Using science and technology to cure tinnitus (ear ringing)

[Space Lynx]

New research could help millions who suffer from ‘ringing in the ears’

In the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers show that combining sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue can significantly reduce tinnitus, commonly described as “ringing in the ears.” They also found that therapeutic effects can be sustained for up to 12 months post-treatment.

twin-cities.umn.edu

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, Trinity College, St. James’s Hospital, University of Regensburg, University of Nottingham, and Irish medical device company Neuromod Devices Limited.

As someone who used to be in the headphone hobby and loved listening to different headphones, I have to say that I unfortunately do have tinnitus to a small degree from those, luckily for me its not horrible like it is for some people. The results from this study are promising and I personally am going to be looking into it more. I really wish more funding went into research for tinnitus.

This technology uses a special device on the tongue to send signals to the ears... if I read it right anyway, don't fully understand how it works, but it has really good results.

slightly off topic, but I wanted to also mention that it wasn't that long ago that needing a hearing aid cost 3000+ dollars if you were hard of hearing, but thanks to Bluetooth earbuds becoming so cheap, I know a bunch of different brands brought this cost down to under $200, and even Apple plans to update software to whatever their earbuds are called to have a sound enhancing function... we live in cool times... hopefully this trend will continue in other sectors.

 

[XpanD]

Experiences don't all seem to be positive, sadly: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/lenire-tinnitus-treatment.46023/

Worth a read, guy who owns that forum went in for it and documented the whole process. A few good replies from other people, too.

 

[Onasi]

Should be noted that this is referring to tinnitus from certain causes only, mostly auditory damage. There are about a billion different reasons why one might have ringing in the ears. Hell, I currently have some due to some acute tightness in neck muscles. Since I have already experienced something like that before, I know that in my case said ringing will subside and later go away when I do deal with that tightness (although progress is annoyingly slow). In other words, often tinnitus is a symptom of another issue/condition. In other cases it is not. So I would say that YMMV with a solution of any sort.

 

[Space Lynx]

Should be noted that this is referring to tinnitus from certain causes only, mostly auditory damage. There are about a billion different reasons why one might have ringing in the ears. Hell, I currently have some due to some acute tightness in neck muscles. Since I have already experienced something like that before, I know that in my case said ringing will subside and later go away when I do deal with that tightness (although progress is annoyingly slow). In other words, often tinnitus is a symptom of another issue/condition. In other cases it is not. So I would say that YMMV with a solution of any sort.

damn sorry to hear that man, imagine if tinnitus even got a fraction of the funding Covid did, I hope they find a cure someday, it drives me nuts some nights, most of the time its ok though heh

Experiences don't all seem to be positive, sadly: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/lenire-tinnitus-treatment.46023/

Worth a read, guy who owns that forum went in for it and documented the whole process. A few good replies from other people, too.

ty for this, reading it now, very interesting

edit: reading update below

Experiences don't all seem to be positive, sadly: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/lenire-tinnitus-treatment.46023/

Worth a read, guy who owns that forum went in for it and documented the whole process. A few good replies from other people, too.

just fyi on post number 36 the doctor even tells the person you linked here that the best results are those who have moderate to severe issue, and this poster is minor, so going into it they already knew results may not be as strong as the original study. just fyi that's what I took from this

 

[dgianstefani]

There's tech to regrow teeth too, but that has issues.

The main problem with most of these new ideas is that they can indeed stimulate new growth and/or repair damage but most of the guiding support molecules and biological programming (signalling) are missing. So you can repair some types of damage as mentioned, but it's really not a cure all.

 

[Onasi]

There's tech to regrow teeth too, but that has issues.

The main problem with most of these new ideas is that they can indeed stimulate new growth and/or repair damage but most of the guiding support molecules and biological programming (signalling) are missing. So you can repair some types of damage as mentioned, but it's really not a cure all.

Another issue with tech like this is practicality and costs. Like, yeah, theoretically regrowing teeth is neat. But it is staggeringly expensive from all I heard about the trials and the question is - with implants being as advanced, reliable, relatively affordable and mostly problem-less… why even bother developing something that does EFFECTIVELY the same at a significantly higher price and with more potential complications.

