I just read an article about how if everyone with tinnitus would just focus on other things, besides our tinnitus, we can rewire our own brain and cure our tinnitus through deep breathing exercises.
It would be nice if it were true. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been used successfully to relieve some tinnitus patients from feelings of despair and hopelessness that come with tinnitus grieving and flare ups. The treatment is helpful but it is not a cure. The treatment has to be practiced often to keep the negative emotions that come with tinnitus to a minimum.
People who claim that CBT cured tinnitus are likely people who have a depressive disorder. Naturally, if CBT works it will reduce the release of stress reactive serotonin associated with the disorder and reduce the tinnitus to a point that the brain can begin to ignore. There is no rewiring of the brain involved. It has to do with serotonin control.
There is a known grieving process over the idea of never having a quiet moment again. That grieving process can be shortened, for some people, by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication if necessary. Grieving can flare up with tinnitus flare ups. CBT helps tinnitus sufferers cope with the emotions associated with a flare up and recognize signs of grieving. Identifying the signs can help tinnitus sufferers to navigate the negative emotional waters until the flare up quiets down.
Wait, if CBT works for one tinnitus sufferer it should work for everyone with tinnitus...right? No. There is no treatment that works universally for everyone. There are various reasons why someone may have tinnitus such as cochlear cilia damage, mid-brain damage, traumatic brain injury, brain cancer, brain tumor, brain lesion, PTSD, Parkinson's disease, heat stroke, auditory nerve damage, Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, and serotonin syndrome for starters.
I believe that the threshold for whether CBT could work would be if the internal sound is below 85 decibels (with no brain damage). If the tinnitus is above 85 decibels, for long durations, I don't believe that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy would work. At that point the sound is nearly impossible to ignore without performance declination and or sleep deprivation. At that point anti-depressive and sleep medications may be necessary. Also, if there is physical damage to the pre-frontal cortex and the mid-brain (as in the case of a car accident survivor) the tinnitus patient may not be physically able to ignore the internal sound.
I also believe that it is cruel to try to convince a severe tinnitus sufferer (above the 85 decibels threshold) that he or she can cure the tinnitus through CBT. As I've often said, each of us has our own unique tinnitus. We may share the same types of internal noise but the underlying reason as to why we have tinnitus varies. This is why the treatment regimen for each tinnitus patient is so variable. No treatment works for everyone, yet.
I never discount a treatment. I never discount a testimonial. I encourage other tinnitus sufferers to try anything and everything that his or her individual treatment team recommends. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may be one of the many suggested treatments to try. If a treatment doesn't work then move on. Not every treatment recommendation is going to work. The goal is to manage the tinnitus.
One problem is that a treatment provider can become so fixated and convinced that a certain treatment, like CBT, works universally for everyone that he or she can cause stress for the patient who communicates that the treatment is not working.
No treatment provider, who is practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on tinnitus patients, really wants to hear that the treatment is not working. Some treatment providers may go so far as to insist that the treatment does work universally and that the patient needs to just try harder. That is like telling a patient with no eyes to just focus on something else, other than the blindness, and breath deeply and soon he or she will be able to see better.
No treatment provider should tell a tinnitus patient that has serotonin syndrome or pre-frontal cortex damage to try harder. The stress of failure to achieve the desired result of the treatment provider can cause excess serotonin to be released from the mid-brain of the patient which could cause a chain reaction of toxic dispersion throughout the patient's body which could lead to worsening of the underlying condition and even development of other multiple health conditions.
Providers and patients should accept when a treatment is not working and move on to something else. Accept what does not work and find out what does work for the individual patient.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Tinnitus: Coping with Christmas
Christmas can be a joyous time of year spent with friends and family. It can also be very annoying for people who suffer from chronic severe subjective tinnitus and hyperacusis. It isn't your fault that Aunt Ethel talks in a high pitched voice that causes your tinnitus to flare up. But what can you do? You don't want to be rude and offend her by asking her to tone down her voice.
Christmas choirs, bells, music, crowd noise, delivery trucks, buses, kids crying in the mall, even the tearing open of wrapping paper can all annoy hyperacusis and tinnitus sufferers to the point of experiencing anxiety. We want to flee to a quieter area. Why? It isn't because we don't love Aunt Ethel, it is because the sound of her voice causes our ears to amplify her voice louder and above what is normal. The amplification can cause the tinnitus to flare up. It is the ear and the brain that is the problem not the relative.
You can avoid all of that. Purchase some high quality Bose noise cancellation headphones and you may be able to cancel the annoying part of Aunt Ethel's voice and yet still hear her. The headphones are pricey but well worth the price.
Christmas choirs, bells, music, crowd noise, delivery trucks, buses, kids crying in the mall, even the tearing open of wrapping paper can all annoy hyperacusis and tinnitus sufferers to the point of experiencing anxiety. We want to flee to a quieter area. Why? It isn't because we don't love Aunt Ethel, it is because the sound of her voice causes our ears to amplify her voice louder and above what is normal. The amplification can cause the tinnitus to flare up. It is the ear and the brain that is the problem not the relative.
You can avoid all of that. Purchase some high quality Bose noise cancellation headphones and you may be able to cancel the annoying part of Aunt Ethel's voice and yet still hear her. The headphones are pricey but well worth the price.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tinnitus: The Fourth Phase of Water
This post is for tinnitus researchers. After watching the linked videos of Dr. Pollack's research you may want to consider whether or not the auditory system contains EZ water (a.k.a. The Fourth Phase of Water).
If the auditory system does contain EZ water then it may be acting more like a water pump, during electromagnetic radiation overexposure, and less like an air vibration-to-sound translation system (which is the auditory system's normal function).
I rarely recommend products on this site. I have to know the product will benefit the readers. This is a book that I highly recommend. It costs around $30 which is less than a cup of coffee each day for a month. The book is a must read.
Link to Dr. Pollack's book: The Fourth Phase of Water
http://www.ebnerandsons.com
Dr. Pollack's videos:
Part I
Dr. Pollack, University of Washington
Part II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHWueBp23c
If the auditory system does contain EZ water then it may be acting more like a water pump, during electromagnetic radiation overexposure, and less like an air vibration-to-sound translation system (which is the auditory system's normal function).
I rarely recommend products on this site. I have to know the product will benefit the readers. This is a book that I highly recommend. It costs around $30 which is less than a cup of coffee each day for a month. The book is a must read.
Link to Dr. Pollack's book: The Fourth Phase of Water
http://www.ebnerandsons.com
Dr. Pollack's videos:
Part I
Dr. Pollack, University of Washington
Part II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHWueBp23c
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Tinnitus: Taser
Disclaimer: Law enforcement officers that may be reading this post shouldn't be offended. I'm pointing out the potential flaws of the taser not law enforcement or the legal system.
As we are recently learning, electromagnetic radiation can remap the hippocampus and basal ganglia of the brain and cause health issues (including tinnitus). The electricity administered by a taser may change the shelf life of cells in the body and cause acute and latent effects (including tinnitus).
The biological effects of taser shock should be reconsidered and restudied and stricter regulations should be considered. It may be possible for a person who has experienced taser shock to begin to experience tinnitus or other health issues from 1-20 years after the taser event.
In police officer training, some cadets volunteer to experience taser shock in order to experience what suspects feel (and perhaps a little cadet bravado is involved). That one shock event could change the cadet's cells and even reduce his or her lifespan.
Electric shock can change the timing mechanisms inside of human cells. This includes cochlear cells that are suspended in liquid which conducts the current. The possibility exists that taser shock can kill the cochlear cells and cause damage to the auditory system. Taser clearly has effects on the central nervous system which is a biological effect. The auditory system is very delicate. Why wouldn't the auditory system be affected?
I understand and am sympathetic to the protections that tasers provide for police officers. If a suspect is truly innocent before proven guilty then is it right to administer a weapon that causes biological effects that may not show up until years after the suspect's trial?
Consider that Huxley and Hodkin won a Nobel Peace Prize for determining that electricity is conducted by and also burns brain axons. This, in turn, may cause lymphocyte cells to attack the altered brain cells.
Suspects are often questioned by police officers immediately after the taser event. "Who are you? Where were you going? Am I going to find anything illegal on you or in your vehicle? Is this your vehicle? Why were you resisting?"
The suspect may have lost the ability to reason properly enough to remain silent. In essence, the taser may (I stress the word may) have made the suspect unable to remain silent which is a violation of their constitutional right in the United States. This should be studied further.
Metal objects can create a localized field and so any dental work that the suspect has or jewelry that the suspect is wearing, particularly earrings, may make the electrical current worse in the brain by concentrating the shock in those areas and intensifying the effects. This is why MRI specialists ask for all metal objects to be removed prior to entering the MRI.
The localized field phenomena can affect the mid-brain (which we now know is responsible for Parkinson's disease and some tinnitus). In essence, hyper-electric shock between the dental fillings and the earrings, nose ring, etc. could intensify the power and burn axons inside of the suspects brain. If a suspect is wearing a necklace then the heart may experience the brunt force of the shock.
The people who die from taser shock are often pronounced dead for other reasons and not the taser. That needs to be reviewed because it points to a sacred cow mentality and has more to do with the affinity of some people for the short-term effectiveness of the taser than the actual scientific biological effects on the human being that is being shocked.
When the cells inside the heart are heated they oscillate quicker and within seconds break apart. Inside of the cells are delicate strands of DNA. They break apart. When too many cells break apart the brain and heart give up. It can be likened to being shot in the heart or head, for some people.
In my opinion, taser should never ever be used on a pregnant women. There have been a number of studies that show the effects of electricity on developing mammal babies. None of the results were good. The babies cells are more delicate than an adult's cells, especially baby fat that is highly conductive material. The umbilical chord may even act as a conductive wire. Apart from sending nutrients from the mother to the baby it is also sending electrical stimulation. To shock the mother is to shock the baby. The shocked baby may live but will likely be endowed with a life of chronic health issues and no one would be able to attribute the issues back to when the mother experienced taser shock.
