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Tinnitus: why it’s still such a mystery to science

Despite the many groundbreaking medical advances of the last century, there are still some conditions that continue to perplex scientists. One such symptom is tinnitus, which people have reported experiencing as far back as the 1600 BC. Tinnitus is characterised by hearing unwanted sounds, such as a ringing, buzzing or humming noise in your ears or head. For one in eight people, these sounds never disappear. Although the condition is more common in older adults – possibly due to the natural ageing process – tinnitus can affect people of all ages, including young children.

It’s estimated that 30% of people worldwide will experience tinnitus at some point in their life. This…

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Featured

 New thinking about tinnitus

Increasingly, Harvard Medical School scientists are finding evidence that some people have "hidden" hearing loss: damage to the auditory nerve — which carries sound signals from the ear to the brain — that isn't picked up by conventional tests.

 “Ringing in the Ears” Actually Goes Much Deeper Than That

Recent research suggests why: Tinnitus is a lot more complicated than just a ringing in the ears. It is more like a ringing across the brain. Solving the mystery of tinnitus will probably get even more urgent in years to come. Traffic, iPods, and other features of modern life may cause more hearing damage, hence more tinnitus. But if a real cure ever comes, it will probably not be a single silver bullet. It will instead attack the tinnitus network from top-down and bottom-up. For now, though, you should probably skip the hot bread on the ears.

Articles of Interest

Tinnitus: Why Won't My Ears Stop Ringing?

For a long time, doctors thought tinnitus was a problem in the ears. But they now think it's more of a problem in the brain. In the past 10 years, brain imaging has given clues that the tinnitus "sounds" may be caused by a brain that is not connecting its various sections clearly.

Now We Know What Causes Tinnitus, That Never-Ending Ringing In Your Ears

The incessant ringing some people hear happens when the brain can’t process noise properly.

The Brain: Ringing in the Ears Actually Goes Much Deeper Than That

Research on tinnitus has shown that it's rooted in the very way we process and understand sound. Today tinnitus continues to resist medicine’s best efforts, despite being one of the more common medical disorders. Surveys show that between 5 and 15 percent of people say they have heard some kind of phantom noise for six months or more; some 1 to 3 percent say tinnitus lowers their quality of life. Tinnitus can force people to withdraw from their social life, make them depressed, and give them insomnia.

The Sound That Comes From Nowhere

Millions of people have a ringing in their ears—a condition called tinnitus—often with no discernible cause.

A Breakthrough in Understanding Tinnitus: The Entire Hearing System Studied

Tinnitus is also frequently accompanied by hypersensitivity to noise. Depending on its intensity and frequency, it can considerably impair the quality of life of people who suffer from it, including their ability to return to work. It can also cause physiological disorders similar to diseases linked to stress, anxiety, depression or auditory hypersensitivity.

A quest to explain the whooshing in her head

It took a few months, but Greenwood finally found a doctor who understood what she was hearing and diagnosed her with a vascular condition. Her “whoosh” was, in medical terms, a “bruit” — the sound of turbulent blood flow through a narrowed vein in her brain. Greenwood figured she couldn’t be alone: Many other patients hearing a whoosh had no doubt had been told they had tinnitus — for which there is no medical treatment. That’s a problem because whooshing can be treated — and sometimes, needs to be addressed quickly. The pulsing sound can indicate a condition that could lead to seizure, stroke, or death.

COVID can trigger tinnitus. Could the vaccines do the same?

The CDC didn’t find a link between the vaccines and hundreds of new cases of a debilitating ringing in the ears, but some scientists say it must do more to investigate.

Evidence of cochlear neural degeneration in normal-hearing subjects with tinnitus

Tinnitus, reduced sound-level tolerance, and difficulties hearing in noisy environments are the most common complaints associated with sensorineural hearing loss in adult populations. This study aims to clarify if cochlear neural degeneration estimated in a large pool of participants with normal audiograms is associated with self-report of tinnitus using a test battery probing the different stages of the auditory processing from hair cell responses to the auditory reflexes of the brainstem.

From Vertigo to Tinnitus, Ear Ailments Are New Focus for Drugs

The sudden flurry of activity has not yet produced a drug that improves hearing or silences ringing in the ears, but some companies are reporting hints of promise in early clinical trials.

