An article from Media-Newswire.com reports that a professor of audiology and molecular pharmacology (who has tinnitus) is conducting research on, of all things, zebrafish, to learn if it is possible repair damaged hair cells of the ear. Ernest Moore, who teaches at Northwestern University, developed tinnitus twenty years ago in the US Army from exposure to artillery explosions and the crack of rifle fire (similar to Arches’ Barry Keate). 

Zebrafish have ears that are remarkably similar to humans. By exposing them to drugs that induce tinnitus, he then tracks their erratic swimming patterns on video. Moore then looks at the cells in their ears to see if the electrical firing has increased, an early sign of damage and tinnitus.  His early findings show an increased firing.

Then Moore attempts to block this effect with drugs to return the cells to their normal activity. In preliminary research, it appears the drugs he has tested do slow down the increased electrical firing or tinnitus-like behavior of the hair cells in the ear.

“If these drugs are found to be safe, and some are already on the market for other uses, and if they are found to have efficacy in humans, then they might be used to treat an individual’s tinnitus,” Moore said.

“If the hair cell is not totally damaged; just beginning to break down, and you administer these drugs, you might be able to prevent it from further damage and interfere with the cells’ ability to generate tinnitus,” Moore explained.

Based on his research Moore hopes to conduct clinical trials on humans to learn if these drugs may prove effective on patients with tinnitus. The  US Department of Defense has opened $50 million of funds for research on tinnitus due to the growing presence of hearing-related injuries now seen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moore has applied to launch the clinical trial with the drugs he has used with the zebrafish.

Half of the soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan exposed to explosive devices suffer from tinnitus. The major cause is exposure to loud noises, which can damage and destroy hair cells of the inner ear. It’s the number one war-related disability. This new funding increase is an important if belated acknowledgement by the US government for the need for more research. Despite the widespread suffering, there has only been $3 million allotted for public and private research.

Brent Curtis – Editor

Jay Neuhaus, DDS, has revealed that he uses neuromuscular dentistry to measure and correct imbalances in the alignment and efficiency of a person’s teeth.

He uses a Tekscan tooth pressure device which measures the pressure exerted by each individual tooth. Dr. Neuhaus believes, as a number of other medical professional do, that underlying muscular pathology, such as a poor bite, can have serious health implications.

He cites tinnitus, lockjaw, loss of hearing, inflammatory joint disease and arthritis as some of the problems that can be caused by poor bite, as well as the breakdown of natural teeth.

A related condition, Tempero-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ), can have similar consequences and is a frequent contributor to tinnitus.

Barry Keate

May 18-24, 2008 is named as 2008 National Tinnitus Awareness Week (TAW) with the theme, “Moving the world toward a cure.” Sponsored by the American Tinnitus Association in order to bring "our nation together to build understanding and compassion for tinnitus patients everywhere." The ATA is planning activities throughout the month of May that will highlight the problem of tinnitus and the urgent need for research.

"Of the more than 13,000 health care providers who are members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO)_, exactly three of them officially practice holistic otolaryngology as members of the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA)…," according to the latest issue of ENT Today (April 2008).

The article goes on to describe the individual philosophies and work of these medical doctors and each uses natural supplements, meditation, and acupuncture along with standard conventional medical treatments. Where considered appropriate they will bring their holistic talents to bear basic hearing issues such as tinnitus, sinusitus, and allergies.

While there are only three otolaryngologists who are members of the AHMA, many ENT doctors are embracing so-called "alternative" treatments for a myriad of conditions including tinnitus. Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula® is recommended by nearly 1,500 ENT physicians for their patients with tinnitus.

Michael Seidman, MD FACS, considered by his peers in the AAO one of the preeminent tinnitus authorities, agrees, "I recommend Arches Tinnitus Combo Pack, a three-month supply of Arches Tinnitus Relief, Stress and B-12 Formulas. At a minimum, I tell my patients to take at least four bottles (three months) of Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula® to determine their total degree of relief." While firmly grounded in conventional medicine and surgery, Dr. Seidman’s believes it is important for a physician to avail his patients of "alternative" therapies when warranted. In addition to being co-director of a tinnitus clinic for a major healthcare system he was also named  the Chair of the Complementary / Integrative Medicine Program.

Two of the main active ingredients in Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula are Ginkgo Biloba Extract and zinc, chelated to improve absorption. And though these are considered "natural" and "alternative", both have been shown in numerous placebo-controlled studies to be effective for many in reducing tinnitus noise.

Brent Curtis – Editor

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A new multi-center clinical study to focus on rTMS for the treatment of tinnitus is to be conducted in Germany using a relatively large number of individuals. Previous studies have been mono-centric using a small sampling size.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive method which allows to focally modulate neuronal activity. An increasing amount of studies demonstrate reduction of tinnitus after repeated sessions of low-frequency rTMS and indicate that rTMS might represent a new promising approach for the treatment of tinnitus.