 

[dgianstefani]

Another issue with tech like this is practicality and costs. Like, yeah, theoretically regrowing teeth is neat. But it is staggeringly expensive from all I heard about the trials and the question is - with implants being as advanced, reliable, relatively affordable and mostly problem-less… why even bother developing something that does EFFECTIVELY the same at a significantly higher price and with more potential complications b

It's only expensive for now. The issue is people thinking they can ignore basic care of their body, and medicine can just fix them.

 

[Deleted member 239149]

If you meditate, when you reach stage 4, more or less consistently, of the mind illuminated book, you'll get a permanent white noise as well. Different reason of course. In this case, it is a good thing. That white noise was always there, now you got more conscious.

 

[Space Lynx]

It's only expensive for now. The issue is people thinking they can ignore basic care of their body, and medicine can just fix them.

Yeah, I still think basic care is the most important thing in all matters. I have never had a cavity for example, because I take care of myself in that regard very well, plus not drinking/smoking/vaping probably helps a lot too.

I no longer listen to headphones loudly either, to keep my issues at a (hopefully) minimum.

Main goal recently is just trying to eat healthier and exercise more. That is the two I struggle with the most, because American culture just it's so normal to sit all the time, and the cities are designed for driving, parking, sitting, rinse and repeat. Whereas in Europe and UK, I am constantly walking, but in a natural way I don't even realize I am exercising. lol

 

[Ivan Bliminse]

I've had Tinnitus for most of my adult life, most due to working under and around aircraft (apparently). I suffer from it worse when the weather isn't great, rain, thunderstorms etc..

 

[xtreemchaos]

Motorhead cure's all hearing problems .

 

[Space Lynx]

I've had Tinnitus for most of my adult life, most due to working under and around aircraft (apparently). I suffer from it worse when the weather isn't great, rain, thunderstorms etc..

My Uncle was a mechanic his whole life, he is retired now, but one of his major complaints is tinnitus, makes sense the more I think about it, because I remember seeing him work sometimes and some of the power tools like taking lug nuts off a tire were insanely loud. I also remember reading about some music stars who said in the early days of rock n roll no one knew any better and living a life time of tinnitus was horrible for them. Most performers now wear ear plugs I believe.

I just hope it gets fully cured in our life time, it seems like its not impossible. If it's the little hairs inside our air, why can't advanced robotics, synthetic materials, and possible medically focused AI someday perhaps make it solvable, maybe a surgery that replaces each little hair with a new synthetic one or something. Lasers can measure everything extremely precisely now, hence LASIK eye surgery. I don't know, I think it will be possible someday.

 

[dgianstefani]

My Uncle was a mechanic his whole life, he is retired now, but one of his major complaints is tinnitus, makes sense the more I think about it, because I remember seeing him work sometimes and some of the power tools like taking lug nuts off a tire were insanely loud. I also remember reading about some music stars who said in the early days of rock n roll no one knew any better and living a life time of tinnitus was horrible for them. Most performers now wear ear plugs I believe.

I just hope it gets fully cured in our life time, it seems like its not impossible. If it's the little hairs inside our air, why can't advanced robotics, synthetic materials, and possible medically focused AI someday perhaps make it solvable, maybe a surgery that replaces each little hair with a new synthetic one or something. Lasers can measure everything extremely precisely now, hence LASIK eye surgery. I don't know, I think it will be possible someday.

It's not necessarily the hair that gets damaged, it's the bone (ossicles), cochlea etc.

From memory, my physiology/anatomy on this is a bit rusty, the hair is primarily to remove ear wax and contaminants from the chamber.

Additionally, as @VSG can attest to with his CIEMs, everyone's ears are different.

 

[Onasi]

Yeah, I still think basic care is the most important thing in all matters. I have never had a cavity for example, because I take care of myself in that regard very well, plus not drinking/smoking/vaping probably helps a lot too.

That helps, but the biggest determining factor is environmental usually. I have always been strict with dental hygiene, have a family dentist I’ve solely visited for decades now, but living in a swamp with a continental harsh climate and fairly hard water does take its toll. Had a couple of small fixtures and my teeth enamel is godawful, although is much improved nowadays through said dentist efforts. Same environmental factors lead to the infamous “British teeth” phenomena, I gather.

It's not necessarily the hair that gets damaged, it's the bone (ossicles), cochlea etc.

