How to Deal with the Emotional Weight of Tinnitus
Center For Hearing • May 13, 2022
Tinnitus is that ringing, hissing or roaring sound that doesn’t have an external source. It’s a common condition, affecting roughly 50 million people across the country. Tinnitus affects everyone differently; for some it is a mild nuisance, while for others it is a debilitating experience, even causing thoughts of suicide.
The Emotional Weight of Tinnitus
Studies have shown that tinnitus and suicidal ideation are closely linked:
- According to a study published in 2016, people with tinnitus have higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared to people without.
- A survey from the British Tinnitus Association found that 10% of people with persistent tinnitus have had suicidal thoughts since being diagnosed.
The reason for this is because, as there is no cure for tinnitus, it seems like there is no end in sight. This can be debilitating, which causes some to think about suicide as a means of escape.
Fortunately, there is hope.
Strategies for Managing Tinnitus
An audiologist can help you come up with a plan for managing your tinnitus, which may include:
- Wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids work by turning up sounds in your environment. If you have even a mild hearing loss, hearing your environment louder can help drown out your tinnitus sounds.
- Wearing masking devices. Worn on the ear like hearing aids, masking devices deliver white noise to the ears to mask the tinnitus. Some hearing aids have a masking feature.
- Turning on a white noise machine. This is especially helpful during sleep. The same effect can be achieved by turning on a loud fan.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can help you learn coping techniques so that your tinnitus isn’t so distressing.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This therapy involves a combination of sound masking and counseling.
If You Feel Suicidal
If you’re feeling suicidal, don’t hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. If you’re experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911.
There are also groups like the Tampa, Florida Tinnitus Support Group you can connect with so you don’t feel so alone. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Center For Hearing today.
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Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks
A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/
