Tinnitus FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Tinnitus - ringing ears and other head noises
About the Tinnitus FAQ
Welcome to the Tinnitus FAQ. At the present time, there are many questions
about tinnitus, but few definitive answers that apply to all sufferers. If
you have any additional insights not covered in this document, please help
your fellow tinnitus sufferers by contacting the FAQ Maintainer, Lee
Leggore, at nomader@eskimo.com.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This document is not a substitute for advice from a
competent health care provider specializing in tinnitus. Many of the
underlying medical conditions can be serious, if not fatal, and several of
the listed treatments may have dangerous side-effects. Contact one of the
tinnitus organizations listed in this document if you are seeking a
referral to a skilled physician. The Tinnitus FAQ may contain material
contrary to opinions of the tinnitus research community.
About the Tinnitus FAQ Maintainer
I (Lee Leggore) began maintaining this FAQ in September of 1995. I was born
8/2/51. I have had Tinnitus and Hyperacusis since 1982. In 1985 I became a
member and contact person with, "American Tinnitus Association".
In 1993, I became involved in computer science at, "Tacoma Community
College", where I previosly earned a diploma in Management. Other than,
"Basic First Aid and CPR", I am WITHOUT medical training. Everything in
this FAQ is the contribution of many, many people, who submitted via
private e-mail and indirectly via public postings to alt.support.tinnitus.
While I will always try to answer questions via private e-mail, you will
hopefully reach people with better expertise than I by posting publicly to
the newsgroup: alt.support.tinnitus (Be advised/warned that this newsgroup
has had obscene posting and you may be quite repulsed by them! Please! Do
not respond to them!)
- 1) What is tinnitus?
- Tinnitus can be described as ringing ears and other head noises that ...
- 2) What does tinnitus sound like?
- Many sufferers in the online community report that their tinnitus ...
- 3) How is tinnitus diagnosed?
- The following flowchart from the Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 1992 (...
- 4) What causes tinnitus?
- In a database of 1687 tinnitus patients, no known cause was identified ...
- 5) How can I avoid getting tinnitus?
- Avoid the causes listed above. Really. The number one cause of tinnitus ...
- 6) What are some ototoxic drugs?
- All tinnitus sufferers should ask their physician and/or pharmacist ...
- 7) What is Meniere's Disease?
- Meniere's is a very serious disease of the inner ear, resulting in ...
- 7.1) What are the symptoms of Meniere's Disease?
- In my case it started with a constant fullness in my right ...
- 7.2) What tests would a physician do to diagnose Meniere's Disease?
- First was a hearing test. This was followed by an MRI to ...
- 7.3) Are there any known environmental causes of Meniere's Disease, or is it one of those things that "just happens" to people?
- One possible cause is Diabetes. Other than that no one that ...
- 7.4) What are the common Meniere's Disease treatments? Anti-vertigo drugs? Surgical operations on the inner ear balance mechanisms?
- The most common treatment for mild episodic Meniere's I ...
- 7.5) In general, imagine yourself back when you first encountered Meniere's Disease. What kind of summary info would have been helpful to you?
- Knowing that it can be treated with medication and there is ...
- 7.6) Meniere's, Tinnitus, & Gentamicin, as explained by Jim Chinnis :
- Originally, streptomycin was tried as a treatment for ...
- 7.7) Endolymphatic hydrops is a condition similar to Meniere's that involves vertigo without hearing loss, as described by another contributor:
- (see http://lab9924.wustl.edu/Intro4.htm) ...
- 8) What is hyperacusis?
- Hyperacusis is defined as a collapsed tolerance to normal ...
- 8.1) What causes hyperacusis?
- Unfortunately, because hyperacusis is so rare, little research has ...
- 8.2) What can be done?
- Currently all treatments for hyperacusis are experimental. The ...
- 8.3) How rare is hyperacusis?
- Although there may be as many as 1% of the population who are ...
- 8.4) Where can I turn to for help?
- Because so little is known about it, doctors either have no idea what ...
- 9.1) Treating Tinnitus: niacin
- Niacin supplements produce a temporary flushing effect that ...
- 9.2) Treating Tinnitus: lecithin
- The following anecdotal report advocates lecithin in combination ...
- 9.3) Treating Tinnitus: gingko biloba
- Gingko biloba leaves have been used therapeutically by the Chinese ...
- 9.4) Treating Tinnitus: anti-depressants, tranquilizers, and muscle relaxants
- Many tinnitus sufferers become depressed from having to deal with ...
- 9.5) Treating Tinnitus: anti-convulsants
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol, a dangerous drug!), phenytoin (Dilantin),...
- 9.6) Treating Tinnitus: intravenous lidocaine
- An initial injection of lidocaine followed by an IV drip may ...