I Went To A Sound Bath To Cure My Tinnitus, And It Made Me Feel High

It may not be for everyone but since there are no true medical cures for Tinnitus, it’s definitely worth a try. I’ve already signed up for my next class.

It’s Tinnitus Awareness Week – so what hope is there for sufferers?

A new technique involving coloured lights may, sadly, not be the breakthrough sufferers of the condition are looking for.

Living With a Sound You Can’t Turn Off

Recently Dr. Cima’s team demonstrated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, psychology-based approach to this problem. The technique, published last spring in The Lancet, does not make the ringing go away, but it does show that now there is real hope for relief for people whose tinnitus impairs their ability to work, sleep and enjoy life.

Living with Tinnitus: I Find It Hard to Believe Silence Ever Existed

Tom Bellamy from the band Losers woke up one day with ringing in his ears. Five years on, we asked him to write about life with tinnitus.

Losing My Mind (And Dream) to Pulsatile Tinnitus: The Less Noisy Road Back

The most common noises are ringing, hissing, and roaring, or some combination of them. While "popular" tinnitus exhibits this classic acoustic behavior, and can only be perceived by the subject, the kind I was, and still am, afflicted by is categorically distinct.

Neuroscience may offer hope to millions robbed of silence by tinnitus

For now, with that cure still looming in the distance, patients seeking treatment are often met with frustration and dead ends. “The ENT’s say, ‘well it’s not in the ear, so we can’t help you,’” Rauschecker said. “And the neurologists usually aren’t very interested in this either, because they don’t understand it, and tinnitus is a small domain.” There’s no lack of homeopathic drugs, vitamins and herbs online, boasting a quick fix for tinnitus. James Henry, who works for the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at the VA Medical Center in Portland,said to beware of these online “remedies.” “My advice would be to be skeptical of anything on the internet,” Henry said. “Don’t be taken in on unproven methods. Don’t spend money on things that aren’t proven to work.”

Scientists may have the key to treating tinnitus: Retrain the brain

An innovative treatment offers hope to the millions of people who hear sounds that others don’t. Here’s how it works.

So Neuroscientists Have Found a Way to Stop It, But What Exactly Is Tinnitus?

A new treatment currently undergoing testing in the US, marketed as the "Serenity System," however, gets to the very root of the condition in a new way, literally plugging into the vagus nerve, the big one connecting the brain to the body's myriad organs, and releasing pulses that help the auditory cortex of the brain "retune" itself in such a way as to eliminate the bothersome sounds.

The Brain of a Tinnitus Sufferer

Chronic tinnitus is a condition with which a person constantly hears a sound, often a ringing, that isn’t really there. At best, it is irritating; at worst, it can disrupt the sufferer’s life. Although tinnitus has been well studied, little is known about the brain’s involvement. In a study published in Current Biology, researchers reported that they were able to record the brain activity of a patient with tinnitus.

Tinnitus nearly drove me mad

ome years ago now, I learned to love the rain. I was in my mid-20s and had recently noticed a ringing in my left ear and I was not in a good way.

Tinnitus seems linked with sleep – understanding how could bring us closer to finding a cure

There are many reasons for this. First, tinnitus is a phantom percept. This is when our brain activity makes us see, hear or smell things that aren’t there. Most people only experience phantom perceptions when they’re asleep. But for people with tinnitus, they hear phantom sounds while they’re awake.

Tinnitus: Why Won't My Ears Stop Ringing?

For a long time, doctors thought tinnitus was a problem in the ears. But they now think it's more of a problem in the brain. In the past 10 years, brain imaging has given clues that the tinnitus "sounds" may be caused by a brain that is not connecting its various sections clearly. The Web is awash with untested tinnitus "cures," many of them expensive. Church found his own cheap, simple workaround, suggested by his wife: radio static. One evening when he was tormented by tinnitus, she gave him an inexpensive personal radio and told him to put on the headphones.

What Is That Noise!?! My Take On Living With Tinnitus

The best way to counteract my tinnitus that I have found is to watch TV or to play music softly in the background. Any sort of white background noise will do. It needs to be just loud enough to cover up the ringing, but quiet enough so it does not drown out the real sounds around me.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus appears to happen most often due to a malfunction along the pathway from your ear to your brain. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how to explain tinnitus. What they can say for sure is that tinnitus is a sign that something is up with your auditory system, which includes the ear itself, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, and the areas in the brain that process sound, per the NIDCD. That’s why it’s viewed as a symptom, not a condition all on its own.

