Whether ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking, the phantom noises caused by tinnitus can make life difficult, affecting your sleep, your work and your social life.
And since for decades doctors have failed to find a dependable and effective treatment that worked, people suffering from it have had little help.
Now, that may have all changed — thanks to 20 years of dedicated research by a team of scientists at the University of Aukland…
They have discovered a way to significantly tame tinnitus in just 12 weeks.
Taking a polytherapeutic approach
Over the years, research has offered helpful hints that have allowed some tinnitus sufferers to turn tune out that infernal noise.
However, much of it has been hit and miss.
“Earlier trials have found white noise, goal-based counseling, goal-oriented games and other technology-based therapies are effective for some people some of the time,” says Dr. Grant Searchfield, Associate Professor in Audiology at the University of Auckland.
But his team refused to settle for those less than stellar results, continuing the quest for an answer that would provide more relief to more people by combining a host of digital therapy options into one customizable treatment plan.
The researchers randomized 61 participants to one of two treatment groups….
The first group were treated via a new digital polytherapeutic approach (including an initial assessment by an audiologist who developed a personalized treatment plan, combining a range of digital tools, based on each individual’s experience of tinnitus).
The second group leveraged only a popular self-help app that produces white noise.
And the results weren’t just encouraging, they were downright exciting…
On average, the polytherapeutic group showed clinically significant improvements after just 12 weeks, while the other group just plain didn’t.
Yup, that’s right – just 12 weeks.
That’s a significant improvement over other approaches, which the researchers say generally take 12 months for tinnitus sufferers to gain some level of control over the noise.
And the polytherapeutic approach worked for a huge percentage of the people who tried it.
“Sixty-five percent of participants reported an improvement. For some people, it was life-changing — where tinnitus was taking over their lives and attention,” says audiology research fellow, Dr. Phil Sanders.
So why was this new treatment option so powerful?
Well, the researchers say that it all comes down to the fact that it essentially rewires the brain “in a way that de-emphasizes the sound of the tinnitus to a background noise that has no meaning or relevance to the listener.”
And you’ll be happy to know that the team is currently refining their prototype and expect to have the app available and ready to work for tinnitus sufferers everywhere in about six months.
Why wait for tinnitus relief?
Of course, if six more months of that ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking seems like an eternity, you might not be up for the wait.
Luckily, there are things you can do in the meantime.
First, consider using mindfulness techniques, as well as supplementing with a nutrient that many tinnitus sufferers are missing that’s been shown to help tackle the condition.
And when the sounds are driving you up the wall, try a tinnitus taming exercise that many people swear by. There’s a video of how to do it here.
Sources:
Breakthrough in search for tinnitus cure – ScienceDaily