- 9.7) Treating Tinnitus: tocainide hydrochloride
- This is an oral relative of lidocaine thought to act in a ...
- 9.8) Treating Tinnitus: histamine
- On p.32 of Conn's Current Therapy, 1994, W.B. Saunders Co., MDs ...
- 9.9) Treating Tinnitus: anti-histamine
- [Ed. note: Yes, I realize this is in contradiction with the ...
- 9.10) Treating Tinnitus: meclizine
- This is an over-the-counter (USA) anti-vertigo drug. While it ...
- 9.11) Treating Tinnitus: DMSO
- The following appeared in a recent article in Alternatives ...
- 9.12) Treating Tinnitus: vinpocetine and vincamine
- The following is an anecdotal report concerning vinpocetine, a ...
- 9.13) Treating Tinnitus: hydergine
- Another smart drug, for which Dean & Morgethaler say:...
- 9.14) Treating Tinnitus: sodium fluoride
- May be helpful when the tinnitus is due to cochlear otosclerosis....
- 9.15) Treating Tinnitus: vasodilators
- Vasodilators like niacin, gingko biloba, and prescription drugs ...
- 9.16) Treating Tinnitus: zinc
- The cochlea has the body's greatest concentration of zinc. ...
- 9.17) Treating Tinnitus: diuretics
- Diuretics may be prescribed when Meniere's Disease is present. ...
- 9.18) Treating Tinnitus: homeopathic remedies
- One contributor reports tinnitus relief from homeopathic cell salts:...
- 9.19) Treating Tinnitus: betahistine hydrochloride (SERC)
- The symptoms of Meniere's Disease can be ameliorated somewhat ...
- 9.20) Treating Tinnitus: magnesium
- Magnesium Prevents Hearing Loss:...
- 9.21) Treating Tinnitus: caroverine
- Some research on caroverine is being done in Austria:...
- 9.22) Treating Tinnitus: carbogen
- From: govaerts@uia.ua.ac.be (Paul.Govaerts)...
- 10.1) other tinnitus treatments: surgery
- For tinnitus caused by acoustic neuromas, vascular abnormalities, ...
- 10.2) other tinnitus treatments: maintain a healthy diet & lifestyle
- This means no tobacco, no alcohol, no caffeine, low fat, low sodium....
- 10.3) other tinnitus treatments: biofeedback
- Useful as a stress reduction tool, biofeedback may help some people....
- 10.4) other tinnitus treatments: accupuncture
- May provide temporary relief to some people. One contributor ...
- 10.5) other tinnitus treatments: stress reduction
- Many people say their tinnitus is more active when they're tired ...
- 10.6) other tinnitus treatments: hearing aids
- Some people with severe tinnitus may benefit from hearing aids ...
- 10.7) other tinnitus treatments: cranial sacral therapy
- There is anecdotal evidence of help for tinnitus through ...
- 10.8) other tinnitus treatments: electrical stimulation
- Various electrode placements with various voltages & frequencies ...
- 10.9) other tinnitus treatments: surgically severing the auditory nerves
- An Eighth Nerve section is the treatment of last resort. You will ...
- 10.10) other tinnitus treatments: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- This treatment is supposed to be beneficial when the tinnitus ...
- 10.11) other tinnitus treatments: feedback therapy
- A poster to alt.support tinnitus reports about a therapy ...
- 10.12) other tinnitus treatments: Auditory Integration Training (AIT)
- Auditory Integration Training (AIT) was originally developed by ...
- 10.13) other tinnitus treatments: sound therapy
- Sound therapy originates from the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis. ...
- 10.14) other tinnitus treatments: hypnotherapy
- Hypnotherapy has been reported by Dr. Kevin Hogan, who is a ...
- 11) What is masking?
- Masking is the technique of producing external white noise sounds ...
- 11.1) Residual Inhibition
- Masking can also produce a phenomenon called, residual inhibition. ...
- 12) What types of earplugs or other hearing protection are available?
- Wearing ear plugs protects your ears from new damage as well as ...
- 13) What organizations can I turn to for more information?
- The following organizations all support tinnitus/hearing research ...
- 14) What books can I turn to for more information?
- Tinnitus: Diagnosis/...
- 15) What online resources are available?
- On the Internet, the Usenet newsgroup alt.support.tinnitus is the ...
- 16) What can I do when all else fails?
- Here is one sufferer's advice:...
- 17) Where did the medical advice in this FAQ come from?
- With few exceptions, none of the contributors to this FAQ are physicians....
- 18) What clinics or physicians can I turn to for real medical advice?
- The following clinics or physicians all specialize in the treatment ...
- 19) Who are the contributors to this FAQ?
- Unless otherwise requested, all contributors will be credited here....