Why Is Tinnitus So Hard To Understand And Treat?

Tinnitus, a condition commonly described as a persistent ringing in the ears, affects millions of people around the world. In the US, the prevalence of tinnitus is estimated at around 11% of the population, with 2% affected by a severe form of the condition that can be debilitating. But despite it being so common, the exact causes of some tinnitus, and how best to think about treating the condition, are still unclear. In some cases, it’s brought on by exposure to loud noise, while in others, an ear infection or even earwax can be to blame.

Worldwide Tinnitus Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Published Literature Between 2001 and 2020

In recent years, tinnitus has attracted increasing research interest. However, bibliometric analysis of global research on tinnitus is rare. The objective of this study was to identify and describe the foci and developing trends of tinnitus research using a bibliometric approach.

‘Like the brakes of a train never coming to a stop’: author Michel Faber on the torture of tinnitus

Six years ago the writer developed tinnitus. He explains how it has reframed his relationship with his body and the world – and how music is his salve

Resources

Tinnitus 123

This blog is for tinnitus sufferers, tinnitus researchers, and friends and family of tinnitus sufferers. The goal is to raise awareness about tinnitus and to promote ideas that may help to lead to a cure. There is no cure for chronic severe tinnitus that is caused by non-regenerative cochlear cell damage. However, there are ways to manage tinnitus and the secondary conditions that tinnitus causes.

Tinnitus Advice and Tips for a Treatment and Cure

The huge amount of different (and mostly contradictory) information regards tinnitus makes it difficult to find an appropriate remedy for the individual case.

Tinnitus News

Your source for the latest news on tinnitus research.

Tinnitus Quest

We are dedicated to silencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears). We unite patients with top scientists for targeted, rapid research to provide relief for the millions suffering from chronic, severe tinnitus. Your support is crucial to fund this transformative work. In return, we pledge full transparency. Join our quest for silence.

Tinnitus Talk

Tinnitus Talk Support Forum connects you with others suffering from tinnitus and provides information on research and treatments.

Tinnitus Today Magazine

Tinnitus Today magazine is the ATA’s award-winning flagship publication, featuring the latest in research news, compelling personal stories, tinnitus tools, and much more. To subscribe, join the ATA. This exclusive member benefit is issued three times a year and includes access to ATA’s extensive archives.

Tinnitus UK

Your struggle is our cause. We are the only UK helpline that is here solely to help people with tinnitus.

American Tinnitus Association

Committed to a Cure... ATA is a global leader in the effort to find a cure for tinnitus. We bring together patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and lawmakers to develop tinnitus management tools and fund vital tinnitus research.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

The most effective treatment for tinnitus is to eliminate the underlying cause. Tinnitus, in some cases, can be a symptom of a treatable medical condition. Unfortunately, in many cases, the cause of tinnitus cannot be identified, or medical or surgical treatment is not an option. In these cases, the tinnitus can still be managed using a variety of other methods.

Hearing Health Foundation

Thanks to the generosity of Les Paul Foundation and other charitable individuals, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) funds groundbreaking research to advance our scientific understanding of tinnitus.

MedicineNet

Tinnitus can be broken down into two groups: Nonpulsatile tinnitus (subjective) — In this more common kind of tinnitus, the ringing can only be heard by the person with tinnitus but not the people around them. It often results from damage to the ear, auditory nerve, or listening center of the brain. Pulsatile tinnitus (objective) — In this rarer kind of tinnitus, a person experiences a pulsing hum in their ears that someone else can hear either by leaning close or using a stethoscope. It's typically caused by differences in the shape of the carotid artery or jugular vein and therefore change in blood flow within it.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Although we hear tinnitus in our ears, its source is really in the networks of brain cells (what scientists call neural circuits) that make sense of the sounds our ears hear. A way to think about tinnitus is that it often begins in the ear, but it continues in the brain.

Vestibular Disorders Association

Tinnitus is very common. Most studies indicate the prevalence in adults as falling within the range of 10% to 15%, with a greater prevalence at higher ages, through the sixth or seventh decade of life.1 Gender distinctions are not consistently reported across studies, but tinnitus prevalence is significantly higher in pregnant than non-pregnant women.