringing’ so loud that I swear people near me can hear it.
I was thinking that over time your brain ‘tricks’ you into thinking there is nothing there ( an old joke???They xrayed my brain and found nothing? ) because on occasion I have to ‘remind’ myself of the malady....
I definitely am unable to sleep without some kind of white noise in the background....
This too shall pass..
Just last week I was ‘reminiscing’ that it seemed like yesterday I was biting my toenails while today I can hardly position myself to clip them..
(FOR the ‘old fart’ that you think has everything...A pedicure is a good answer ... once he goes, he will be going back...<: <:)
My mother suffered from ringing in the ears and my wife is bothered from time to time.
My mother would always listen to the radio to fall asleep.
I hope that you never get; however, there are people ( Commies and other damned lefties and #NEVERTRUMPERS ! ) whom I DO wish it on!
I have had tinnitus in both ears, for 49 years. I got it at the range, at Fort Ord, during basic training.
The injury also caused diminished hearing.
From day one, I decided to adapt, accept since the condition was explained then, as being permanent nerve damage, and not treatable.
So my plastic brain adapted on its own. If I focus, I hear the sound. But most of the time, I don’t notice anything, since I don’t try to find it, so to speak.
Don’t think I could sleep for 90 nights non-stop.
Thanks for the ping Red Badger.
No idea.................But one day a couple of months ago I accidentally took two days worth of my BP medicines and my tinnitus decreased dramatically..........My BP was 112/65.....................
You should apply for VA disability, 10% for hearing loss...................
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Plus the VA now gives hearing aids..............
hearing issues are in my family line, but all i notice so far is if i eat too much sugar as in bakery, ice-cream, etc or carbs that quickly turn to sugar my ears ring for a while then stop. If i avoid processed sweets and refinded carbs - I have no problem. Can eat fruit and veggie sweets no problem. I suggest that to my clients and friends that bring up hearing issues to look at their food intake.
Though there are real ear and hearing issues, some can be self inflicted by food choices.
My ears used to ring a lot, but now I am so hard of hearing, I do not notice it!
Just a mention, I was on Ambien for a while and the ear ringing was awful. Quit the drug and the silence is golden. I have heard this from other benzo and benzo type drug users, too.
Thank you , RB.
this is the same: https://www.audionotch.com/
My tinnitus came on like hitting a switch. Full blown instantly. I was awake for over 75 hours before the hospital put me under. My doc and I tried all the sleeping potions which gave me either nightmares, hallucinations, or such a restless sleep it was worse than no sleep.
I found Dr. Phau’s program which actually helps. He has a 2% full cure rate ( not me) but a large & of people who it helps (me).
It takes some getting used to, but if you stick with it, it really helps.
OHSU, top NW hospital’s tinnitus clinic, told me I had one of the worst cases they had seen, recommended specialized hearing aids to help mask and put the sounds into the background. Did, went to Widex, best thing I ever did, $3k to 7K, MINE COST $6,500 AND AS MY WIF3E SAID, “WE WOULD HAVE PAID $50K” Web cost will half that but then you don’t have access to a good audiologist. Need help? contact me! Be glad to help.
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