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
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