Does Magnetic Stimulation Help Tinnitus? (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

Image from NeuroStar Given media exposure, there has been greater public interest in the use of powerful magnetic impulses applied to the head in order to treat tinnitus . It is hypothesized that this treatment called repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) works by temporarily disrupting abnormally hyper-excitable brain circuits within the auditory cortex and resetting it to a more "normal" baseline. At this time, rTMS is FDA approved to treat depression only, but an…

8/01/2015 0

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Auditory Illusions

Everybody knows about optical illusions, but what about auditory illusions? Check out this video demonstrating 4 different auditory illusions including the McGurk Effect , Tritone Paradox , and Shepard Tone Illusion .

8/03/2014 0

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Law Firm Launches Website for Tinnitus Sufferers

It would be a sad day indeed if a patient google searches a medical condition or symptom and the first page of results are all pointing to a law firm. In perhaps the beginning towards this possibility, personal injury law firm, Mercury Legal Online , has launched a website dedicated to patients who suffer tinnitus and hearing loss sustained from time working in a job that contained a lot of loud noise without using hearing protection . Thanks to  @earsurgeonuk who brought this to my att…

9/09/2013 0

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Medications that (Might) Help Tinnitus?

The blunt answer is that there is no drug or supplement that has been consistently found to help with tinnitus (ringing of the ears). Here's a partial table showing all the research that has been done either proving or disproving effectiveness to treat tinnitus (info collected from this review paper ). For a more comprehensive list going over 17 drugs, click here . Drug Research That Supports Research That Disputes …

7/09/2013 1

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Can Melatonin Stop Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)?

In a rigorous study, researchers have found that taking melatonin 3mg nightly for 1 month did significantly help with patients suffering from chronic tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Of course, the caveats are that melatonin significantly helped in patients with these specific characteristics: • Male • No history of depression • Tinnitus has been present for a long time • History of loud noise exposure • Tinnitus is severe and on both sides Given melatonin is a relatively benign sup…

7/07/2013 0

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Rush Limbaugh Has a Cochlear Implant

Infamous conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, suffered from a rare hearing disorder called Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease . This rare inner ear disease is principally characterized by progressive bilateral fluctuating hearing loss and occurs when the body's own immune system starts to attack the hearing mechanism of the ear... much like rheumatoid arthritis is when the body's immune system attacks the joints. Just as with any other auto-immune disorder, it is mainly treated wit…

3/04/2012 0

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World Record Large Ears

On September 2011, the Guinness Book of World Records announced the longest ears of any dog belongs to a Coonhound named Harbor. His magnificent ears measured 12.25 inches and 13.5 inches long (left and right respectively). I wonder how much earwax he produces!

9/17/2011 0

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Intranasal Treatment for Clogged Ears

A common cause of clogged ears with inability to pop them easily is due to eustachian tube dysfunction . There are a number of ways to address this annoying problem, but one of the first steps to try is intranasal medications whether in nasal spray form or nasal drop form. The whole idea behind intranasal treatment is the fact that the ears are connected to the back of the nose via a tunnel called the eustachian tube. Watch video explanation . Normally, when the ears are popped (also kno…

9/07/2011 12

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Itchy Ears

A common complaint we often see patients for are itchy ears. The don't hurt or drain... They just itch... a lot... There are a few common causes of such itchy ears including earwax , allergies , and a piece of hair in the ear canal. However, there are a few other etiologies which are not often considered. Ear Canal Dermatitis Yes... the skin of your ear canal can become dry and irritated (just like the hands after washing your hands too often). People sometimes complain of very dry f…

6/18/2009 1

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LECTURE: The Ears in Sickness and In Health

Drs. Phillips and Chang along with Catie Chalmers, MS, CCC/A will be giving a talk about how ears work in health and in sickness. The lecture will be given on May 22 at 7PM at the Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room. The lecture is free, but please call 540-316-3588 to register (or email referral@fauquierhealth.org).

3/10/2008 0

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