I believe that some people may be more sensitive to electric shock than others due to body composition and individual resonance. In my view everyone has their own unique body resonance and conductivity.
The manufacturers of tasers wrongly point to the idea that the skin acts as a "Faraday Shield." Therefore, in their minds, there are no long-term health effects. That's a good talking point. I mean, it sounds reasonable? Why look any further into it? Penn State University looked into this and you can find the results in the attached link.
The skin is pierced by two metal prongs during a taser event so no, there is no Faraday Shield. Even if there was a Faraday Shield protection, biophysicists that do not work for the electronics industry would tell you that on average 15% of the electricity would still penetrate into deep tissue and travel rapidly to the localized field sources. 85% of the electricity would be fought off by the interaction with the skin but not without cost. This is according to Persinger.
The fighting off of the electricity itself would knock the immune system down and cause all kinds of acute and latent health problems. Researchers and regulators, there's work to be done here. You need to go to Persinger, Curtis, and Sulman. Find their writings and reassess the standards. See the Penn State University's research link below. They pointed out that taser is 13 times more jolting per second than what regulators allow for an electric fence.
If a taser shocked suspect is found innocent but suffers from latent health conditions then that person may be being punished with chronic health issues for life for a crime that he or she did not commit. I know, many people are found innocent that are actually guilty. But dare I ask, does the long-term latent effects of electroshock match the crime? I wouldn't wish chronic severe tinnitus, Parkinson's disease, lupus, leukemia, or Chrones disease, blood disease, heart failure, brain cancer, psychosis, or infertility on anyone but the harshest of criminals. Yet, if I'm right, these are the possible latent effects that may show up 1-20 years after the shock.
It may be time to return to pepper spray as the method of subduing and arresting an uncooperative suspect. Perhaps, at a minimum, physical taser training should no longer be performed on our valuable police officer cadets.
More information:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.91.2264&rep=rep1&type=pdf
As we are recently learning, electromagnetic radiation can remap the hippocampus and basal ganglia of the brain and cause health issues (including tinnitus). The electricity administered by a taser may change the shelf life of cells in the body and cause acute and latent effects (including tinnitus).
The biological effects of taser shock should be reconsidered and restudied and stricter regulations should be considered. It may be possible for a person who has experienced taser shock to begin to experience tinnitus or other health issues from 1-20 years after the taser event.
In police officer training, some cadets volunteer to experience taser shock in order to experience what suspects feel (and perhaps a little cadet bravado is involved). That one shock event could change the cadet's cells and even reduce his or her lifespan.
Electric shock can change the timing mechanisms inside of human cells. This includes cochlear cells that are suspended in liquid which conducts the current. The possibility exists that taser shock can kill the cochlear cells and cause damage to the auditory system. Taser clearly has effects on the central nervous system which is a biological effect. The auditory system is very delicate. Why wouldn't the auditory system be affected?
I understand and am sympathetic to the protections that tasers provide for police officers. If a suspect is truly innocent before proven guilty then is it right to administer a weapon that causes biological effects that may not show up until years after the suspect's trial?
Consider that Huxley and Hodkin won a Nobel Peace Prize for determining that electricity is conducted by and also burns brain axons. This, in turn, may cause lymphocyte cells to attack the altered brain cells.
Suspects are often questioned by police officers immediately after the taser event. "Who are you? Where were you going? Am I going to find anything illegal on you or in your vehicle? Is this your vehicle? Why were you resisting?"
The suspect may have lost the ability to reason properly enough to remain silent. In essence, the taser may (I stress the word may) have made the suspect unable to remain silent which is a violation of their constitutional right in the United States. This should be studied further.
Metal objects can create a localized field and so any dental work that the suspect has or jewelry that the suspect is wearing, particularly earrings, may make the electrical current worse in the brain by concentrating the shock in those areas and intensifying the effects. This is why MRI specialists ask for all metal objects to be removed prior to entering the MRI.
The localized field phenomena can affect the mid-brain (which we now know is responsible for Parkinson's disease and some tinnitus). In essence, hyper-electric shock between the dental fillings and the earrings, nose ring, etc. could intensify the power and burn axons inside of the suspects brain. If a suspect is wearing a necklace then the heart may experience the brunt force of the shock.
The people who die from taser shock are often pronounced dead for other reasons and not the taser. That needs to be reviewed because it points to a sacred cow mentality and has more to do with the affinity of some people for the short-term effectiveness of the taser than the actual scientific biological effects on the human being that is being shocked.
When the cells inside the heart are heated they oscillate quicker and within seconds break apart. Inside of the cells are delicate strands of DNA. They break apart. When too many cells break apart the brain and heart give up. It can be likened to being shot in the heart or head, for some people.
In my opinion, taser should never ever be used on a pregnant women. There have been a number of studies that show the effects of electricity on developing mammal babies. None of the results were good. The babies cells are more delicate than an adult's cells, especially baby fat that is highly conductive material. The umbilical chord may even act as a conductive wire. Apart from sending nutrients from the mother to the baby it is also sending electrical stimulation. To shock the mother is to shock the baby. The shocked baby may live but will likely be endowed with a life of chronic health issues and no one would be able to attribute the issues back to when the mother experienced taser shock.
I believe that some people may be more sensitive to electric shock than others due to body composition and individual resonance. In my view everyone has their own unique body resonance and conductivity.
The manufacturers of tasers wrongly point to the idea that the skin acts as a "Faraday Shield." Therefore, in their minds, there are no long-term health effects. That's a good talking point. I mean, it sounds reasonable? Why look any further into it? Penn State University looked into this and you can find the results in the attached link.
The skin is pierced by two metal prongs during a taser event so no, there is no Faraday Shield. Even if there was a Faraday Shield protection, biophysicists that do not work for the electronics industry would tell you that on average 15% of the electricity would still penetrate into deep tissue and travel rapidly to the localized field sources. 85% of the electricity would be fought off by the interaction with the skin but not without cost. This is according to Persinger.
The fighting off of the electricity itself would knock the immune system down and cause all kinds of acute and latent health problems. Researchers and regulators, there's work to be done here. You need to go to Persinger, Curtis, and Sulman. Find their writings and reassess the standards. See the Penn State University's research link below. They pointed out that taser is 13 times more jolting per second than what regulators allow for an electric fence.
If a taser shocked suspect is found innocent but suffers from latent health conditions then that person may be being punished with chronic health issues for life for a crime that he or she did not commit. I know, many people are found innocent that are actually guilty. But dare I ask, does the long-term latent effects of electroshock match the crime? I wouldn't wish chronic severe tinnitus, Parkinson's disease, lupus, leukemia, or Chrones disease, blood disease, heart failure, brain cancer, psychosis, or infertility on anyone but the harshest of criminals. Yet, if I'm right, these are the possible latent effects that may show up 1-20 years after the shock.
It may be time to return to pepper spray as the method of subduing and arresting an uncooperative suspect. Perhaps, at a minimum, physical taser training should no longer be performed on our valuable police officer cadets.
More information:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.91.2264&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Tinnitus: PBS News Hour
This is a link to the PBS News Hour report on tinnitus: A must see.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
The researchers in the report seem to not know how the damage happened to the basal ganglia. It's simple really. As F.G. Sulman described in 1980, it is electric air pollution (inhalation of positive ions) and overexposure to electromagnetic radiation. Select these links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241519/pdf/ehp0111-000881.pdf
Print both of these articles out for side-by-side comparison. The results are astounding. I would venture to say that an electron, which travels at light speed, that breaks the blood brain barrier would be absorbed or pass through the basal ganglia and the hippocampus causing heating and untold damage. The brain stresses and tries to repair itself by remapping. That is my theory.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
The researchers in the report seem to not know how the damage happened to the basal ganglia. It's simple really. As F.G. Sulman described in 1980, it is electric air pollution (inhalation of positive ions) and overexposure to electromagnetic radiation. Select these links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241519/pdf/ehp0111-000881.pdf
Print both of these articles out for side-by-side comparison. The results are astounding. I would venture to say that an electron, which travels at light speed, that breaks the blood brain barrier would be absorbed or pass through the basal ganglia and the hippocampus causing heating and untold damage. The brain stresses and tries to repair itself by remapping. That is my theory.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Tinnitus: Ionizer
The National Institute for Health determined that ozone producing ionizers are not a valid treatment for tinnitus and that no further research is suggested.
Although not scientifically proven, negative ionizers, anecdotally by many users, cause a more positive mood and better sleep. The problem is that some ionizers produce ozone which, when inhaled, can cause tinnitus and or worsen tinnitus in some people (according to F.G. Sulman). So, the user feels great but then the tinnitus starts or worsens, for some people.
Any ionizer has to be "negative ion producing" and "non-ozone producing" to have any health benefit. Never use a positive ion or ozone producing machine. Depending on the dosage it can do irreparable harm to the pineal gland, the sinuses, and the brain.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23100082
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23100082
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Tinnitus: Serotonin Syndrome
In 1980, Felix Gad Sulman was researching the biological effects of positive ions (a.k.a. electric air pollution) on humans. During his research he discovered that positive ions, when inhaled, travel through the blood stream via the alveoli in the lungs and cause a number of health issues.
On the way to the lungs the positive ions enter the nasal passages and this, according to Sulman, triggers the pineal gland to produce excess serotonin. Among the health issues that he lists as part of this serotonin syndrome is tinnitus.
He likely discovered a correlation between acute (short-term) tinnitus and serotonin syndrome because chronic tinnitus would have been too difficult for him to condense into the scope of such a study. Noise induced cochlear cilia cell amputation wouldn't be able to be cured by serotonin control medications or as he suggests using non-ozone producing negative ionizers. He mentions that negative ions can only be good for the body but positive ions are not good for the body. Perhaps there is some cause for further research regarding this phenomenon.
Sulman further mentions a solution, that if non-ozone producing negative ionizer machines are used that the original positive ion intake can be reversed. If he is right, then it would make logical sense that negative ion machines reduce the length of time that it takes for ion induced acute tinnitus to cure itself. I want to stress the word acute (not chronic tinnitus). There is a difference. Acute always cures itself.
