Posted on 03/25/2011 6:55:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
A constant annoying ringing in the ears – called tinnitus - didn't go away when researchers tried zapping patients' heads with magnetic waves in a recent study.
The researchers still think magnetic therapy could work, if they can find the right part of the brain to apply it to.
"We haven't found the sweet spot yet," said Dr. Jay Piccirillo, the lead author of the study and a professor of ear, nose and throat surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri.
Tinnitus is caused by a "phantom" sound, thought to be the result of mis-wired brain cells. The condition is common. One study estimated that 50 million Americans experience chronic ringing in their ears at some point in their lives. Piccirillo said most people are not bothered by the ringing. A very small fraction of people are crippled by the sound, however. Some become depressed, or even suicidal.
Doctors who treated the patients in the current study generated magnetic waves outside each person's head that traveled through the skull into the brain; the waves would temporarily rewire the brain's circuits. Several studies in Europe have found that sessions of such magnetic therapy can help relieve ear ringing.
In the United States, sending magnetic waves to the brain is approved for use in patients with depression, but it is only experimental for tinnitus. Piccirillo and his colleagues recruited 14 patients who were severely bothered by the ringing in their ears.
All of them received 10 treatments with a magnet over a 2-week period, and another 10 sessions over another 2 weeks using a fake magnet. The order of the 2-week periods was flipped in half of the patients.
After the treatments, the ringing was no better than before.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I mentioned it to my reg. doctor and he said many different things can cause it, including some medicine, even Pepto Bismol.
In my case, I didn’t have it until that incident with the jet fly over.
That’s what mine sounds like. High pitched and gets louder at night. Does that make sense? I am trying out leaving the tv on all night to be able to sleep.
It worked, last night was the first night I slept all night since Jan.
As a former U.S. Air Force corpsman I did hearing tests on Air Force pilots and crew chiefs.
The hearing damage was phenomenal.
Thanks!! I’ve had tinnitus for many years with many of the symptoms shown. I understood that it was primarily from stress and have been on different antidepressants.
I’m going to check out these homeopathic remedies, and with my pharmacist to see if one might help.
You’re not helping. ;^)
I hated doing exhaust inspections. The dirtiest and HOTTEST job on the F-16 Flt line.
That looks like a PW engine btw.
My husband has terrible tinnitus. At this point, I think he would try accupunction. I’m going to suggest it.
My husband has a history of kidney problems. Nothing is going on right now that we know of. However, his tinnitus is flaring up, and it’s really bad now.
This is an interesting thread.
Hell, I’ll give anything a go at this point.
Many medications can intensify existing tinnitus. Heart meds, i.e. Lisinopril/amlodipine. Most unpleasant predicament to put a patient in.
Gregorian Chants...............
“So you get 20% for tinnitus? Were there other mitigating conditions?”
Why do you ask?
Do you suffer from tinnitus?
Just askin’
It wasn’t meant to be. It’s true. And not only me, but other people have reported it too.................
HUH?
Seriously, yes I do.
You’ll see many benefits, so if the tinitus doesn’t go away you’ll still be better off.
I was an MTR operator at a Nike-Herc. battery from ‘68 to ‘71. The electronic noise was constant.
However, I didn’t notice the tinnitus until about 1990 when, as plate ump, I was hit in the face mask by a pitch ball. It has been constant since then.
“Acupuncture seems to have some value”
Tried it with a couple different Chinese acupuncturists. No relief at all. Even had the gold pins that stay in your ears for about a week.
I have live it for all my married life...I should have had a clue by her first name...Tinnitus....but lust got the better of me :)
Head injuries, concussive type injuries, loud noises, illness, medications...tinnitus can have multiple etiologies even in the same patient.
I’ve read that. It’s very interesting............
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