Tell Me the Truth... Is a Cure Realistic?

[Applejuice]

@Carlyi and I and many others keep an open mind on this topic. I advise people not to dismiss it so easily. We are taught (conditioned) from children that things are a certain way. Open your eyes the truth is in front of you....

That's what the flat-earthers used to do Michael. It was either flat earth or the rope!

 

[Flamingo1]

@Michael Leigh Thank you for the post. On another topic, in which countries do I need to watch where I tread so as not to fall off the edge of the earth?

 

[Michael Leigh]

That's what the flat-earthers used to do Michael. It was either flat earth or the rope!

Keep an open mind @Applejuice because there are a reasons certain truths have been withheld from us

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thank you for the post. On another topic, in which countries do I need to watch where I tread so as not to fall off the edge of the earth?

lol.. @Flamingo1 Because no-one will know whether I'm serious or joking I will say the following: We are in a closed system and under a dome known as the firmament so we can't fall off the edge, neither can anything pass through it. Rockets into space and the shuttle never took place all fake. If you were to try to go to edge of the world you would be stopped before you reach it, as it's guarded by the military and no-one is permitted access because then you would discover the outer edge of the dome. Check out YouTube.

I think we best leave the fun and games alone and get back to the serious task of tinnitus.

 

[glynis]

I think a debate on the earth needs to be on another thread as its SandraDK's post and nothing to do with tinnitus.
Love glynis

 

[Flamingo1]

All righty then. I'll look for a map in here.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/433567.Flatland
I appreciate the moments of diversion.

 

[Tinker Bell]

I think your are getting a skewed opinion of T. Yes there are people here who have suffered for years, but the overwhelming majority actually do recover. They simply post here until they are better and move on. Even the authors of this site say the majority of people recover over time. I'll bet most members have never read this page from the authors of this site:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

I did read that early on. It says the "experience of tinnitus would improve" -- improvement can also be habituation.

It did mention tinnitus going away, and I do think that happens for the large number of people who experience tinnitus from ear wax, an ear infection, a bad cold, or a one time loud exposure. Those recoveries tend to happen quickly.

Consider the US statistics, about 50 million people experience tinnitus. Of those, nearly half experience chronic tinnitus. That's a large number recovering, but not an overwhelming majority recovering.

But, I think the biggest factor in recovery is the cause.

 

[jjflyman]

one time loud exposure. Those recoveries tend to happen quickly

I wouldn't consider 18 month quickly, that how long it took for my noise induced T to fade to zero

 

[Tinker Bell]

I wouldn't consider 18 month quickly, that how long it took for my noise induced T to fade to zero

Right, but you're likely more of an exception than the rule given that six months is most often referenced as the point in which tinnitus is chronic.

 

[Tamalak]

OP, given that:

1. You are young (or look it)
2. Your tinnitus was not apparently caused by excessive noise or any other physical damage
3. You got your T very recently (less than 2 months!)
4. Your T has intermittently stopped

I would say you have high chances of recovering completely on your own, as I did.

Try to relax. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep in silence and darkness. Let your ear heal and your mind calm. Stop thrashing.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Whatever
If you want to believe that Tinnitus won't get better after 6 months, go ahead and believe it. It is not true, but believe what you want. I'm done with you.
This is why I hate even coming on this website, people like you who think they know more than everyone else despite evidence to the contrary, I'm living proof (2 times) that 6 months means nothing in the recovery of T.

I actually think tinnitus can go away after six months in some cases, but it's not possible for every scenario. I'm being pessimistic (or realistic) because I have severe hearing loss. Severe hearing loss very rarely repairs after the initial treatment phase window, which is why my tinnitus is here to stay. Habituation is my goal because (for me personally) if I cling to hope that it will go away, well I'm going to be very disappointed.

I'm very glad your tinnitus went away initially, and I wish you all the best on this recovery too!

 

[Bill Bauer]

Right, but you're likely more of an exception than the rule given that six months is most often referenced as the point in which tinnitus is chronic.

I can't provide you with links, but I read (and if you search the internet, you will be able to find multiple sources for this) that the six-month figure is just something insurance companies use to classify conditions as chronic. This figure has no medical basis, and has nothing to do with tinnitus.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Severe hearing loss very rarely repairs after the initial treatment phase window

Many people with hearing loss don't experience tinnitus. Your hearing is most likely here to stay, but your T might eventually resolve.

My 1000th post on TT(!)

 

[Tinker Bell]

I can't provide you with links, but I read (and if you search the internet, you will be able to find multiple sources for this) that the six-month figure is just something insurance companies use to classify conditions as chronic. This figure has no medical basis, and has nothing to do with tinnitus.

The US Center for National Health Statistics actually classifies a condition as chronic after three months:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969287/

Huh. That kind of surprises me. If those guidelines are applied to the US stats for tinnitus cases, then that's kind of interesting.