The central question for researchers is: Can non-ozone producing negative ion machines reduce the time that it takes for acute tinnitus to cure itself after positive ion inhalation?
This research finding by Sulman fascinated me. Amazon.com sells his book and the negative ionizers. I ordered a negative ionizer yesterday. When it arrives, I'll test it out and let you all know the result.
I have chronic severe tinnitus not acute tinnitus so I have my doubts. Just because a non-ozone producing negative ionizer might not work for me doesn't mean that it wouldn't work for someone else. My cilia cells are damaged beyond repair at this point, they are non-regenerative. I'm ever hopeful.
More information:
http://www.amazon.com/Ionization-Electric-Atmospherics-Phenomena-Publication/dp/0398039291/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383812479&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+effect+of+air+ionization+by+sulmn
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
On the way to the lungs the positive ions enter the nasal passages and this, according to Sulman, triggers the pineal gland to produce excess serotonin. Among the health issues that he lists as part of this serotonin syndrome is tinnitus.
He likely discovered a correlation between acute (short-term) tinnitus and serotonin syndrome because chronic tinnitus would have been too difficult for him to condense into the scope of such a study. Noise induced cochlear cilia cell amputation wouldn't be able to be cured by serotonin control medications or as he suggests using non-ozone producing negative ionizers. He mentions that negative ions can only be good for the body but positive ions are not good for the body. Perhaps there is some cause for further research regarding this phenomenon.
Sulman further mentions a solution, that if non-ozone producing negative ionizer machines are used that the original positive ion intake can be reversed. If he is right, then it would make logical sense that negative ion machines reduce the length of time that it takes for ion induced acute tinnitus to cure itself. I want to stress the word acute (not chronic tinnitus). There is a difference. Acute always cures itself.
The central question for researchers is: Can non-ozone producing negative ion machines reduce the time that it takes for acute tinnitus to cure itself after positive ion inhalation?
This research finding by Sulman fascinated me. Amazon.com sells his book and the negative ionizers. I ordered a negative ionizer yesterday. When it arrives, I'll test it out and let you all know the result.
I have chronic severe tinnitus not acute tinnitus so I have my doubts. Just because a non-ozone producing negative ionizer might not work for me doesn't mean that it wouldn't work for someone else. My cilia cells are damaged beyond repair at this point, they are non-regenerative. I'm ever hopeful.
More information:
http://www.amazon.com/Ionization-Electric-Atmospherics-Phenomena-Publication/dp/0398039291/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383812479&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+effect+of+air+ionization+by+sulmn
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Tinnitus: Anti-NMDA Receptor AutoImmune Encephalitis
I just read an outstanding book titled Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan, a New York Post reporter.
The medical condition that she describes occurs when lymphocyte cells start attacking blood vessels in the brain and also brain NMDA receptors. While reading the book it occurred to me that the condition may also cause tinnitus. Cochlear cells have NMDA receptors which the National Institute for Health has determined that ototoxins, like aspirin and acid reflux medications, attack. Therefore it makes sense that Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis would also cause tinnitus in some patients (just like an ototoxin would).
In reading Susannah's book I noticed that she was prescribed acid reflux medication for her GERD side effect from treatment. Acid reflux medications can lower magnesium in some people and also can cause tinnitus in some people by attacking the NMDA receptors inside the cochlea (just like Susannah's lymphocyte cells did).
Upon reading the section of the book where she mentions that acid reflux medication was prescribed to her during her treatment I cringed a bit. I thought to myself that this talented New York Post reporter is getting bombarded with an ototoxic drug while her brain killing condition is worsening. This shows that more doctors need to be aware of the long-term effects of ototoxins. Otherwise her doctor did an awesome job of saving her life (that is the most important thing). She was also given a CT scan which can destroy DNA. The CT scan does not reveal lymphocyte cells, only a brain biopsy shows that so the CT scan was not necessary.
In my opinion, she should have been given the absolute mildest form of acid reflux control which would have been Gaviscon. The ototoxin that she was administered could have made her ears ring, hiss, crackle, or pop for the rest of her life. The CT scan could have exacerbated the condition. I'm glad that she survived the ordeal and was able to write a book about her experience. The book will, no doubt, help many people to understand this perplexing medical condition.
Susanah, if you are reading this I wish you all of the best apples that life has to offer.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158385/figure/F5/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225604
How to purchase Brain on Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383710861&sr=8-1&keywords=brain+on+fire
The medical condition that she describes occurs when lymphocyte cells start attacking blood vessels in the brain and also brain NMDA receptors. While reading the book it occurred to me that the condition may also cause tinnitus. Cochlear cells have NMDA receptors which the National Institute for Health has determined that ototoxins, like aspirin and acid reflux medications, attack. Therefore it makes sense that Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis would also cause tinnitus in some patients (just like an ototoxin would).
In reading Susannah's book I noticed that she was prescribed acid reflux medication for her GERD side effect from treatment. Acid reflux medications can lower magnesium in some people and also can cause tinnitus in some people by attacking the NMDA receptors inside the cochlea (just like Susannah's lymphocyte cells did).
Upon reading the section of the book where she mentions that acid reflux medication was prescribed to her during her treatment I cringed a bit. I thought to myself that this talented New York Post reporter is getting bombarded with an ototoxic drug while her brain killing condition is worsening. This shows that more doctors need to be aware of the long-term effects of ototoxins. Otherwise her doctor did an awesome job of saving her life (that is the most important thing). She was also given a CT scan which can destroy DNA. The CT scan does not reveal lymphocyte cells, only a brain biopsy shows that so the CT scan was not necessary.
In my opinion, she should have been given the absolute mildest form of acid reflux control which would have been Gaviscon. The ototoxin that she was administered could have made her ears ring, hiss, crackle, or pop for the rest of her life. The CT scan could have exacerbated the condition. I'm glad that she survived the ordeal and was able to write a book about her experience. The book will, no doubt, help many people to understand this perplexing medical condition.
Susanah, if you are reading this I wish you all of the best apples that life has to offer.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158385/figure/F5/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225604
How to purchase Brain on Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383710861&sr=8-1&keywords=brain+on+fire
Monday, October 21, 2013
Tinnitus: Eye Exam Trouble?
Perhaps you have severe chronic subjective tinnitus and you've gone to your eye doctor and noticed that when your pupils are dilated your tinnitus flares up or you experience a tugging sensation or a "vroom" sound from one ear to the other. It may surprise some people to know that the visual center of the midbrain (superior colliculus) is connected to the auditory center (inferior colliculus) of the brain.
If you experience a tugging sensation or your tinnitus gets worse it is okay to ask your eye doctor, the next time that you visit, to reduce the dilation solution to the minimal that he or she needs to properly assess your eyes. Explain that it irritates your tinnitus.
The more that we share about our tinnitus the more we make the world aware. Eye doctors are intrigued to hear this information and they are typically happy to comply with your wishes.
If you experience a tugging sensation or your tinnitus gets worse it is okay to ask your eye doctor, the next time that you visit, to reduce the dilation solution to the minimal that he or she needs to properly assess your eyes. Explain that it irritates your tinnitus.
The more that we share about our tinnitus the more we make the world aware. Eye doctors are intrigued to hear this information and they are typically happy to comply with your wishes.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Tinnitus: Mazda 6 Radar and Laser
In my previous post I mentioned that what was formerly thought of as non-thermal and non-ionizing radar is wrong. These sources of electromagnetic cell, DNA, and neurological damage are likely internally thermal and therefore internally ionizing. The electromagnetic heat is generated within the human body after the hydrogen in H20 splits from H20 to H + OH. Since humans are comprised of a great deal of water it makes sense that there are biological effects. DNA is suspended in liquid and when the liquid ionizes it breaks the DNA apart.
Many scientists have debated the biological effects of what was considered to be non-thermal and therefore non-ionizing radar. Numerous studies have shown human cell damage as a result of radar and low-level laser exposure. These studies have been conducted by major Universities, tri-service scientists, and highly reputable researchers for over 50 years.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of acute and latent health effects in mammals, industries continue to develop and release these radar and laser products citing that they are well within health standards.
The health standards should be adjusted before more of these radar equipped cars roll off of the assembly line. Most health standards regarding radio frequency radiation basically say that the regulators do not fully understand the biological effects of radio frequency radiation and therefore they will allow these products to be sold until further research determines otherwise. That does not mean that the product is safe.
In the U.S. we've had researchers since WWII showing biological effects (e.g. skin lesions, internal lesions, retinal damage, tinnitus, lymphatic cancer, EEG variation, blood disorders, behavioral disorders, etc.). The time to tighten up the regulations is now.
Californians are fortunate, we have been afforded the opportunity to opt-out of microwave Smartmeters on our homes. Unfortunately, we will not be able to opt-out of Mazda 6 drivers pinging our vehicles with radar and laser systems.
Tinnitus may be one of the many health risks attributable to radar exposure. The idea is that the radar signal bounces from the transmitting vehicle, bounces off of the conducting vehicle, and returns back into the transmitting vehicle.
What happens to the people in each car? My theory, is that the signal will pass through the eyes and travels into the brain of the occupants likely causing long-term optical and neurological declination (possibly including hyperacusis and tinnitus).
How is that possible? My theory is that since the inferior colliculus (part of the auditory system) of the midbrain and the superior colliculus (a visual center) are connected and we know that tinnitus can be caused by brain injury we can suggest that the visual pathway conducts radar and laser signals to the connected area in the brain and may indeed cause tinnitus (without any middle or inner ear damage). In this case, no amount of hearing protection can help.
In my view, it should be illegal for another driver to ping a radar signal or a laser from their vehicle to my vehicle, especially since I have hyperacusis and tinnitus and the source signal may make my condition permanently worse. Also, electromagnetic sensitivity is an internationally accepted health condition. The automobile industry would be smart to take this into consideration.
There is a law that is supposed to protect U.S. citizens from these products The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968. The problem is that the law is not enforced. The law needs to be updated to include consumer radar systems prior to release to the public, not after release.