The new study seeks up to 150 individuals, both men and women, ages 18-70 with chronic tinnitus. The study will be conducted by ENT physicians and psychiatrists of 7 university hospitals and 1 municipal hospital in Germany.

Brent Curtis – Editor

A new generation hearing aid is just now coming on the market, as reported in the New York Times, April 15, 2008. Called the Lyric, it is a miniature hearing aid that is inserted deep in the ear canal, only four millimeters (about one-sixth of an inch) from the ear drum. Being so close to the ear drum, sounds are more natural because they do not have to be amplified as much. There are no feedback squeals or over amplification of background sounds. The Lyric is surrounded by a spongy material that allows moisture to escape to prevent infection.

The device is controlled using a magnet which can turn it on and off, control the volume and remove the device when the batteries expire. It is designed to be worn 24 hours a day. The batteries last from one to four months and are not replaceable. When they die the entire hearing aid is replaced. Customers do not buy new devices every time but typically pay an annual subscription fee of $2,900 to $3,600 for both ears. If hearing loss is only in one ear the charge is less.

Hearing aids are a common way to mask tinnitus sounds. This product is made by InSound Medical of Newark, CA. Only 500 patients are currently using it but the number is expected to increase dramatically in the near future. Right now the Lyric hearing aid is offered through a dozen clinics in California, Florida and New Jersey but it should be available through 100 clinics by the end of the year.

Medical technology giant, Medtronic, received approval from the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery for a policy statement concluding that the use of micropressure for Meniere’s disease is appropriate when other medical treatments fail.

The Minneapolis-based corporation said Thursday (4/10/08),  that it plans to work toward removal of the "investigation" label many insurers affix to its Medtronic Meniett device for treating the inner-ear disorder.

Meniere’s disease is associated with excess fluid in the inner ear. Symptoms include dizziness, tinnitus, fluctuating hearing loss and a sensation of pressure or pain in the ear.

Brent Curtis – Editor

An annual rock music festival in support of teen suicide prevention is titled "Teen Tinnitus" and is billed as a "celebration of life." It takes place April 12, 2008 in Coudersport, PA.

We applaud the festival’s positive focus but find the five-hour rock concert’s name a bit ironic. One of the fastest growing segments of tinnitus is among teens. In focus-group discussions conducted in the Netherlands with high school students found that most teens interviewed feel that they have a "low personal vulnerability" to hearing loss and tinnitus. The study’s findings suggest that one answer may be found in solutions like volume caps or warning lights for MP3 players, rather than with the self-control of the end user.

In the meantime we hope that festival organizers provide their audience  with a brief discussion of what their festival’s name implies.

Brent Curtis – Editor

Low frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) of the temporal cortex has been proposed as a new treatment for patients with chronic tinnitus. However, functional abnormalities in tinnitus patients also involve brain structures used for attention and emotional processing, such as the prefrontal cortex. Therefore, researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new rTMS treatment strategy for tinnitus patients that consists of a combination of high-frequency prefrontal and low-frequency temporal rTMS. Directly after therapy there was an improvement in the Tinnitus Questionnaire score for both groups but no difference between groups. An evaluation after 3 months revealed a remarkable benefit from the use of combined prefrontal and temporal rTMS treatment. These results support recent data that suggest that auditory and non-auditory brain areas are involved in tinnitus pathophysiology.

Barry Keate

Baby boomers are experiencing in greater numbers the effects of loud rock music listened to over the years. I know this fact first hand. Having played in numerous “garage bands” in my youth and standing face to face with a wall of tie-dyed speakers at “Dead” concerts, I have  bouts of hearing loss and tinnitus that seem  to increase with age.

But the hearing damage being done to the generations of MP3 (think IPod) enthusiasts may prove much worse.

IPod users and the like are pumping music at dangerous decibel levels into the heart of the inner ear canal which over time can do long-term harm and desensitize their ears to further damage.

In Spring of 2007, Apple marked the 100 millionth IPod sold worldwide, making it the fastest-selling music player in history. As of June of 2006  as many as one in five Americans over the age of 12 now own portable MP3 Players and one in 20 own more than one, according to the global  research firm Ipsos. Over half of American teens now own some form of an MP3 player and one third of 18 to 34 year-olds own one.

The dark side to this impressive business growth is the explosion of hearing-related maladies in the younger generation including hearing loss and tinnitus. Many people are listening to their ear buds at volumes high enough to create permanent hearing loss. While snug fitting ear buds provide great sound definition, they increase decibel penetration into the inner ear.

According to a study published last year in the Journal Ear and Hearing reported that on average, the smaller the ear bud, the deeper they fit in your ear canal, the higher their output levels are at any given volume control setting. For example, the white headphones sold with the iPod, will increase sound levels by up to 9 decibels. Although 9 decibels don’t sound like much, that is about the difference between an alarm clock and a lawn mower.

Brent Curtis – Editor