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Is There A Tinnitus Cure On The Way?
What actually is tinnitus? Tinnitus, also referred to as “ringing ears”, is the medical term for the perception of sound in one or both ears, or in the head, when no external sound is present. Not everyone has just ear ringing, however. Some people hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking instead of, in addition to, ringing. It can be constant or just occasional. And the volume can range from barely audible to roaring. And it can drive people crazy.
It is estimated that over 50 million Americans have some degree of tinnitus. For most people it is just an annoyance, but almost two million people have it so bad they can’t functional normally.
The American Tinnitus Association states that noise is the leading cause of tinnitus. Our world is noisy and getting noisier all the time. Our ears are continually bombarded with noises like traffic, hairdryers, barking dogs, and one of the worst offenders, listening to too-loud music with headsets.
Most of us face some degree of unwelcome noise at work, but some professions, such as musicians, firefighters, building contractors, construction workers, lawn maintenance workers, and military personnel, are at particularly high risk for developing tinnitus.
Tinnitus can be a side effect of certain diseases such as Lyme’s disease, fibromyalgia, or thyroid disorders. Or it can be caused by head and neck injuries, jaw problems, or side effect of certain medications.
Sadly, according to the American Tinnitus Association, there is no tinnitus cure at this time, only tinnitus therapy. But they do acknowledge that tinnitus can be managed by treating the underlying cause. If you have tinnitus, and you’ve been able to reduce or stop tinnitus symptoms, you probably don’t care about whether you are considered cured by their standards as long as you have been able to reduce the noise and stop tinnitus from driving you crazy.
No one really know when or if the ultimate tinnitus cure will be found. There are organizations devoted to finding the cure. The American Tinnitus Association is continually pressing the U.S. government to increase their funding for research. And the U.S. Department of Defense is funding research due to the large number of military personnel that have this disorder.
If you have tinnitus and want to help find the tinnitus cure, you could participate in a clinical trial. ClinicalTrials.gov is a great place to search for research studies. You can also call your local university hospitals to find out if they have any studies you could become involved with.