Although not a great risk to human health now, if the automobile industry continues to produce these electromagnetic radiation equipped vehicles without regard to human health then we should not be surprised as to the great increase in people with tinnitus that will be the result of the automobile industry's craving for profits.
I'd like to remind the automobile industry to think of safety first and human health over profits. Just imagine a traffic jam in a major city, in the future, and how much electromagnetic radiation would be produced if every car in the traffic jam had radar and laser transmission running simultaneously.
Can you drive a Mazda 6 now and experience tinnitus years later from your overexposure to radio frequency radiation? Yes, because the radar could send signals to your neurons and your auditory pathway that shorten human cell shelf-life and could cause cancer.
I like the design of the Mazda 6. It is sleek and edgy. I don't like it enough to experience permanent health issues from it, especially permanent hyperacusis or tinnitus.
More information:
http://electronicdesign.com/communications/millimeter-waves-will-expand-wireless-future
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241519/pdf/ehp0111-000881.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
Many scientists have debated the biological effects of what was considered to be non-thermal and therefore non-ionizing radar. Numerous studies have shown human cell damage as a result of radar and low-level laser exposure. These studies have been conducted by major Universities, tri-service scientists, and highly reputable researchers for over 50 years.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of acute and latent health effects in mammals, industries continue to develop and release these radar and laser products citing that they are well within health standards.
The health standards should be adjusted before more of these radar equipped cars roll off of the assembly line. Most health standards regarding radio frequency radiation basically say that the regulators do not fully understand the biological effects of radio frequency radiation and therefore they will allow these products to be sold until further research determines otherwise. That does not mean that the product is safe.
In the U.S. we've had researchers since WWII showing biological effects (e.g. skin lesions, internal lesions, retinal damage, tinnitus, lymphatic cancer, EEG variation, blood disorders, behavioral disorders, etc.). The time to tighten up the regulations is now.
Californians are fortunate, we have been afforded the opportunity to opt-out of microwave Smartmeters on our homes. Unfortunately, we will not be able to opt-out of Mazda 6 drivers pinging our vehicles with radar and laser systems.
Tinnitus may be one of the many health risks attributable to radar exposure. The idea is that the radar signal bounces from the transmitting vehicle, bounces off of the conducting vehicle, and returns back into the transmitting vehicle.
What happens to the people in each car? My theory, is that the signal will pass through the eyes and travels into the brain of the occupants likely causing long-term optical and neurological declination (possibly including hyperacusis and tinnitus).
How is that possible? My theory is that since the inferior colliculus (part of the auditory system) of the midbrain and the superior colliculus (a visual center) are connected and we know that tinnitus can be caused by brain injury we can suggest that the visual pathway conducts radar and laser signals to the connected area in the brain and may indeed cause tinnitus (without any middle or inner ear damage). In this case, no amount of hearing protection can help.
In my view, it should be illegal for another driver to ping a radar signal or a laser from their vehicle to my vehicle, especially since I have hyperacusis and tinnitus and the source signal may make my condition permanently worse. Also, electromagnetic sensitivity is an internationally accepted health condition. The automobile industry would be smart to take this into consideration.
There is a law that is supposed to protect U.S. citizens from these products The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968. The problem is that the law is not enforced. The law needs to be updated to include consumer radar systems prior to release to the public, not after release.
Although not a great risk to human health now, if the automobile industry continues to produce these electromagnetic radiation equipped vehicles without regard to human health then we should not be surprised as to the great increase in people with tinnitus that will be the result of the automobile industry's craving for profits.
I'd like to remind the automobile industry to think of safety first and human health over profits. Just imagine a traffic jam in a major city, in the future, and how much electromagnetic radiation would be produced if every car in the traffic jam had radar and laser transmission running simultaneously.
Can you drive a Mazda 6 now and experience tinnitus years later from your overexposure to radio frequency radiation? Yes, because the radar could send signals to your neurons and your auditory pathway that shorten human cell shelf-life and could cause cancer.
I like the design of the Mazda 6. It is sleek and edgy. I don't like it enough to experience permanent health issues from it, especially permanent hyperacusis or tinnitus.
More information:
http://electronicdesign.com/communications/millimeter-waves-will-expand-wireless-future
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241519/pdf/ehp0111-000881.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec13/tinnitus_11-06.html
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Tinnitus: Non-Thermal Radiation Source
A non-thermal radiation source is typically defined as any electromagnetic radiation source other than atomic or heat generated. Microwave radar systems, Smartmeters, chordless phones, cellular phones are some examples of non-thermal radiation sources. As such these objects are considered non-hazardous to human health because they, in the minds of many regulating organizations, fall under the category of non-ionizing radiation.
The idea that non-thermal radiation may be harmful to human cells has been hotly debated by scientists from WWII to modern times.
The important question is not whether non-thermal radiation is harmful to humans. The important question is: How does non-thermal radiation harm humans? The answer, in my view, is that non-thermal radiation does exactly what thermal radiation does when humans are overexposed, it ionizes human water molecules.
Ionizing simply means that DNA, suspended in body fluid, is broken apart by the heating of the fluid that the DNA is suspended in. In short, it is an internal heat related DNA death or damage. People who are ionized have three kinds of DNA, first from mom, second from dad, and third from the ionizing source.
There is a modern test called F.I.S.H. that is performed by the NIH that can detect human ionization. This test should be provided for anyone who worked in close proximity to microwave radar systems.
Atomic veterans are assumed to be ionized due to the excessive gamma particles that bombarded them while they stood and watched detonations occur in the 1950s. Radar operators and police officers experience similar health issues as the atomic veterans.
I am going to prove that non-thermal (a.k.a. non-atomic) radiation does indeed ionize and therefore must have a biological effect on any object or living organism containing water molecules. The proof lies in the history of how microwave ovens were invented. The following quote is from Ratheon's History website, paragraph seven, page one (click the blue wording to go to the website):
"Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer discovered microwave cooking when, as he stood in front of an active magnetron, a candy bar in his pocket began to melt. Intrigued, he sent out for popcorn kernels – and they began to pop. With that, a new appliance was soon on its way."
We must ask the right questions. Why did the candy bar melt? Why did the popcorn pop? Both items were exposed to non-thermal non-atomic radiation. The answer is that the H2O molecules converted to H + OH and in the process released internal heat which altered the state of the candy bar and signaled the popcorn to pop. There was no external heat generated to make these items react.
I'll say it again, the magnetron was a non-thermal (non-atomic) external source of electromagnetic radiation that released internal heat. In addition to the candy bar melting, the water molecules inside of Percy Spencer, the human, must have also ionized and cause some degree of cell damage to him.
My point is that if electromagnetic radiation is conducted by the cochlear bone and the fluid inside of the cochlea or auditory pathway ionizes then it would be entirely possible for the heat that is released, through ionization, to damage the cilia cells causing tinnitus. This could especially happen in the use of microwave radars operating in E Band (2000-3000MHz), which is a similar frequency range to Spencer's magnetron, the source of exposure.
One way to test my theory is to place geckos in a terrarium and wait until they cling to the glass. Recreate the Percy Spencer chocolate bar incident but instead of melting a candy bar look to see if the geckos fall off of the glass when exposed to similar electromagnetic conditions. I believe that the tiny hair-like cells on the feet of geckos would react very similarly to how human cilia would react to electromagnetic stimuli (especially when exposed to the 2000-3000Mhz frequency).
There is a group of researchers at Berkeley called the Ciber group that focus on studying geckos and other animals for the development of consumer products (e.g. robots). I believe that they would be the perfect lab to conduct such a study on the electromagnetic field radiation effects on gecko hands to determine whether electromagnetic field radiation would disrupt human cilia cell signals and cause tinnitus.
I asked Ciber if the hair-like cells on gecko hands are in any way structurally similar to the hair-like cilia cells found in the human cochlea. I have not yet heard a response from them. It is not generally accepted in the scientific community that non-thermal radiation has any affect on biological systems. It takes a great deal of convincing to get an expert to take the idea seriously.
They should take the idea seriously though because, if I'm right, then future service members, military, police and radar operators can be spared the agony of a lifetime of tinnitus. I'm sure that no one took the idea of a radar magnetron melting a candy bar seriously, yet it happened and it was true. A candy bar was ionized by what we still consider today to be non-ionizing radiation. Cilia cells, in a similar way, may be ionized, die off, and never grow back.
If you are a researcher and you are interested in researching this topic further, feel free to contact me by leaving a comment with your email address.
The idea that non-thermal radiation may be harmful to human cells has been hotly debated by scientists from WWII to modern times.
The important question is not whether non-thermal radiation is harmful to humans. The important question is: How does non-thermal radiation harm humans? The answer, in my view, is that non-thermal radiation does exactly what thermal radiation does when humans are overexposed, it ionizes human water molecules.
Ionizing simply means that DNA, suspended in body fluid, is broken apart by the heating of the fluid that the DNA is suspended in. In short, it is an internal heat related DNA death or damage. People who are ionized have three kinds of DNA, first from mom, second from dad, and third from the ionizing source.
There is a modern test called F.I.S.H. that is performed by the NIH that can detect human ionization. This test should be provided for anyone who worked in close proximity to microwave radar systems.
Atomic veterans are assumed to be ionized due to the excessive gamma particles that bombarded them while they stood and watched detonations occur in the 1950s. Radar operators and police officers experience similar health issues as the atomic veterans.
I am going to prove that non-thermal (a.k.a. non-atomic) radiation does indeed ionize and therefore must have a biological effect on any object or living organism containing water molecules. The proof lies in the history of how microwave ovens were invented. The following quote is from Ratheon's History website, paragraph seven, page one (click the blue wording to go to the website):
"Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer discovered microwave cooking when, as he stood in front of an active magnetron, a candy bar in his pocket began to melt. Intrigued, he sent out for popcorn kernels – and they began to pop. With that, a new appliance was soon on its way."
