The mechanism of tinnitus explained.

Now pay close attention. Stop anything else that you are doing. Focus. Forget anything else you've heard and let me tell you what tinnitus really is and what the treatment should look like. This is the post you have been hoping to stumble upon all these years.
In the middle ear there are three little bones that transfer vibration from the eardrum to the colchea. These bones are held in air by two of the smallest muscles in the human body called Stapedius and Tensor Timpani them and or the. When loud noise reaches your ear the eardrum shakes, those small bones shake, which can result in injury of Colchea.
The secondary function of these muscles is to contract and keep the bones in place. These muscles, like all other muscles can get tired, pulled, torn, inflated... And in these muscles, like in all muscles we have veins. Through which blood runs. When a liquid runs through a tube, the tube vibrates (a garden hose, pluming...). Sound is vibration.
The reason people, with healthy ears, cannot hear their circulation is because the muscles inside their ears are relaxed, healthy and soft. Their veins are wide and blood pressure is lower (normal). So no vibration is transmitted to the bones inside the ear. When either of these qualities change you can start hearing your circulation. The circulation of very small veins in the smallest muscles in the body will be heard as a very high pitched sound. You can easily compare this with the difference between a loose guitar string and a tight one.
LOUD NOISE EXPOSIURE
With loud noise exposure, whether with an instant or a prolonged one, the muscles become torn. Its fibers and cells are damaged. The muscles becomes stiff and it conducts vibration better. Plus, any usage of the muscle is painful. That's why loud noise exposure now hurts. The use, the contraction of a torn muscle is painful.
This is why rest is a good treatment. Remember when you didn't have Tinnitus and your ears would buzz after a concert. But then by morning the muscles inside the ear would relax, soften and the buzzing would stop.
This is the reason why devices like The Inhibitor work. For some tense muscles a good massage is all it takes to loosen them up. The Inhibitor shakes the bones surrounding the inner ear and thus shaking the muscles attached to it as well. But it rarely provides a lasting solution (if any) because they tighten back up through the mechanism that brought them to that state in the first place.
VAIN CONSTRICTION
Ipobrufen, Aspirin, stress, coffee, cigarettes... Anything that narrows your veins will speed up circulation. The same amount of liquid is running through smaller tubes. This will make it flow faster and induce stronger vibrations. Stronger vibrations means louder sound.
This is why Vasodilators are sometimes beneficial. Extract of the Ginkgo biloba tree can widen your veins, which reduces blood pressure.
OLD AGE
Elderly people can often have high blood pressure.
Muscles in elderly people are week and can be easily injured. Just an hour of a louder conversation can put enough strain on the muscles of the inner ear and damage them. With this damage changes will occur inside the cells and fibers of muscles. These damages will make them thicker and enable them to transmit vibrations from the blood stream.
TREATMENT
I have still to conduct research for possible treatments.
The treatment that any doctor would suggest - plenty of rest and icing. Cannot be introduced. If regulating blood pressure and shaking the muscle with The Inhibitor doesn't help, a restructuring of the cells and fibers of the muscle must be made. My best guess is that muscle rebuilding supplements and ultrasound targeted at the Stapedius and Tensor Timpani should give results. But I lack funds for a proper research.
I wanted as many people as possible to know about the progress that I have made. Although you could have known in 2008 when I released the hypothesis "Tinnitus - Beginning of the end" that nobody even tried to reed. The e-book is free on lulu.com. I wasn't rite about everything that I said there. But at least I was looking in the rite place.

I am not a vulture planning to make money off of people suffering and struggling with this nuisance every day. I want you all to know what I have found out so far. Hopefully this will give you some piece of mind.
This text has been copyrighted so that nobody can take credit for my work.
My name is Jovan Ralic. I live in Belgrade, Serbia. ralicjovan hotmail.com Happy New Year !!!!

 

Hello Ralic and thank you for your post,

However I must let you know that I'am already familiar with what you have written. I feel though that you seemed to have missed out on what I believe to be the primary cause of many cases of Tinnitus which is nerve damage.

