As of today an article about implants, to make an end of tinnitus, appeared in a dutch newspaper. I'll do my best to make it readable to you.
"Patients consider suicide because of tinnitus"
Implants bring back silence in the head
Researchers from the Academic Hospital Maastricht (The Netherlands) are close to a unique discovery: A device that relieves people from tinnitus. It will cure hundred thousands of Dutch people tormented by ringing in ears. "You can literally get crazy from this noises in the ears."
Maastricht - There are almost two million people in The Netherlands that suffer from tinnitus. Ten thousand of them experience it so bad that they are literally getting crazy from it. "You have patients that consider suicide because they can't handle it anymore," says Margriet van Loon. "I understand why those people consider it. You can't explain other people how much of a torment this ear noises can be."
Margriet van Loon(56) has got tinnitus for almost 30 years. She hears sissing, but also high noises that vary in pitch. It is a torment.
But there is hope. The Academic Hospital Maastricht is working on an implant that is making an end to this trouble. The researchers are placing implants in 10 patients ears very soon, says researchleader Robert Stokroos. "This 10 patients have tinnitus in one ear. So that you can clearly measure the difference between what they can or cannot hear."
The implant is placed inside the cochlear. In the cochlear air vibrations are translated into electric signals which will be converted by the brain into sound. Stokroos explains that people with tinnitus suffer from an disordered "pre-amplifier" inside the brain stem. Instead of normally translating electronic signals into sound it makes random sounds itself. With the result that people hear sissing, beeps, low noises etc.
Day and night
Some of the tinnitus sufferers, like Margriet, experience tinnitus 24/7. "At daytime i try to ignore it by listening to music. But at night i have a hard time to sleep because the sound keeps me awake." Doctor Stokroos and colleague researchers hope that the implants will make an end to all of this. He says that the implant is sending electric pulses to the brain of the patient. "At all kinds of pitches and levels as long as we will find the 'silence code': a signal which will stop the tinnitus."
At the same time researches from Maastricht are also busy with trying to stop tinnitus by Deep Brain Stimulation. With this technique, a pacemaker is put into the brain. Just like a pacemaker for the heart it also sends electronic signals. The signals should interrupt tinnitus. "At the moment this treatment is tested on animals. With the implant we are now starting to test it with people and hope they will have good results within 2 years." says Stokroos.
At the moment Margriet tries to stay positive in life. "I'm always thinking of that it could be much worse than how i'm experiencing it and i'm trying to avoid crowded places. Every year i'm going to North Sea Jazz with knowing that the tinnitus will be three times worse the next few days. The noises are so loud the next days that i'm unable to think. But i'll just take that for granted."
Margriet hopes for the moment when she can experience silence again. "Let's see if this implant really works. I like the fact that there is a lot of research at the moment to find solutions to cure tinnitus. There is a lot of research done in cities like Maastricht, Groningen and Antwerpen. I hope this research will lead to the finding of a cure. And when it will not cure me, i hope it will cure patients."
"Patients consider suicide because of tinnitus"
Implants bring back silence in the head
Researchers from the Academic Hospital Maastricht (The Netherlands) are close to a unique discovery: A device that relieves people from tinnitus. It will cure hundred thousands of Dutch people tormented by ringing in ears. "You can literally get crazy from this noises in the ears."
Maastricht - There are almost two million people in The Netherlands that suffer from tinnitus. Ten thousand of them experience it so bad that they are literally getting crazy from it. "You have patients that consider suicide because they can't handle it anymore," says Margriet van Loon. "I understand why those people consider it. You can't explain other people how much of a torment this ear noises can be."
Margriet van Loon(56) has got tinnitus for almost 30 years. She hears sissing, but also high noises that vary in pitch. It is a torment.
But there is hope. The Academic Hospital Maastricht is working on an implant that is making an end to this trouble. The researchers are placing implants in 10 patients ears very soon, says researchleader Robert Stokroos. "This 10 patients have tinnitus in one ear. So that you can clearly measure the difference between what they can or cannot hear."
The implant is placed inside the cochlear. In the cochlear air vibrations are translated into electric signals which will be converted by the brain into sound. Stokroos explains that people with tinnitus suffer from an disordered "pre-amplifier" inside the brain stem. Instead of normally translating electronic signals into sound it makes random sounds itself. With the result that people hear sissing, beeps, low noises etc.
Day and night
Some of the tinnitus sufferers, like Margriet, experience tinnitus 24/7. "At daytime i try to ignore it by listening to music. But at night i have a hard time to sleep because the sound keeps me awake." Doctor Stokroos and colleague researchers hope that the implants will make an end to all of this. He says that the implant is sending electric pulses to the brain of the patient. "At all kinds of pitches and levels as long as we will find the 'silence code': a signal which will stop the tinnitus."
At the same time researches from Maastricht are also busy with trying to stop tinnitus by Deep Brain Stimulation. With this technique, a pacemaker is put into the brain. Just like a pacemaker for the heart it also sends electronic signals. The signals should interrupt tinnitus. "At the moment this treatment is tested on animals. With the implant we are now starting to test it with people and hope they will have good results within 2 years." says Stokroos.
At the moment Margriet tries to stay positive in life. "I'm always thinking of that it could be much worse than how i'm experiencing it and i'm trying to avoid crowded places. Every year i'm going to North Sea Jazz with knowing that the tinnitus will be three times worse the next few days. The noises are so loud the next days that i'm unable to think. But i'll just take that for granted."
Margriet hopes for the moment when she can experience silence again. "Let's see if this implant really works. I like the fact that there is a lot of research at the moment to find solutions to cure tinnitus. There is a lot of research done in cities like Maastricht, Groningen and Antwerpen. I hope this research will lead to the finding of a cure. And when it will not cure me, i hope it will cure patients."
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