We must ask the right questions. Why did the candy bar melt? Why did the popcorn pop? Both items were exposed to non-thermal non-atomic radiation. The answer is that the H2O molecules converted to H + OH and in the process released internal heat which altered the state of the candy bar and signaled the popcorn to pop. There was no external heat generated to make these items react.
I'll say it again, the magnetron was a non-thermal (non-atomic) external source of electromagnetic radiation that released internal heat. In addition to the candy bar melting, the water molecules inside of Percy Spencer, the human, must have also ionized and cause some degree of cell damage to him.
My point is that if electromagnetic radiation is conducted by the cochlear bone and the fluid inside of the cochlea or auditory pathway ionizes then it would be entirely possible for the heat that is released, through ionization, to damage the cilia cells causing tinnitus. This could especially happen in the use of microwave radars operating in E Band (2000-3000MHz), which is a similar frequency range to Spencer's magnetron, the source of exposure.
One way to test my theory is to place geckos in a terrarium and wait until they cling to the glass. Recreate the Percy Spencer chocolate bar incident but instead of melting a candy bar look to see if the geckos fall off of the glass when exposed to similar electromagnetic conditions. I believe that the tiny hair-like cells on the feet of geckos would react very similarly to how human cilia would react to electromagnetic stimuli (especially when exposed to the 2000-3000Mhz frequency).
There is a group of researchers at Berkeley called the Ciber group that focus on studying geckos and other animals for the development of consumer products (e.g. robots). I believe that they would be the perfect lab to conduct such a study on the electromagnetic field radiation effects on gecko hands to determine whether electromagnetic field radiation would disrupt human cilia cell signals and cause tinnitus.
I asked Ciber if the hair-like cells on gecko hands are in any way structurally similar to the hair-like cilia cells found in the human cochlea. I have not yet heard a response from them. It is not generally accepted in the scientific community that non-thermal radiation has any affect on biological systems. It takes a great deal of convincing to get an expert to take the idea seriously.
They should take the idea seriously though because, if I'm right, then future service members, military, police and radar operators can be spared the agony of a lifetime of tinnitus. I'm sure that no one took the idea of a radar magnetron melting a candy bar seriously, yet it happened and it was true. A candy bar was ionized by what we still consider today to be non-ionizing radiation. Cilia cells, in a similar way, may be ionized, die off, and never grow back.
If you are a researcher and you are interested in researching this topic further, feel free to contact me by leaving a comment with your email address.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Tinnitus: Ozone
Some laser printers have been identified as having possible health risks associated with the emission of ozone that can be inhaled deep into the alveoli of the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This can create all kinds of acute and chronic health issues like respiratory problems, heart problems, central nervous system issues, behavioral changes, asthma, cancer, and tinnitus. The National Institute for Health has deemed laser printers to be genotoxic (e.g. DNA killers).
As far as I know, scientific researchers have not offered any specific information about a possible link between the ozone released by some laser printers to tinnitus. My theory is that because certain drugs exist that are known to be ototoxins, it is possible that the ozone released by some laser printers are acting like ototoxic drugs once inhaled.
Most people with asthma use an inhaler. The inhaler usually immediately arrests the asthma attack. Now imagine sitting next to a laser printer that is releasing ozone particles that you are breathing. It would be like using an inhaler full of toxin for hours or like sitting next to a car exhaust.
Plug-in ionizers can also produce ozone. Never purchase an ozone ionizer if you have tinnitus, it could cause your tinnitus to flare-up or get permanently worse. Never purchase a "positive" ionizer if you have tinnitus. The National Institute for Health has determined that ozone treatment for tinnitus is not valid. A "negative" ionizer that is not ozone producing may be somewhat beneficial to human health. The problem is that the company's that sell ionizers don't often share whether the ionizer is ozone producing or positive or not, in their marketing literature. We've been marketed to believe that ions are good. It is not true. Positive ions are bad.
I believe F.G. Sulman was right to point out that ozone triggers the pineal gland to produce excess serotonin in some people leaving them with a kind of euphoric mood and may improve sleep in the short term. In the long-term breathing ozone is harmful.
Here is an example of an ozone producing ionizer:
http://www.amazon.com/AAP-50-Plug-In-Adjustable-Purifier/dp/B007Y9RBX4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383973536&sr=8-2&keywords=Adjustable+Plug+In+Air+Purifier
Researchers, please look into this issue. If it is true, and I'm right, then there may be people suffering from tinnitus who were exposed to laser printer ozone. The patient would have had no sudden noise induced event or traumatic brain injury as the cause yet would have had long exposure to laser printer ozone.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22095199
http://www.news.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/News.woa/wa/news_item?ni=10855
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23100082
As far as I know, scientific researchers have not offered any specific information about a possible link between the ozone released by some laser printers to tinnitus. My theory is that because certain drugs exist that are known to be ototoxins, it is possible that the ozone released by some laser printers are acting like ototoxic drugs once inhaled.
Most people with asthma use an inhaler. The inhaler usually immediately arrests the asthma attack. Now imagine sitting next to a laser printer that is releasing ozone particles that you are breathing. It would be like using an inhaler full of toxin for hours or like sitting next to a car exhaust.
Plug-in ionizers can also produce ozone. Never purchase an ozone ionizer if you have tinnitus, it could cause your tinnitus to flare-up or get permanently worse. Never purchase a "positive" ionizer if you have tinnitus. The National Institute for Health has determined that ozone treatment for tinnitus is not valid. A "negative" ionizer that is not ozone producing may be somewhat beneficial to human health. The problem is that the company's that sell ionizers don't often share whether the ionizer is ozone producing or positive or not, in their marketing literature. We've been marketed to believe that ions are good. It is not true. Positive ions are bad.
I believe F.G. Sulman was right to point out that ozone triggers the pineal gland to produce excess serotonin in some people leaving them with a kind of euphoric mood and may improve sleep in the short term. In the long-term breathing ozone is harmful.
Here is an example of an ozone producing ionizer:
http://www.amazon.com/AAP-50-Plug-In-Adjustable-Purifier/dp/B007Y9RBX4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383973536&sr=8-2&keywords=Adjustable+Plug+In+Air+Purifier
Researchers, please look into this issue. If it is true, and I'm right, then there may be people suffering from tinnitus who were exposed to laser printer ozone. The patient would have had no sudden noise induced event or traumatic brain injury as the cause yet would have had long exposure to laser printer ozone.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22095199
http://www.news.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/News.woa/wa/news_item?ni=10855
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23100082
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tinnitus: Noise Canceling Headphones
If you are suffering from subjective tinnitus and or hyperacusis, Bose Noise Canceling 20i Headphones may help you to recover some of your quality of life. If you are avoiding movies, airplanes, trains, long car trips, sporting events, general staff meetings, wedding receptions, etc. then you may want to try these headphones. You do not even need to plug these headphones into a device. You simply press a button and the headphones quiet down annoying background noise and may prevent your tinnitus from getting worse.
You can try the headphones for 14 days if you purchase them from your local Apple store.
There's only one problem. The battery in the headphones may not last for longer than an hour and a half or so. You may want to consider purchasing a mini-usb charger to keep the headphones powered for hours.
This link will give you an idea of the type of charger that I'm talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Instant-Charger-Includes-Universal/dp/B002FU6KF2/ref=pd_bxgy_cps_img_y
If you purchase both you may find some much needed quality of life improvement. You can go to that wedding, special event, movie, the county fair, etc. Drop me a note if this works for you.
More information:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB764VC/A/bose-quietcomfort-20i-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones?fnode=3d
You can try the headphones for 14 days if you purchase them from your local Apple store.
There's only one problem. The battery in the headphones may not last for longer than an hour and a half or so. You may want to consider purchasing a mini-usb charger to keep the headphones powered for hours.
This link will give you an idea of the type of charger that I'm talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Instant-Charger-Includes-Universal/dp/B002FU6KF2/ref=pd_bxgy_cps_img_y
If you purchase both you may find some much needed quality of life improvement. You can go to that wedding, special event, movie, the county fair, etc. Drop me a note if this works for you.
More information:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB764VC/A/bose-quietcomfort-20i-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones?fnode=3d
Friday, September 27, 2013
Tinnitus: Hyperbaric Treatment vs. SCUBA Diving
I tried a hyperbaric chamber yesterday for one hour. I was unaffected by the pressure. The tinnitus was as loud coming out of the chamber as it was when I entered the chamber. I do get some relief when I SCUBA dive in the open ocean and I am now even more perplexed as to why that relief happens in the ocean.
It is only logical that pressure or temperature would be the source of relief. I've tried ice vests, cold water, and now the hyperbaric chamber...I'm stumped. Perhaps the brain just shifts gears while diving. Perhaps the salt water environment somehow alters the brainwaves or EEG levels at depth. Who knows? It is an odd phenomena. Divers with tinnitus, please comment and let me know if you experience relief while SCUBA diving.
It is only logical that pressure or temperature would be the source of relief. I've tried ice vests, cold water, and now the hyperbaric chamber...I'm stumped. Perhaps the brain just shifts gears while diving. Perhaps the salt water environment somehow alters the brainwaves or EEG levels at depth. Who knows? It is an odd phenomena. Divers with tinnitus, please comment and let me know if you experience relief while SCUBA diving.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Tinnitus: Cars That Cancel Traffic Noise
A noisy car, squeaky brakes, and traffic background noise can amplify subjective tinnitus and or hyperacusis. As a result, a long drive can be very difficult for people who suffer from these conditions.
Good news! According to Consumer Reports (April 2013) the automobile industry has begun to sell cars that have noise cancellation technology built-in. The technology is similar to modern noise cancellation headphone technology. Here is a list of vehicles that have the technology built-in.
Acura (ILX, RDX, and TSX)
Chevrolet Impala
Honda Accord
Crosstour
Odyssey
Cadillac
Lincoln
Ford (C-max, Fusion Hybrid)
If you are considering purchasing a new vehicle then you may want to research this topic further. Here's the link: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/02/cool-car-features-you-can-buy-now/index.htm
Tinnitus: Discrimination
Yesterday I heard a BBC radio report about a man with Parkinson's Disease and how he was detained by police because he looked as if he was fidgeting and showed hardly any facial emotion. It was his non-verbal communication that the police perceived as suspicious behavior.
