High quality earplugs

One of the most important pieces of advice we can give is to protect your hearing from further damage when you know your are going to be exposed to a loud environment.

These will help your ears to recover if you are in an acute stage of tinnitus or if you a chronic sufferer it will prevent your tinnitus from increasing in intensity.  

If you regularly frequent loud environments, invest in a high quality of cusotm moulded ear plugs which will filter the sound so that the volume is reduced without reducing the music quality.  There are many distributors out there, but be sure to ensure they have at least 15dB noise reduction.

 

There is more information at:

http://pulsatiletinnitusrelief.wordpress.com

Try using pink noise rather than white noise

Pink noise maskers do not contain the ultra high frequency content at the same amplitude as white noise maskers and so are a lot more pleasant to listen to for long period of time. 

White and pink noise need not be simply synthesised harsh sounds. Rainfall and OCean wave are good examples of naturally occuring white/pink noise.

Meniere’s sufferers

If any of you are sufferers of Meniere’s disease and would like to learn more on the latest up to date information then please visit: 

http://www.menieres.wordpress.com

Tinnitus Help Twitter Page

Hi everyone, just letting you know that we here at Hyperacusis comprehensive also contribute to the Tinnitus help page on twitter which is full of lots of great tips and tricks on how to effectively manage your tinnitus and hyperacusis. 

Please follow their tweets for more advice:

www.twitter.com/tinnitushelp

Are Results of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Maintained over Time?. 18-Month Follow-Up after Completion of Therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a useful treatment for tinnitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resultsobtained after 18 months of TRT as well as 18 months after completion of therapy, i.e. 36 months after initiation of TRT. Forty-five subjects suffering from an idiopathic tinnitus with or without hyperacusis for at least 6 months were recruited. There were significant improvements during therapy and the mean Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was lowered by more than 20 points. These improvements persisted 18 months after treatment completion. Furthermore, the percentage of patients reporting the disappearance of their difficulties in various activities (relaxation, concentration, sleep, social relations and work) increased continuously after treatment completion. TRT improved self-perceived disability induced by chronic tinnitus for a long time after the end of therapy.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Article on Hyperacusis by Naren Wiggin

Hyperacusis is a health condition that affects a person’s ability to hear normally and is over-sensitive to noise at a certain frequency level. This condition is brought about by a collapse in the normal tolerance of normal environmental sound. People with hyperacusis especially those that has severe hyperacusis has a difficulty tolerating everyday sounds, they are over-sensitive to noise and thus would like to have a quiet surroundings. However, 86% of these people who suffer from hyperacusis also suffer from tinnitus this makes it also difficult for them to be in a serene and quiet surrounding, as they will be bothered by an unusual ringing in the ears.

Studies have shown that tinnitus can be acquired through constant exposure to loud music, as in the case of musicians, or those that works and operates heavy machineries and factories with large equipments, this can damage their ability to hear normally, thus 40% of people with tinnitus are suffering from hyperacusis. When they are surrounded by a very loud noise, they can hear a resounding ringing in the ears or loud buzzing sound. People with tinnitus are affected by unbearable loud sounds, even though these sounds are not bothersome to others. With the use of a brain-imaging device called the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging or fMRI, researchers find out that the hearing centers in the brain of people with tinnitus are more active than normal people. This means that their hearing a more sensitive to sounds than normal. 
  
In some cases, hyperacusis can be acquired due to brain damage or abnormalities in the brain’s neurological system. This affects how the brain perceives sound. Some rare cases of hyperacusis can be caused by vestibular disorder. Vestibular disorder is a disorder that mixes-up the sounds that are captured by the ears and instead of processing them as loud and low sounds in the brain. The brain sends a different signal and processes them as movement impulses, which might trigger the feeling of spinning, floating or falling, such in the case of vertigo. This can be triggered with sounds higher that 85 decibels. So people who has vestibular disorders, feels dizzy when inside a mall or in a crowded place. With this cause being identified, Scientists are now finding ways to identify the cells that gives these unusual signals so that they can designs ways and cure, to restore these cells to its normal function, by means of drugs or electrical stimulation. 
  
The causes and symptoms of hyperacusis is similar to tinnitus, such as, neck and jaw injuries which can cause obstruction of blood flow in the brain and the body; over-exposure to loud sounds; ear infection and abnormal ear irrigation, head injury, and the like. Thus, the full extent of medical examination is advised by doctors to be able to give proper treatment. 
  
The common treatment for this condition is through Tinnitus Retraining Therapy or TRT, a broadband noise to treat tinnitus. This training the ears to listen to soft levels of sounds for a given period of time everyday, this will help in their tolerance to sounds. The doctor will first identify the level of loudness discomfort level and through that, they can pattern the sound treatment until you achieve a tolerable level.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Naren_Wiggin

Hi everyone!

Hi Everyone,

Thankyou for choosing to read my blog! My name is Mus Abdi and I am creating this blog for the many thousands of Hyperacusis and Tinnitus sufferers who are looking for up to date and trustworthy information on the condition. I am a graduate in Immunology from one of the top research centres in the world, and I have a great interest in disorders of the ear and auditory cortex. I have also had medical training from Bristol University, UK. In addition, am also a music producer with a particular interest in sound therapies, and last but least I am a tinnitus sufferer.

I am dedicated to providing the best information on the condition and the effectivenes of treatments, holistic or traditional. I hope you find my posts useful, and please feel free to contribute to the conservation.

To our common health and information!

Kind Regards

Mus Abdi