Some people like myself can affect their Tinnitus by tensing their throat or clinching their jaw. An interesting study earlier this year provided evidence that touch sensing nerve cells seem to play a part in this condition. See the article below,

http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/tinnitus-kresge-0201

Pasted from link,

U-M researchers previously demonstrated that after hearing damage, touch-sensing “somatosensory” nerves in the face and neck can become overactive, seeming to overcompensate for the loss of auditory input in a way the brain interprets – or “hears
”


Of course it's just my opinion at this point but I believe my particular tinnitus is caused by damage to a particular region of the auditory nerve. I have hearing loss at the frequency of my Tinnitus but of course not everyone who has hearing loss has the condition but some people with apparently normal hearing also suffer from it.

It is certainly a mysterious condition. I believe once we have the ability to actually see inside the inner ear we will finally have some real answers. The good news this technology might not be as far away as many think, see the article below,

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-epfl-harvard-loss.html

 

Ralic's post is not the post that I have been hoping to stumble upon... but that may just be me... or maybe I didn't focus hard enough or pay close enough attention (I tend not to when told to do so)

 

Its about time they had something that can see the inner ear. When's it due out, probably another 20 years because there's no money available. I cant believe how far behind they are with understand the ear! And they still dont understand the mechanism of hearing loss that article says. Its 2012 and this is where they are at with it all!!! We can clone sheep and probably humans now, the genetic code is cracked but they cant understand the ear? Rant over

 

I understand your skepticism Louise but I've got a feeling it should be available long before 2032!

More and more companies are starting to get involved in Tinnitus. Compared to a decade ago the number has increased dramatically.

 

Those companies would make a fortune if they managed to come up with the goods wouldnt they? Not as much as if they managed to come up with a solution for male pattern baldness though

It just surprises me how little they know about the ear when they can grow a person in a petri dish cant they?

I found something in my notes about another drug that was on trial at one point - NST-001. So I emailed the ATA to see where they are at as the tests were supposed to be completed in December 2011 and there has been no activity on the website for 2 years now. The reply I got was that the testing was halted due to lack of funds but the company are now on a drive to raise funds to continue. Thought I'd share that.

 

I'm not holding my breath for a cure in my lifetime. As you say Louise, they've been researching it for so long that you'd think it would have progressed far further than it has.

 

Oh dear, are we like Grim Reapers?!

Have been researching it that long though? Full-on like they need to? They cant have been! And its down to financing I suppose, as surely the drug companies are motivated knowing that theyll clean up if they had a 'cure' for this?
In my naivety I honestly thought 'they' (Science) understood all the parts of our bodies, I just took that for granted and now I find they dont understand hearing loss! I know they cant look inside the ear of a living person as they'd destroy it but they can look at cadavers!
Maybe I'm being a little hard on them as I suppose its the brain part of hearing they dont understand fully.

Do they understand the eye? Guess I'll find out if I ever have an eye problem

 

Sorry, didnt mean to turn this thread into 'Be Mean To Scientists'

 

Oh yes, I know there are lots of diseases with no cure but I still thought the mechanisms behind our body parts were understood.

Yes 2013. I'll be saying goodbye to the year I got this horrible thing, a thing I always knew about and feared. I am hoping against hope that 2013 brings me habituation.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone on here and thanks for all the support you have given me since I joined. XXX

 

So am I to understand, like Molan, there is nothing that can be done or the nerves may heal themselves in somatic t. Mine started with a TMJ and a stupid physical movement I did, is that why I still get all the crackling and popping in my right ear.

 

Nobody can tell you that there is nothing that can be done Chicken.

Always remember that they really don't know why we have tinnitus - if they knew then we wouldn't be sitting here wondering!

As they don't know the reason for sure, they also don't know if anything can be done.

It's just that we have to try and do things ourselves and believe in our body's own ability to heal itself - because we aren't getting any help from the medical profession.

Someone on here said that 'diet is everything' - that you can control your T with the right diet.

Ever since I realised that cups of tea were really affecting the volume and screeching, I absolutely know that, for my T, diet will make a difference. A huge difference.

I still think that I have blocked eustachian tubes and so I've done the 'spicy curry & menthyl' thing for a few weeks and now I'm doing the 'avoid all hot spices' thing to see what difference that makes. I know for a fact that cayenne made my T go through the roof! Also that cinnamon calms it down.

I'm monitoring my T without becoming obsessive and I'm recording everything I eat/drink along with whether the T reacted to it.

My ENT said it would go but that it would take a long time and I still believe that mine will go away... it's just being able to cope with it whilst it's there. I hope to be able to control it for as long as I have it... and having an element of control makes me feel better too!

