Friday, April 04, 2008

Tinnitus Treatment and Therapy FAQ

  • Can you recommend a doctor/therapist locally here in my country, city, state?

    I used to make recommendations. I sent people to famous clinics with names anyone would recognize. All I got were a bunch of hurt tinnitus sufferers. So no, I won't recommend someone, especially "locally" or "near you."

    Tinnitus is not a sore throat that anyone can help you with. It's the most complex issue a person can suffer from because there is essentially no external data to work with and the distress levels are often maddening.... Just about everyone I referred to therapists and doctors in the 90's wrote back and told me after a couple of months that they were making no progress. Their doctor/therapist wouldn't help or didn't know what to do. Worse: A lot of people blew thousands of dollars for nothing. Now I tell people:

    DO go see your doctor. She CAN help you. ...She may not know what to do because she simply wasn't trained in tinnitus reduction work. If you have severe tinnitus, prepare to travel for a three day session, perhaps with someone I've trained and coached. Locations: Seattle (Ron Stubbs), Jennifer Battaglino in NY, and in Tennessee (Bob Bayliss). That's it at the moment. In England, contact Mair Llewellyn at the Tickhill Clinic. My friend Terry Watts in London has experience as well. So please, don't ask me for a referral, except to these people with a proven track record. Talk to your medical doctor FIRST.

    If you have a tumor or other physically observable cause, you need to get that taken care of FIRST.

    Read this FAQ. See your doctor ask her for help. Take it to your doctor. Ask your doctor to visit this page. I work with a lot of physicians, internists, audiologists, ENT's, even nurse practitioners, and other great people. If they (or anyone) give you the cold shoulder, go to another doctor who will do everything in her power to help you. No one but you is inside of your head.

    Therapists, doctors, whoever...no one knows what severe tinnitus is like until they have had it. So for the most part, ...sorry to say...they will possibly give you marginal advice....

    Ask them to help you and YOU take control of your therapeutic tasking and future. It's your life and believe me, if they haven't experienced this...they have NO CLUE what it is like to be in YOUR HEAD.

  • I have tinnitus: what should I do?

    1. If you’ve had tinnitus less than two years, you need to see your doctor for an MRI. I have seen cases where a person became deaf due to incorrect medical treatment. I am not a big fan of CT scans (radiation, esp. for younger people, but if you've had tinnitus less than two years and you can't afford an MRI, then a CT scan is an option. An MRI will reveal more about the brain to the astute professional though, so, I’d opt for an MRI. Either test will find a tumor and anyone who has been in this business has seen the results of what can happen when an MRI is not given and the worst case happens.

      Both of my clients who had tumors had more typical tests when their tumors apparently were in their infancy. Call me overly protective of my clients, or promoting unnecessary tests, I won’t see ANYONE who hasn’t ruled out tumor with 100% certainty. 2 in 1000 or however many people I’ve seen in the last few years is two too many. Don’t worry, it will almost certainly come back negative and you will feel great once it’s over!

    2. Then have a blood chemistry performed. Are you diabetic? Are you hypoglycemic? Is there an imbalance we need to be aware of? See if getting this area of your life in balance reduces tinnitus volume. There's always a chance...

      Find out if you are zinc deficient or anemic. Zinc deficiency does happen sometimes among my elderly clients but has never occurred in one of my under-50 clients. I’m not a mineral expert, just find out and if you’re in need of supplement, ask your medical doctor what to do. Beware: There's a lot of supplements on the market that have too much zinc or other metals that can CAUSE tinnitus. Only take zinc if your doctor tells you that you are deficient and need to....

    3. Get an audiological work up and spend some time with your ENT. It makes complete sense to get checked out thoroughly. Find out where your hearing loss is, if you have any. About half of my clients have some minor hearing loss. (I'll be frank: I see no correlation between hearing loss and moderate to severe tinnitus OR hyperacusis. None.) Never assume your tinnitus is being generated in your "hearing system."

      Get all the tests you need. It’s your life and your hearing and your suffering. I wouldn’t pay a lick of attention to anyone who says, "Oh it doesn’t matter, it probably isn’t X". Nonsense, find out what it IS.

    4. Do you work in silence or in a loud environment? Both are going to wreak havoc on tinnitus. Too quiet, you need to add sound until your daily environment is around 50dB plus or minus. Same with your nightly environment. If you’re a farmer or a construction worker or in an occupation where you are exposed to noise all the time, start wearing ear protection now. But NEVER stay in silence for extended periods. Whistle if you have to. The brain must have alternative auditory stimulus if at all possible to help expedite your tinnitus to reduce in volume and distress. If you are deaf, and a lot of my clients are, then you must learn to do external focusing and self hypnosis, regardless of medications.
    FAQ's Are Updated Daily, check back soon!

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