I started wondering about tinnitus sufferers and how we may be inadvertently sending similar non-verbal communications signals to people around us. If we lack sleep we may appear lazy, bored, fatigued, uninterested, and distant.
After a few evenings of total sleeplessness we could be more easily agitated and fidgety. If the tinnitus is very loud we may not know that we are talking over it and so what we perceive to be normal speech may be misperceived by other people as shouting or aggressive behavior. People with hyperacusis and tinnitus may begin to slur words due to grogginess. Slurring words could be misperceived as being drunk.
A friend of mine was accused of being drunk at work, as a flight attendant, and she was placed on administrative leave until, after some tests, it turned out that she was suffering from early signs of muscular dystrophy (a non-visible disability at first). The false accusation really was a stressful ordeal for her.
Tinnitus, like Parkinson's Dissease, is a non-visible disability. Discrimination is typically just a misinterpretation of unintended non-verbal communication. This is why I make sure to communicate my condition during important situations where the stakeholders need to know. Think of police as stakeholders. If, hypothetically, I get pulled over for a broken tail light I would immediately communicate to the police officer that I sometimes speak over my auditory condition and that it can be misunderstood as nervousness, shouting, and anger.
Other stakeholders (people who need to know about your tinnitus) may include:
Spouse
Family
Friends
Medical Practitioners
Supervisor
Co-workers
I started wondering about tinnitus sufferers and how we may be inadvertently sending similar non-verbal communications signals to people around us. If we lack sleep we may appear lazy, bored, fatigued, uninterested, and distant.
After a few evenings of total sleeplessness we could be more easily agitated and fidgety. If the tinnitus is very loud we may not know that we are talking over it and so what we perceive to be normal speech may be misperceived by other people as shouting or aggressive behavior. People with hyperacusis and tinnitus may begin to slur words due to grogginess. Slurring words could be misperceived as being drunk.
A friend of mine was accused of being drunk at work, as a flight attendant, and she was placed on administrative leave until, after some tests, it turned out that she was suffering from early signs of muscular dystrophy (a non-visible disability at first). The false accusation really was a stressful ordeal for her.
Tinnitus, like Parkinson's Dissease, is a non-visible disability. Discrimination is typically just a misinterpretation of unintended non-verbal communication. This is why I make sure to communicate my condition during important situations where the stakeholders need to know. Think of police as stakeholders. If, hypothetically, I get pulled over for a broken tail light I would immediately communicate to the police officer that I sometimes speak over my auditory condition and that it can be misunderstood as nervousness, shouting, and anger.
Other stakeholders (people who need to know about your tinnitus) may include:
Spouse
Family
Friends
Medical Practitioners
Supervisor
Co-workers
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tinnitus: Aspirin
According to the National Institute for Health aspirin does cause tinnitus. Since I already have tinnitus, I learned that aspirin increases the volume and annoyance level. Usually the volume will come back down in a day or two.
I realized that, for me, a major headache that lasts for hours is more endurable than major tinnitus that lasts for days. I now avoid aspirin. I use an ice pack applied to the back of the neck as a natural remedy for headache and I simply go outside and walk. You'd be amazed at how a quick change in environment can cure a headache. I try to take a ten minute walk twice per day.
If you have heart problems and your doctor says that you must take aspirin then you should follow your doctor's instructions.
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225604
More information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18225604
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Tinnitus: Inexpensive Masking
If your tinnitus is so loud that you require hearing aids with maskers but you can't afford them then the next best thing would be to purchase some noise canceling headphones like the ones that Bose has just announced. Plug it into your iPhone or iPod and select a masking app that masks your tinnitus. You can find pink and white noise apps on iTunes. Before you do this you should seek the advice of an audiologist who can help you to adjust the volume level of the masker so that you don't make your tinnitus worse. If you are suffering from hyperacusis as well as tinnitus then a masker may not be an option for you. The masker may be amplified by the hyperacusis which could make your tinnitus worse.
If you can afford them, hearing aids with maskers are a better option because the masking will be specific to your unique tinnitus and fitted by the audiologist specifically for you.
If you can afford them, hearing aids with maskers are a better option because the masking will be specific to your unique tinnitus and fitted by the audiologist specifically for you.
I have no affiliation with any of the companies that produce these products and do not benefit financially from informing you about this option.
More information:
More information:
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Tinnitus: Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the herbal treatments that tinnitus treatment providers allow their patients to try. It has no known side effects and doesn't seem to worsen the tinnitus and so it is typically allowable. The idea is that magnesium is essential in maintaining healthy cilia cells inside of the cochlea.
Some people claim that magnesium cured their tinnitus. If cilia cells are destroyed, they are non-regenerative and therefore will not grow back no matter how much magnesium is being consumed. An analogy would be to think of oneself pouring fertilizer on a dead tree stump and claiming that the tree came back to life. That would be a miracle. This analogy is applicable to people whose cilia cells have been amputated by sudden loud noise. The microscopic fallen trees will not grow back.
There are people who suffer from acute tinnitus, who have not had an amputation of the cilia cells but instead have damaged cilia cells that may repair over time. Here's where magnesium might help. As an analogy, think of a thirsty tree that is bent. Adding fertilizer may help to reduce the time it takes for those damaged cilia cells to repair. That is the idea behind adding magnesium.
People who have amputated cilia cells, whose tinnitus is getting worse over time, may want to try magnesium to strengthen the undamaged cilia cells as a preventative measure to slow or stop the progression. There's no way to determine the efficacy of adding magnesium to one's diet.
I started on a daily liquid vitamin called Max Effect that has 25mg of magnesium in the hopes of preventing my tinnitus from getting any louder. As it stands, the tinnitus is barely tolerable. I can't imagine it getting any louder. So, I'm trying to strengthen the remaining cells. There is no way that I'll be able to tell whether it is working. I'm not endorsing Max Effect. But, I am raising awareness of the product as a possible source of magnesium. Consult your doctor before you try any treatment.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tinnitus: Behind the Scenes
How the Blog Began
This blog began with me experiencing progressively worsening tinnitus (ringing in both ears) and then noticing average sounds (e.g. lawn equipment) that amplify louder inside of my ears but no one else's (this is called hyperacusis). Not knowing exactly what was going on with my ears was perplexing, vexing, confusing, and frustrating.
This blog began with me experiencing progressively worsening tinnitus (ringing in both ears) and then noticing average sounds (e.g. lawn equipment) that amplify louder inside of my ears but no one else's (this is called hyperacusis). Not knowing exactly what was going on with my ears was perplexing, vexing, confusing, and frustrating.
Discovering the Tinnitus Rip-Off Industry
I was trying to find real information about tinnitus and instead I kept finding advertisements claiming to cure tinnitus. I was told by a few audiologists that those so-called cures are a rip-off and that there is no cure for tinnitus only temporary relief through treatment (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy and pain management, medications for sleep, and hearing aids with maskers).
The Drive to Post
As my tinnitus grew louder so did my desire to find out the scope of what I was dealing with and I wanted answers. I realized that other people may want to read about the answers that I discover. I also have access to a team of medical providers who look at the tinnitus from different perspectives. I often post insights from my medical team.
The Gap
I noticed a huge gap between what the providers do know about tinnitus and what tinnitus patients don't know about tinnitus. The goal of this blog is to be a proverbial bridge and also to provide my thoughts and theories based on current research that may lead researchers to a cure.
Helping Others
At first I was reserved about writing this blog because I was concerned about my medical privacy but then I realized that if I could help one person who is misinformed or perhaps help researchers and medical providers to understand things from a different perspective then it was worth laying my privacy aside.
Then and Now
I began the blog in 2007, I wish that I could say that my tinnitus is cured or better since then, but it isn't. I have learned to better manage my life to minimize what triggers the tinnitus and to use good practices for temporary relief (e.g. a healthy diet, light exercise, scuba diving, hearing aids with maskers, moving to a quiet neighborhood and using noise cancelation headphones while at the movie theater, and catching sleep when I can.). Since 2009 about 18,000 viewers from all over the world have reviewed my posts.
Copy-Cat Blogs
Other Tinnitus123 websites and blogs have been created trying to mimmic my blog with one distinct difference, the copy-cats are trying to sell "cure" pills and gadgets. I'm committed to not selling tinnitus cure pill products or gadgets on this blog. I believe that it is unethical and somewhat inhumane to sell placebos and to fill people with false hope. If I provide a link to a product that I use it is simply me raising awareness. I receive no profit from the products that I mention.
Some people with severe chronic tinnitus lose everything including their jobs, houses, cars, friends and family relationships suffer, and marriages can end as a result of the debilitating effects of tinnitus. The last thing that people with tinnitus need is a hyper-marketed fake cure from a seemingly credible source. There is no cure that I can sell to you. Check back in five to ten years and I'm confident that there will be a cure. Synthetic and stem cell research seems to be the most promising.
The Name
What led me choose tinnitus123 as the name? I tried all kinds of names and they were all taken so I simply added 123 at the end of the word tinnitus. At the time the 123 didn't mean anything. Now, I'd say that it means the three step process to understanding tinnitus.
Steps 1-3:
1. Identify the source of your tinnitus (e.g. auditory nerve, cochlear trauma, brain injury, blood disease, etc.)
2. Minimize or eliminate what triggers your tinnitus (e.g. alcohol, caffeine, smoking, eye strain, industrial noise, bananas, avocado, tomato, walnuts).
3. Do everything that you can to keep your tinnitus from getting permanently worse. Assemble a medical team to help you to create a tinnitus management plan and ask questions.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Tinnitus: Movie Theater Noise
Is it possible that movie theater noises trigger subjective tinnitus and make it louder? The answer is yes. Hyperacusis and subjective tinnitus can be triggered by special effect sounds in the movie theater. In the theater we have absolutely no control over how loud the movie noise will be played.