 

I am with you on this Louise, I hear ur frustration I got my Tinnitus in 2012 about 5 months ago. I was glad to say bye bye to 2012!! Today I was so desperate to find other ppl like me online and luckily I found this forum to share my concerns. PPL around me don't understand about my tinnitus and I know I am hurting my family, friends complaining and nagging about it. Can't help myself since my tinnitus is controlling me. All I want to hear from a professional doctor a treatment or device to use that will ease or even better make tinnitus go away!!

 

I'm glad you found the site Reeta. There are some very supportive and informed people on here. You can bet that anything you've heard of or find for T, someone on here will know about it and will have tried it Although obviously, what works/doesnt work for one person can work/not work for another. T seems to have many variants.
You are amongst friends though who definitely understand what you are going through.

 

Click,

I really like your outlook on everything. I find myself feeling very similar about the subject and enjoy your posts! You are very realistic about things, all while still being open to try new things to possibly make a difference for you. I am at the same place right now. Researching often, and seeing many doctors etc for new ideas. I will not accept that I have tried everything until I feel a difference. Hoping my upcoming appointment with an allergist might be helpful...

Currently I would say my biggest struggle is sleep deprivation... and of course I am not alone in this, as I think its the most stressful part of the day. I can say I think I have tried nearly everything to help with this.. but I am at the point I think I need some medication to just get my sleeping pattern back and get me caught up on sleep to gain a little sanity! I am such an anti- medication type of a person, that I am shocking myself at the thought of this... have you had to resort to this? Should I have fears about this possibiliy making my situation worse?

Anyways, thanks again for the positive postings, its what I needed this morning!

 

Hi Jessica,

I'm so sorry that you are suffering from T as well. I do think that a positive attitude helps immensely. I really want to try all that I can before I accept that I have to live with T... but I also know that, as the months go by, living with T is getting easier. I'm coping. I know that there is a chance that it won't go away but I also now know that if it doesn't... I'll be ok... and that makes me feel so much stronger

I wasn't always like this. For the first 3 months I completely lost the plot. I run my own company and the fear of losing it, along with having to cope with the noise of T and absolutely no sleep, drove me to the brink. I have never suffered from depression but I made a conscious, realistic decision that if the T carried on as it was back then, then life wasn't worth living. Even having three (grown up) absolutely gorgeous sons didn't stop me knowing with absolute certainty that I'd end it all if it didn't change. I even worked out how to do it! I was wandering around all night - no sleep and panic drove me insane.

I hate drugs too. Antibiotics make me ill and fortunately I haven't got any health issues that need drugs. I eat organic food and I avoid additives, sweeteners etc. My eldest 2 sons are vegan and I used to be years ago (an allergy to soya changed that). The idea of pumping myself full of anti depressants, relaxants, sleeping pills... even vitamin supplements.. made me feel sick. My GP offered me antidepressents and sleeping pills and I refused. I left the surgery wondering how the hell I was going to cope though!

My drug was my best mate. I couldn't have got through the first three months without her. She collected me from Cornwall and took me to her home in France and stayed with me - all the time (even sleeping on the floor next to me). Even so I still got very little sleep and I was still terrified that I wouldn't be able to work. Having her busy family, grandchild and dog around me distracted me a little and somehow I got through those horrid, horrid months - still alive!

Time really helped me. I eventually realised what was making the T screech and cut those things out of my diet. I recognised the fact that the T was going away at times, going down at times and going up... in my mind this means that there is a physical reason for my T and that it can be reversed or at least made so quiet that I'll barely hear it one day.

My business is still running and I'm doing as much as I was before the T started nearly 9 months ago. Most nights I can sleep (sometimes with sounds playing) and I can relax again - something I didn't ever think would happen! It's just got so much better with time and being able to control it with diet.