View attachment 339223

From memory, my physiology/anatomy on this is a bit rusty, the hair is primarily to remove ear wax and contaminants from the chamber.

Additionally, as @VSG can attest to with his CIEMs, everyone's ears are different.

To make it even more complicated, a lot of tinnitus cases are not even diagnostically tied to the ear overall. If it’s vascular or neurological, which is quite common, regrowing ear tissue wont help much. It’s a famously hard symptom/condition to diagnose and find cause of.

 

[Psychoholic]

Tinnitus sucks.. i've noticed mine goes through the roof when i consume alot of sodium.

 

[dgianstefani]

Tinnitus sucks.. i've noticed mine goes through the roof when i consume alot of sodium.

Blood pressure related most likely.

 

[GerKNG]

i have a permanent one incl. hearing loss since i was 25.
so far every therapy has done nothing.

 

[taka]

I have it for more than 30 years, after a truck tyre explosion a few metters away from me. The only time i cant hear it is when i listen to loud music.

Motorhead cure's all hearing problems .

For me Pantera and Slipknot does the trick.

 

[freeagent]

For me it was listening to U-Drills squeal through various types of bar stock, most of it loud..

My left ear almost all the time.

 

[Space Lynx]

I feel like we should make it standardized in all health classes that you learn about safe hearing and the dangers of not taking care of your hearing, to be honest most people just aren't aware. This is one reason I will never go to a concert.

 

[dgianstefani]

I feel like we should make it standardized in all health classes that you learn about safe hearing and the dangers of not taking care of your hearing, to be honest most people just aren't aware. This is one reason I will never go to a concert.

Ah it's pretty obvious, your ears hurt if you listen to something too loud. What's next? Warning labels on milk that it contains milk? Oh wait we're already there.

Better information about how permanent damage can be permanent might help though, so you're right there.

 

[Space Lynx]

Ah it's pretty obvious, your ears hurt if you listen to something too loud. What's next? Warning labels on milk that it contains milk? Oh wait we're already there.

Better information about how permanent damage can be permanent might help though, so you're right there.

I am talking about middle school age range, kids don't think things through, and sometimes examples of how the ringing can be maddening might be enough to help them think twice before even going on a plane without earplugs. Also, even just sweeping your house with a vacuum is loud as hell, I am the only one that I am aware that wears hearing protection during regular sweeping, and I have no regrets, so eh. Education is important in some regard, you underestimate how much people don't think things through. I am not sure I agree with the warning label on milk though... so you are right there should be limits.

 

[Onasi]

I am not sure I agree with the warning label on milk though... so you are right there should be limits.

You’d think so, but I have a feeling that the majority of people really do have very little idea that they might be lactose intolerant, which nowadays a lot of people are with age. So… why not. Same energy as “don’t use the microwave to dry your cat” warning I remember from some manuals.

Also, even just sweeping your house with a vacuum is loud as hell, I am the only one that I am aware that wears hearing protection during regular sweeping, and I have no regrets, so eh.

You must have an impressively powerful vacuum. My battery powered one barely gets loud on a door rug, let alone on the hard floor of the rest of my apartment. I got rid of all the carpets for that reason mostly - to not require a powerful cleaner that I’d have to lug around.

 

[NC37]

Should be noted that this is referring to tinnitus from certain causes only, mostly auditory damage. There are about a billion different reasons why one might have ringing in the ears. Hell, I currently have some due to some acute tightness in neck muscles. Since I have already experienced something like that before, I know that in my case said ringing will subside and later go away when I do deal with that tightness (although progress is annoyingly slow). In other words, often tinnitus is a symptom of another issue/condition. In other cases it is not. So I would say that YMMV with a solution of any sort.

As one who has it caused by chemo drugs that damaged both nerves and the little hairs within the ears, yep...it's not so simple of a problem to fix.

 

[Space Lynx]

As one who has it caused by chemo drugs that damaged both nerves and the little hairs within the ears, yep...it's not so simple of a problem to fix.

I'm hopeful that AI and robotics will continue to advance at a rapid pace, and someday we will get a solution for everyone. I think we will anyway. Concentrated AI designed for research and development in various medical fields... I think ten years from now the world is going to be a very different place. I hope so anyway.