Have you ever left a movie theater because the movie was so loud that your ringing got worse? If so, you may have subjective tinnitus that is activated by hyperacusis.
Have you stopped going to movie theaters altogether because you feel that you need to avoid the noise?
Solution: Go to the Apple store or visit Amazon.com and look for Bose QuietComfort headphones. They are high priced but worth every penny. I wear them inside of the theater and turn them on. I don't plug them into anything. These headphones block harmful noise.
If you really want to control the volume of the movie then you may purchase a Zoom Recorder and plug the Bose QuietComfort headphone into the recorder. Use the volume control on the recorder to control the movie theater noise.
Here is how it works. The QuietComfort headphones block the harmful noise from reaching your eardrums. The noise goes through the recorder and you control the volume at which the noise enters your ears.
I am not in any way associated with the companies that produce these products. These products work for me and that is why I'm sharing this information with you.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tinnitus: Eyelid Twitching?
You may have involuntary eyelid twitches in association with your tinnitus. You may have thought of the eyelid twitching as a separate issue from the tinnitus but the two issues may be a sign of non-cilia generated tinnitus. You likely have damage to some other part of your auditory system besides the cochlea. You may be experiencing hyperacusis.
Getting to the source of your tinnitus is important. The source can help you to determine how best to treat the tinnitus. Complete the following survey (for yourself, don't send your results to me).
Getting to the source of your tinnitus is important. The source can help you to determine how best to treat the tinnitus. Complete the following survey (for yourself, don't send your results to me).
2. Do you sometimes notice a physical tugging sensation inside of your ears? Y or N
3. Do you hear a vrooom sound that moves from one ear to the other? Y or N
4. Do certain sounds (e.g. phone, printer, lawn equipment, high pitch noises) amplify louder than normal, inside of your ears, and trigger your tinnitus? Y or N
5. Are you frustrated that your medical providers are not able to diagnose your condition? Y or N
6. Does your auditory system seem to react to radio frequency? Y or N
7. Do you experience cricket sounds at random times? Y or N
8. If you experience a tugging sensation, what triggers it? Eye drops? Y or N, Caffiene? Y or N, Fatigue? Y or N
9. Have you ever had a traumatic brain injury? Y or N
10. Have you been overexposed to loud noises such as gunfire, fireworks, lawn equipment, concerts, industrial noise, etc?
Y or N
If you answered yes to any of questions 1-5, 7 or 8 then you likely are experiencing hyperacusis in tandem with your tinnitus. Hyperacusis can trigger the tinnitus and make it sound even louder.
If you answered yes to question 6 then you may have electromagnetic sensitivity in association with your tinnitus. It is possible to have all three conditions.
If the hairlike cells inside of your cochlea are not damaged and you don't have some form of brain damage that is driving your tinnitus then you may benefit from surgery. Consult your doctor.
If you answered yes to question 9 then you may have damaged your auditory system as a result of your traumatic brain injury.
If you answered yes to 10 then you likely have broken or bent cilia inside of your cochlea. Only time will tell whether it will be short-term or chronic long-term tinnitus.
If you answered yes to all of the above then you probably have a little of everything, which is rare, but possible. For example, veterans who have experienced explosions and live fire may have been exposed to traumatic brain injury and extremely loud sudden noise at the same time. Police officers, fire fighters and ambulance crews may also experience similar issues for obvious reasons.
I designed this survey to help you to gain a general idea of the source of your tinnitus. Hopefully it may save you years of medical appointments and give you some treatment options to discuss with your medical provider.
If you answered yes to question 9 then you may have damaged your auditory system as a result of your traumatic brain injury.
If you answered yes to 10 then you likely have broken or bent cilia inside of your cochlea. Only time will tell whether it will be short-term or chronic long-term tinnitus.
If you answered yes to all of the above then you probably have a little of everything, which is rare, but possible. For example, veterans who have experienced explosions and live fire may have been exposed to traumatic brain injury and extremely loud sudden noise at the same time. Police officers, fire fighters and ambulance crews may also experience similar issues for obvious reasons.
I designed this survey to help you to gain a general idea of the source of your tinnitus. Hopefully it may save you years of medical appointments and give you some treatment options to discuss with your medical provider.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tinnitus: Herbal Remedies
When first diagnosed with severe chronic tinnitus caused by cilia damage it can be hard to take. Let's face it, no one likes unhappy endings, especially when it is our own unhappy ending. Learning that we will likely never experience a quiet moment again in our lifetime is a difficult pill to swallow.
There is no cure for severe chronic (long-term) tinnitus that is caused by cilia amputation inside of the cochlea. Acute (short-term) tinnitus cures itself. Chronic severe tinnitus caused by cilia damage does not cure itself. Most tinnitus (not all) is typically an amputation of critical hair-like cells inside of the cochlea (cilia) due to noise induced damage.
There are treatments that help people with severe chronic tinnitus to cope. A treatment is not a cure. Some herbal remedy companies that are not approved by the FDA claim to cure tinnitus. They are free to do so. You are free to believe them and try the product. I don't endorse them. When advertisers try to post a link to their site in the comments section of this blog I delete them. Hopefully these advertisers will get the message. They have plenty of space on the internet to sell their products.
If you've stopped at this site to be genuinely informed then you should know that no one has ever cured themselves of chronic tinnitus that is caused by cilia amputation by using an herbal remedy at home. The people who claim a cure occurred are acute tinnitus sufferers who take the herbal remedy and coincidentally their acute tinnitus goes away because the cilia inside of the cochlea have not been amputated and the cilia have stood back up on their own. It had nothing to do with any herbal remedy that the individual was taking at that time. The tinnitus was acute.
Tinnitus can also be caused by other damage besides cilia damage inside of the cochlea. Brain damage, blood pressure issues, auditory nerve damage can all cause the brain to initiate the internal alarm sound of ringing, hissing, crackling, thumping, etc. Consult your doctor as to whether an herbal remedy may help you in that regard. A good treatment team can help you to understand the source of your tinnitus.
Claiming that someone with long-term/chronic severe tinnitus, caused by cochlear cilia amputation, was cured with an herbal remedy is like saying that an amputee grew his or her arm back by taking an herbal remedy. Just because the amputation inside of the auditory system is microscopic doesn't mean that the amputation is any more responsive to herbal remedies than let's say, an arm. We all know that an herbal remedy cannot grow an arm back.
Once gone the cilia do not grow back...period. If an herbal remedy ever cured anyone it would be someone whose cilia was still intact but had a different source for their tinnitus besides amputated cilia.
There is no cure for severe chronic (long-term) tinnitus that is caused by cilia amputation inside of the cochlea. Acute (short-term) tinnitus cures itself. Chronic severe tinnitus caused by cilia damage does not cure itself. Most tinnitus (not all) is typically an amputation of critical hair-like cells inside of the cochlea (cilia) due to noise induced damage.
There are treatments that help people with severe chronic tinnitus to cope. A treatment is not a cure. Some herbal remedy companies that are not approved by the FDA claim to cure tinnitus. They are free to do so. You are free to believe them and try the product. I don't endorse them. When advertisers try to post a link to their site in the comments section of this blog I delete them. Hopefully these advertisers will get the message. They have plenty of space on the internet to sell their products.
If you've stopped at this site to be genuinely informed then you should know that no one has ever cured themselves of chronic tinnitus that is caused by cilia amputation by using an herbal remedy at home. The people who claim a cure occurred are acute tinnitus sufferers who take the herbal remedy and coincidentally their acute tinnitus goes away because the cilia inside of the cochlea have not been amputated and the cilia have stood back up on their own. It had nothing to do with any herbal remedy that the individual was taking at that time. The tinnitus was acute.
Tinnitus can also be caused by other damage besides cilia damage inside of the cochlea. Brain damage, blood pressure issues, auditory nerve damage can all cause the brain to initiate the internal alarm sound of ringing, hissing, crackling, thumping, etc. Consult your doctor as to whether an herbal remedy may help you in that regard. A good treatment team can help you to understand the source of your tinnitus.
Claiming that someone with long-term/chronic severe tinnitus, caused by cochlear cilia amputation, was cured with an herbal remedy is like saying that an amputee grew his or her arm back by taking an herbal remedy. Just because the amputation inside of the auditory system is microscopic doesn't mean that the amputation is any more responsive to herbal remedies than let's say, an arm. We all know that an herbal remedy cannot grow an arm back.
Once gone the cilia do not grow back...period. If an herbal remedy ever cured anyone it would be someone whose cilia was still intact but had a different source for their tinnitus besides amputated cilia.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tinnitus: Stem Cells and Synthetic Cells
Researchers and medical providers know that the most common cause of tinnitus is noise. The noise either bends or breaks the cilia inside of the cochlea. If the cilia is bent it may straighten up over time. The tinnitus goes away when the cilia straightens up. If the cilia is broken off then severe chronic tinnitus is typically the result. It will never stop until researchers find a cure.
Theoretically, if a stem cell cilia were planted inside the cochlea where the fallen cilia used to be plugged in then we may have a future breakthrough. If we think of the auditory system from brain to cochlea and back again as a closed circuit then we can imagine how plugging the appropriate stem cilia cell into the appropriate base would lead to a cure for most tinnitus sufferers. Think of this process as analogous to replacing a blown fuse in an electrical panel. We would have to search for that exact one by trial and error by plugging a new bulb into each holder until suddenly the lights would turn on.
The problem lies in producing and replicating cells at the microscopic level and then having the tools to plug them in. As for the cells, I would guess that Craig Venter is on to something with synthetic cells development.
To my knowledge cilia cell replication has never been accomplished. But Venter et al. could soon figure out the code for cilia cell DNA and generate synthetic cilia cells.
This research is in its infancy but Harvard University is also experimenting with creating microscopic objects that are smaller than a human hair. They've achieved some success in creating microscopic flowers.
If these researchers could somehow create cilia cells (using our own stem cells from skin samples or creating synthetic cilia cells) and if they could invent instruments to perform the surgery necessary to plug in the new cilia cells most cases of severe chronic subjective tinnitus due to noise damage would likely be cured. This is very promising research.