You ask about drugs. For me it wasn't an option but so many people on here take them and they really do seem to reduce their anxiety / volume of T that I would say - if there isn't another way that you can get rid of the anxiety then go for it. Monitor the effect they have and go back and ask for something different if something doesn't agree with you. I didn't suffer from depression (I suffered from almost every other emotion during the early days but nothing remotely approaching depression) but I do feel that drugs could be the only way forward for those that do. I believe that the anxiety needs to go for people to get back to 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is!) - my friend helped me through the stages of anxiety... perhaps some people needs drugs to help them remove it. Once it has gone you can then think straight, you can sleep (most nights) and you can get on with life.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Jane (aka Click)

 

Hi Jane,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I am really interested in trying to adjust my diet to help support relief on this journey. I have suffered with this nearly 10 years... which may be discouraging for someone who has only had it a little while.. but it hasn't always been this way for me. I am in the stage which you described in your first 3 months, as my T has changed so much, it's like I am suffering from it for the first time all over again, but ten fold this time. I have had some serious moments of break down... and I work in the social work field and counsel people on depression and anxiety, and suddenly there I found myself in the middle of full blown panic attacks, frozen. It shocked me that I could ever get to the point. My family worries about me as I frequently call them late at night in a panic... but lately the sound has moved to me "better ear" in the form of a chirping..and I hear it when talking on the phone... very distressing for me as this is a major source of relief for me. *sigh*

I am such a positive person in general I feel badly for being in this negative mind state right now... but remind myself how long I have managed this quite well over the years...and I think everyone is entitiled to moments of weaknes...or months of them..

I would prefer to stay away from meds as much as possible. I am mostly vegetarian and quite acitive. I may be gluten intolerant - waiting to hear from an allergist.. so this will already have me eating much better.. which I need to get better at!

I may start with a low dose of a sleeping medication to take on those nights where I can't stop panicking or tossing and turning. I also have a wonderful supportive husband, who takes on the role that it sounds like your great friend helped you with! I need to remind myself of how lucky I am to have that, at least!

I would really like to have children... and it's very saddening to me to feel discouraged about that due to how much my life is currently being affected by this... imagine, letting it stop you from such a wonderful part of life? You would understand this having 3 grown children. I try not to let this be an additional stressor, but it is very hard not to.

Anyways, that is the end of my rant... thanks again for talking

 

Hi Jessica, Jane has some great advice and it seems like though you are struggling you are heading in the right direction especially since you have only had this since July. I have been battling this since April about 8.5 months and it is 100% better now for me that it was the first 4-6 months. I am not sure my tinnitus is any better or not (I think it has improved) but I feel better about myself so in that regard my tinnitus is (if that makes any sense).

Things that have helped me:

• Realizing T will not harm you. It is not life threatening, just annoying. Even with T you can still do all the things you did without T. It does not run your life, you do!
• Try to normalize your life as much as possible doing the same things you did before T. Hang out with friends, go see a movie, etc. Getting back to normal makes you feel good.
• Don't just keep busy to keep your mind off T, do constructive/productive/meaningful things: Go back to school, get into a hobby, play sports (there are many adult leagues for everything from coed soccer to bowling), volunteer (nothing makes you feel better about yourself then helping someone else in need feel better).
• Take care of your body. Eat good, whole, natural foods and less processed foods (whenever possible). Even if it doesn't impact your T directly, you will feel better about yourself & that alone will help you cope with your T.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise helps your body stay strong, strengthens your immune system and makes you feel good about yourself. Exercise also helps to lower blood pressure, reduces stress and helps you sleep better at night. If your body is tired at bedtime, you will sleep better, with T or no T.
• Get Good Sleep. This may be difficult at first but many people were not good sleepers even before they had T so you can't expect to be after T. Either way see my other post on Tips to Getting Better Sleep. Good sleep is one of the keys to dealing with T and life. When you get a good night's sleep you feel good about yourself.
• Reduce Stress. T causes stress and though we cannot necessarily get rid of the T, there are things you can do to get rid of other stressers that make your T worse. Don't sweat the small stuff, try to eliminate stress at work, relax, take a short walk during your break, listen to calming music and exercise. See my post on Foods that Reduce Stress.

One common theme to my tips above is doing all those things makes you feel good about yourself. These tips could apply to anyone whether they have T or not. Feeling good about yourself and being positive will do wonders for your struggles with T.

 

This makes sense for many people but not for me. My tinnitus the high pitched constant ringing comes from a head injury, I was in a coma for 11 days. The boned in both ears were damaged, I had one reconstructed. I'm sure I have muscle damage and scar tissue in both ears which might account for the tinnitus. The pulsatile tinntus comes and goes. I have a full blown case right now but at this moment, the high pitched sound is louder. Keep up the research. I was told, when it was driving me crazy after I got out of the coma that there was nothing anyone could do. I have benign positional vertigo as well. Are you a research scientist or a doctor? Donna