Tinnitus Research 2015

Tinnitus research 2015 has brought some exciting news to people who suffer from this common and sometimes debilitating condition. While research into tinnitus causes and treatments has been going on for decades, only in the last few years have real breakthroughs been seen, and 2015 has been a banner year for new treatments for this troublesome disorder.

Tinnitus Symptoms and Causes

Tinnitus has one main symptom; a relentless ringing, hissing or whooshing sound heard in the ears or head of the sufferer. For many, the condition begins after exposure to loud sound or a traumatizing event. For others, the symptoms start without any obvious cause. As time goes on, those with serious cases of tinnitus can become depressed and discouraged.

The Boston Marathon bombing and soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan brought on a new wave of studies into treatments for tinnitus. Recent studies at the Universities of New York, Virginia, and Iowa have explored a new theory about what causes tinnitus.

Previously, scientists thought that tinnitus was caused by physical damage to the tiny hairs inside the ear. It was believed that when these hairs were missing or not working right, auditory signals were getting blocked on their way to the brain. The brain was then thought to be compensating by making up sounds to fill in the gaps.

Now, real-time imaging of a tinnitus sufferer's brain at the University of Iowa has shown that tinnitus involves dysfunction in multiple brain centers, including all auditory areas, as well as the centers for emotion, memory, and attention.

Newly Developed Tinnitus Treatment

The most exciting tinnitus research 2015 involved studies that resulted in the development of the Ultraquiet therapy. This new treatment uses a CD disc player, amplifier, and a set of headphones.

The disc player has a special feature, allowing it to turn the music into vibrations and sending them directly into the bones of the skull, bypassing the middle ear. This causes the cochlea to temporarily regain sensitivity to higher frequency sounds, reducing or eliminating tinnitus symptoms for as long as two weeks.

At least, that was the result for all of the nine tinnitus research 2015 studies. Participants with disabling tinnitus who had the Ultraquiet treatment for two, half hour sessions a week for four weeks were able to see these results.

Although this is not a permanent cure, retreatment every two weeks appears to keep the condition at bay indefinitely, bringing cause for celebration to tinnitus sufferers everywhere.

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