Tinnitus, which is more commonly called ringing in the ears, is one of those conditions that can easily be dismissed by those who haven’t experienced it.
Essentially, it is the perception of sound – ringing, buzzing, beeping, roaring or whistling – that doesn’t have an external source. It is estimated that 10-15 per cent of the population suffers from it at some point in their lives – this figure rises to 33 per cent for those over 65. And about one-fifth of people with tinnitus have severe symptoms.
Earlier this month, a group of researchers and sufferers of tinnitus gathered in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) to discuss research into the condition following an international conference in Dublin. Their aim was to see how patients could work more closely with researchers to understand symptoms better, test treatments and ultimately to find a cure for this mysterious condition.
At the event, Dr Kathryn Fackrell from the Hearing Sciences unit at the School of Medicine in Nottingham University in the UK said that due to their symptoms, many sufferers of tinnitus did not fully participate in group activities. “It affects their concentration, their sleep and can lead to depression,” she said.
A UK survey of sufferers of tinnitus found that 78 per cent felt stressed, 76 per cent were unable to relax, 72 per cent had difficulty concentrating, 71 per cent felt anxious and 69 per cent had disrupted sleep.
While the most recent research points to the origin of tinnitus being in the brain and not the auditory system, up to 60 per cent of those with tinnitus also suffer from hearing loss. Some sufferers at the event said when they were using their hearing aids, their tinnitus lessened but when they took out their hearing aids at night, it returned.
Kath Daffy from Chime, the HSE-funded Irish charity for people with hearing loss and tinnitus, also spoke at the event. She warned people to be wary of any company suggesting hearing aids as a cure for tinnitus. “Hearing aids are not suitable for everyone with tinnitus. If you have hearing loss, it needs to be addressed, and if you have tinnitus and hearing loss, the hearing aids will increase external sounds and reduce internal sounds,” she explained. She also advised those with tinnitus to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist to rule out rare cases of more complex reasons for their tinnitus.
According to Daffy, a client-led assessment is the best approach for the management of tinnitus. “I had tinnitus myself without hearing loss. I now link it to emotional stress at the time. The management of tinnitus is about winding the mind down with cognitive behaviour therapy, sleep management, sound therapy, relaxation techniques and exercise,” she said. Sound therapy is when different sounds such as soft rain, ocean sounds, music, ambient noise or other customised sounds are used to drown out the ringing in the ears as a way of managing tinnitus.
Hazel Goedhart, director of client relations of the international patient group, Tinnitus Hub, said that while there were no fully effective treatments to target tinnitus itself, each person with tinnitus needed to find ways to alleviate their suffering. “We should all do what we can to find what works for us – diet, lifestyle, counselling, the use of apps,” said Goedhart. Some sufferers use apps to provide a combination of sound therapy, relaxation exercises, meditation and guidance. Goedhart also suggested that the tinnitus talk support forums and research updates on treatments on Tinnitus Hub may be helpful to sufferers.
Prof Berthold Langguth, chairman of the Tinnitus Research Initiative Foundation and professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Regensburg, Germany, spoke about the current treatments for tinnitus. “Hearing aids are useful for sufferers of tinnitus who have hearing loss. Structured counselling helps people learn more about it and how to deal with it. Cognitive behavioural therapy also helps people learn how to deal with it and sound therapy can also help. All of these treatments are safe and are most helpful when combined,” he said.
New treatments include the Lenire device which was developed by two biomedical engineers at Neuromod in Dublin. Studies show that up to 80 per cent of those who trialled this bi-modal device saw some improvement of their tinnitus. The Lenire device, which delivers sound to the ears via headphones and electrical stimulation to the tongue, was used by patients in the trial for a half-hour in the morning and a half-hour in the evening for 12 weeks. Each device costs about €2,500.
Dave Raftis (61), a sufferer of tinnitus, said coming to the event was useful as it was the first time he met other people with tinnitus. “I’ve had it for about three years now. I just woke up one day with ringing in my ears and it never went away,” he explained.
Raftis said his GP recommended antihistamines which made his tinnitus worse so he stopped taking them after about two weeks. “I think there is a serious lack of awareness or education about tinnitus. I’ve learned to deal with it. I do quite a lot of walking and voluntary work. But it’s constantly there – like multiple tuning forks at their highest pitch,” Raftis said.
He said he was tested and told he didn’t suffer from significant hearing loss and, therefore, didn’t require hearing aids at this stage. His tinnitus affects him least when he is concentrating and focused. “At times when I’m reading, watching something or listening to something, I can rise above it.”
Sven Vanneste, professor of neuroscience and head of the Department of Psychology at TCD, was the co-organiser of the Finding Your Tinnitus Community event. He and his team at the Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience Lab are researching new treatments into tinnitus. “We are interested in looking at whether active listening combined with electrical stimulation would be beneficial for tinnitus. Such active listening would require the sufferer to respond to sounds alongside electrical stimulation,” he said.
Prof Brian Lawlor, old age psychiatrist at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, and director of the Global Brain Health Institute at TCD, said many healthcare professionals had a poor understanding of tinnitus and its impact on people’s health. “There is no perfect cure and the number of effective treatments is small. So an event like this is important so that people with tinnitus can work with researchers to create a community.”
Anyone with tinnitus interested in connecting with other sufferers and researchers through this initiative can contact Anusha Yasoda-Mohan at anusha.mohan@gbhi.org