 

[Bill Bauer]

The US Center for National Health Statistics actually classifies a condition as chronic after three months:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov//articles/PMC4969287/

Huh. That kind of surprises me. If those guidelines are applied to the US stats for tinnitus cases, then that's kind of interesting.

Insurance companies have an incentive to classify conditions as chronic after a longer period of time. I guess they can't get away with making it longer than six months.

 

[Jim51042]

Many people with hearing loss don't experience tinnitus. Your hearing is most likely here to stay, but your T might eventually resolve.

Is this under the assumption hearing regeneration techniques don't work? If regeneration does improve hearing do you think it will be associated with reductions in T.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Is this under the assumption hearing regeneration techniques don't work? If regeneration does improve hearing do you think it will be associated with reductions in T.

It makes sense that it ought to help.

But the body has the ability to rewire the brain and reduce or eliminate tinnitus even when someone has had some hearing loss.

 

[Bill Bauer]

The US Center for National Health Statistics actually classifies a condition as chronic after three months:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov//articles/PMC4969287/

Huh. That kind of surprises me. If those guidelines are applied to the US stats for tinnitus cases, then that's kind of interesting.

The link didn't work for me.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Many people with hearing loss don't experience tinnitus. Your hearing is most likely here to stay, but your T might eventually resolve.

My 1000th post on TT(!)

Right, according to the ENTs and audiologists that I've seen it can depend on the hearing loss. Is it a gradual ski slope? A drop off? Across all frequencies? Low or high? Was it sudden or happened gradually over time so the brain had a chance to adapt better?

My grandmother has hearing loss without tinnitus. But her loss was a gradual part of aging.

Mine is normal until it drops to severe. There's no gradual decline. I have discussed it at length with some highly ranked doctors. It's not going anywhere.

 

[PaulBe]

We are taught (conditioned) from children that things are a certain way.

Halelujah and Amen to that.

 

[Tinker Bell]

The link didn't work for me.

Doh! Let me try again:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969287/

I just searched when is a condition chronic and this is one of the first links that appeared.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Insurance companies have an incentive to classify conditions as chronic after a longer period of time. I guess they can't get away with making it longer than six months.

Ha, truer words were never spoken!

 

[Bill Bauer]

Looks like this is just a rule of thumb definition, not based on any medical reasoning. To quote that paper: "Another academic study on chronic disease, authored by a geriatrician, classifies chronic illness as "conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living""

 

[Tinker Bell]

Looks like this is just a rule of thumb definition, not based on any medical reasoning. To quote that paper: "Another academic study on chronic disease, authored by a geriatrician, classifies chronic illness as "conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living""

Right, but it really makes me wonder which classification is used for statistics on tinnitus. Three months seems so short, especially when steroid treatments can lead to improvements a month or two months after.

 

[Jim51042]

But the body has the ability to rewire the brain and reduce or eliminate tinnitus even when someone has had some hearing loss.

I've been leaning toward the theory that the body does not really have that ability (or if it does it weakly effects T).

See the example of Tinker Bells grandma. Maybe hair cell degradation is not the cause of T but rather synaptic damage/breaks are the cause. A theory to explain Tinker's grandma would be that she has functioning synapses connected to the non-functioning hair cells and thus no T.

My grandmother has hearing loss without tinnitus. But her loss was a gradual part of aging.

If that is the case then reconnecting/repairing functioning synapses via any method would reduce/eliminate T. I think we give the brain/plasticity more credit then necessary. Most got T via damage so by undoing that damage the brain isn't going to statically flood us with noise. It hard to even envision how you could improve an audiogram if your T was still present (at very low tones the T would mask your body's new hair cells signals). Still I can't wait till this is proven one way or the other.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I've been leaning toward the theory that the body does not really have that ability

How do you explain the findings of the studies listed on both pages of the thread below?
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/

 

[John G]

@TheDanishGirl have you tried any natural supplements such as Magnesium. Sometimes they help with relaxing the body,anxiety,sleep better etc..

 

[TuneOut]

If regeneration does improve hearing do you think it will be associated with reductions in T.

It would make sense, to a layman like me. They theorize that tinnitus is ultimately the result of homeostatic plasticity. This means that the brain keeps things in balance. If the signal to the auditory neurons is suddenly re-established (by regenerating the hair cells) then the brain should restore itself to the original state.

 

[TuneOut]

It makes sense that it ought to help.

But the body has the ability to rewire the brain and reduce or eliminate tinnitus even when someone has had some hearing loss.

Yeah, I still don't understand how someone can have hearing loss, even severe hearing loss, but no tinnitus. That is, why some people and not others?

 

[fishbone]

Yeah, I still don't understand how someone can have hearing loss, even severe hearing loss, but no tinnitus. That is, why some people and not others?

Tinnitus happens for many reasons, but i'd think LOUD noises and hearing loss would be a common thing..