Would Being Deaf Stop the Sounds That Trigger the Tinnitus?

[LyrianLodjur]

If you get deaf and have tinnitus, would it stop the sounds who trigger the tinnitus? Like sounds who make it worse for the day/week?

 

[Reinier]

I would say yes. If nothing reaches the brain any more. But it is probably more complex.

 

[LadyDi]

No.

Research has shown that some tinnitus patients who chose to have their auditory nerve cut, leaving them completely deaf, as a way to stop the ringing still were able to hear their tinnitus -- but nothing else. That's why docs don't want to do nerve sections any more.

 

[Nick Pyzik]

No.

Research has shown that some tinnitus patients who chose to have their auditory nerve cut, leaving them completely deaf, as a way to stop the ringing still were able to hear their tinnitus -- but nothing else. That's why docs don't want to do nerve sections any more.

That goes to show that there's been a lost connection between neurons inside certain regions of the brain and nerve fibers that used to make up part of that subjects auditory nerve. If those subjects chose to have their AN's cut, then the nerve fibers that lost connection to the hair cells of the inner ear have already retracted back into the brain. The brain continues to try and emotionally process information with these damaged neurons which is why when we're stressed out or are encountered by a situation that affects our brains emotional functioning, then we hear a louder ringing or are more aware of it. Our brain is still trying to use those neurons (which are still alive thankfully) to allow us to emotionally experience the world which then allows us to feel better and not experience what is called stress, depression, or a few other mental disorders. Excited neuronal patterns causing such noise should be fixed by taking GABA which helps in reducing that sort of matter. There's more to what we call "tinnitus". I'm telling you it's hidden hearing damage.

 

[Reinier]

No.

I understood the question in another way. The question was:

would it stop the sounds who trigger the tinnitus?

I am still not certain when there is no more stimulants form the outside world reaching the brain, how one can have reactive tinnitus.
It will reach the cochlea whenthe middle ear is functioning, but is not "translated" and sent to the brain any more.

I also read that cutting the audio nerve does not stop tinnitus. What horror this must have been for the people that underwent this surgery. It just shows hoe little is understood about the hearing process. But luckily for us that (very) slowly seems to change.

 

[LadyDi]

Certainly am no expert here. But as I understand it: Chronic tinnitus is not solely sparked by outside sound. It is rooted in the neurological system, which is trying to compensate for information no longer being relayed by dead inner ear hair cells.

I have heard that tinnitus is very similar to phantom limb pain. One a limb is severed, the person continues feeling pain. But there is no outside stimulus for that pain.
Again, having said this: Far superior scientific minds than mine here at TT. So maybe one of them will respond.