Here is more information on the topic:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/05/20/185509508/nanogardens-sprout-up-on-the-surface-of-a-penny?ft=1&f=1007&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=nprscience
Theoretically, if a stem cell cilia were planted inside the cochlea where the fallen cilia used to be plugged in then we may have a future breakthrough. If we think of the auditory system from brain to cochlea and back again as a closed circuit then we can imagine how plugging the appropriate stem cilia cell into the appropriate base would lead to a cure for most tinnitus sufferers. Think of this process as analogous to replacing a blown fuse in an electrical panel. We would have to search for that exact one by trial and error by plugging a new bulb into each holder until suddenly the lights would turn on.
The problem lies in producing and replicating cells at the microscopic level and then having the tools to plug them in. As for the cells, I would guess that Craig Venter is on to something with synthetic cells development.
To my knowledge cilia cell replication has never been accomplished. But Venter et al. could soon figure out the code for cilia cell DNA and generate synthetic cilia cells.
This research is in its infancy but Harvard University is also experimenting with creating microscopic objects that are smaller than a human hair. They've achieved some success in creating microscopic flowers.
If these researchers could somehow create cilia cells (using our own stem cells from skin samples or creating synthetic cilia cells) and if they could invent instruments to perform the surgery necessary to plug in the new cilia cells most cases of severe chronic subjective tinnitus due to noise damage would likely be cured. This is very promising research.
Here is more information on the topic:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/05/20/185509508/nanogardens-sprout-up-on-the-surface-of-a-penny?ft=1&f=1007&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=nprscience
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Tinnitus: Significant Discovery May Help to Cure Tinnitus
A recent study by Dr. Baraniuk of Georgetown University showed physical damage to axons in the frontal lobe of the brain that cause pain sensations and a multitude of chronic illnesses for Gulf War Era veterans, especially veterans that were deployed in the region.
I've mentioned before on this site that pain is pain regardless of whether it is perceived and interpreted in the brain or not. It is not imaginary just because damage to the brain is causing it. The damage is real. The location of the pain may not be accurate. A damaged brain can accidentally launch pain signals that really feel like the pain is in the lower back, yet there is no damage in the low back...the physical damage is in the brain.
Recently, Dr. Baraniuk and his team of researchers at Georgetown University, published findings that correlate damaged brain axons as a source of many veteran's complaints of pain from Gulf War Illness (GWI).
Tinnitus is like pain. Could damaged axons inside of the brain be causing internal ringing, hissing, popping, or thumping sounds inside of the ears of Gulf War veterans?
Since tinnitus is the number one issue that the Department of Veterans Affairs deals with we have to consider that Dr. Baraniuk may have inadvertently stumbled upon a source of the severe chronic tinnitus that many veterans suffer from. If there is a correlation between his findings and tinnitus it means that ear plugs and/or headsets really would not have helped prevent the axon damage.
So what is the source of this damage. The article suggests a number of chemical and biological exposure possibilities. What it doesn't consider is the possibility of electromagnetic and/or radio frequency radiation overexposure due to radar leakage and radar refraction that may cause charged particles to pass through the brains of service members and flip the switches in the human brain and forever alter the pain receptors. The service member/veteran may experience acute symptoms and heal or slowly debilitate over time. Dr. Baraniuk mentions that the veterans that spearheaded the Gulf War Illness movement 10 years ago are now walking with canes!
If Dr. Baraniuk begins to map the damaged axons to the actual pain areas of the body then researchers, in the future, may be able to isolate and shut off or repair the axons responsible for generating the pain or internal sound generated by the brain thus curing many people. That is my hope.
Here is the article that may lead to a Gulf War Illness or tinnitus cure one day: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0058493
I've mentioned before on this site that pain is pain regardless of whether it is perceived and interpreted in the brain or not. It is not imaginary just because damage to the brain is causing it. The damage is real. The location of the pain may not be accurate. A damaged brain can accidentally launch pain signals that really feel like the pain is in the lower back, yet there is no damage in the low back...the physical damage is in the brain.
Recently, Dr. Baraniuk and his team of researchers at Georgetown University, published findings that correlate damaged brain axons as a source of many veteran's complaints of pain from Gulf War Illness (GWI).
Tinnitus is like pain. Could damaged axons inside of the brain be causing internal ringing, hissing, popping, or thumping sounds inside of the ears of Gulf War veterans?
Since tinnitus is the number one issue that the Department of Veterans Affairs deals with we have to consider that Dr. Baraniuk may have inadvertently stumbled upon a source of the severe chronic tinnitus that many veterans suffer from. If there is a correlation between his findings and tinnitus it means that ear plugs and/or headsets really would not have helped prevent the axon damage.
So what is the source of this damage. The article suggests a number of chemical and biological exposure possibilities. What it doesn't consider is the possibility of electromagnetic and/or radio frequency radiation overexposure due to radar leakage and radar refraction that may cause charged particles to pass through the brains of service members and flip the switches in the human brain and forever alter the pain receptors. The service member/veteran may experience acute symptoms and heal or slowly debilitate over time. Dr. Baraniuk mentions that the veterans that spearheaded the Gulf War Illness movement 10 years ago are now walking with canes!
If Dr. Baraniuk begins to map the damaged axons to the actual pain areas of the body then researchers, in the future, may be able to isolate and shut off or repair the axons responsible for generating the pain or internal sound generated by the brain thus curing many people. That is my hope.
Here is the article that may lead to a Gulf War Illness or tinnitus cure one day: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0058493
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Tinnitus: Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis occurs when a person is hypersensitive to certain noises that would typically not bother someone else (e.g. gunfire, sirens, automobile brakes, movie theater sounds, engine noises, laser printers, MRI, etc.).
Tinnitus occurs when a person hears a constant sound that is generated by the brain to signal auditory system damage. The damage is real. The sound is an indicator that damage exists. Most people with tinnitus have damage inside of the cochlea. It is typically either bent or broken cilia. Bent cilia will likely recover. Broken cilia does not regenerate.
Some people with tinnitus also have hyperacusis. I'm one of those people. The conditions are so unpredictable that every day is different.
I've had the tinnitus for a long time. It started getting louder in recent years and in 2007 I began to notice that I was hypersensitive to the noise of a shared laser printer on my desk at work. To make matters worse, the city rerouted a bus station to right below my office window. The hydraulic brakes would trigger my hyperacusis which would aggravate my tinnitus. I began losing sleep, isolating myself, and even started slurring my words because of sheer exhaustion.
I'm sharing this information with you so that you can get ahead of the issue if you suspect that you may have both conditions. You may find that you need to educate your providers about your conditions. Some medical providers just don't know about hyperacusis or tinnitus (much less both). Print this out. Show it to your medical providers. It may help you to explain what I couldn't when I first noticed the symptoms of hyperacusis.
Also, if you have hyperacusis with your tinnitus, you may not be able to use certain treatments for your tinnitus because these treatments may activate your hyperacusis which can make your tinnitus sound louder and more annoying. For example, some treatments use music to pull the brains focus away from the tinnitus sound. The problem is that the music sometimes involves sounds that trigger the hyperacusis (e.g. wind chimes, horns, violins, etc.) You can try it out but if you notice a reaction I recommend you stop the treatment. Consult your provider before you stop.
Tinnitus occurs when a person hears a constant sound that is generated by the brain to signal auditory system damage. The damage is real. The sound is an indicator that damage exists. Most people with tinnitus have damage inside of the cochlea. It is typically either bent or broken cilia. Bent cilia will likely recover. Broken cilia does not regenerate.
Some people with tinnitus also have hyperacusis. I'm one of those people. The conditions are so unpredictable that every day is different.
I've had the tinnitus for a long time. It started getting louder in recent years and in 2007 I began to notice that I was hypersensitive to the noise of a shared laser printer on my desk at work. To make matters worse, the city rerouted a bus station to right below my office window. The hydraulic brakes would trigger my hyperacusis which would aggravate my tinnitus. I began losing sleep, isolating myself, and even started slurring my words because of sheer exhaustion.
I'm sharing this information with you so that you can get ahead of the issue if you suspect that you may have both conditions. You may find that you need to educate your providers about your conditions. Some medical providers just don't know about hyperacusis or tinnitus (much less both). Print this out. Show it to your medical providers. It may help you to explain what I couldn't when I first noticed the symptoms of hyperacusis.
Also, if you have hyperacusis with your tinnitus, you may not be able to use certain treatments for your tinnitus because these treatments may activate your hyperacusis which can make your tinnitus sound louder and more annoying. For example, some treatments use music to pull the brains focus away from the tinnitus sound. The problem is that the music sometimes involves sounds that trigger the hyperacusis (e.g. wind chimes, horns, violins, etc.) You can try it out but if you notice a reaction I recommend you stop the treatment. Consult your provider before you stop.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tinnitus: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
TMS, an experimental treatment, is showing some positive effects as a possible future cure for tinnitus. I tried to enroll in a research study but was disqualified because my tinnitus is so loud that the doctor performing the research did not want to risk making it worse. My tinnitus flares up during MRI's. He explained that the field strength of the magnets that he uses are similar to an MRI and are too large to pinpoint exactly where the auditory system damage is located. However, he and I had a great conversation.
He told me that he is finding various levels of sensitivity to the magnetic fields. I asked him if he had ever heard of EHS (Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome). He said no. I explained it to him. He was pretty receptive.
Here is the bottom line. I think that TMS, when the magnetic field strengths reach pinpoint accuracy will cure tinnitus that is caused by TBI. It is my belief that once the auditory control panel in the brain that is responsible for the internal sound is identified it can be switched off. The trick is being able to switch it off without doing other damage. We don't want to be cured of tinnitus only to find that the side effects of the treatment are worse than the tinnitus. For example, I'd like to have my ringing ears quiet down but not at the expense of never being able to blink my eyelids again.
I'm hopeful that a cure will be here by 2018. I'm counting on it!
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