The AudioNotch Tinnitus Treatment Blog

Please note: the following information does not constitute professional medical advice, and is provided for general informational purposes only. Please speak to your doctor if you have tinnitus.

Tinnitus involves sounds heard in the ear when there are no corresponding external conditions causing the sounds. It’s often described as a ringing, buzzing, whistling or hissing sound depending on the sufferer. It is a nuisance for 7 percent of men and women in the world, which is an extreme amount of people being severely impacted by tinnitus. The condition has been linked to work as well as relationship problems and depression. In rare instances, there have been suicides linked to tinnitus.

It’s unclear what causes tinnitus, so many sufferers are unable to get relief from the symptoms. They try earplugs with white noise, soothing sounds and antidepressants to deal with the constant noise. It’s tough for those who don’t suffer from tinnitus to understand the amount of discomfort the noise causes. Some sufferers say it compares to leaving an old-time television on at night when the station would go off the air. It’s a constant high-pitched whine or alarm-type sound that sufferers can’t ignore.

Mute Button for tinnitus claims to be able to reduce the sound of tinnitus by 60 percent using stimulation of the nerves in the tongue. A device is held between the lips and sends a current through the tongue. The current is sent in synch with a sound through the headphones. The clinical trials occurred at the National University of Ireland, which tested 60 people who had tinnitus for at least 6 months. After 10 weeks of using Mute Button for tinitus for 30 minutes per day, they claim the volume for patients was reduced 42 percent.

This new device is said to retrain the brain of this illusionary sound, which seems to imply that the sufferers are imagining the debilitating noise they hear constantly in their head. While the clinical trials were populated and conducted in 2012, there’s seemingly been no headway with this device. They are still asking for volunteers for clinical trials on their website.

Sound therapy isn’t a new response to the symptoms of tinnitus. There are other types of treatments that involve sound therapy that can provide a modicum of relief to sufferers as well. Louise Hart is the senior audiologist at Action on Hearing Loss, and she was quoted as saying that while they welcome all new research into tinnitus, more evidence is required before Mute Button for tinitus can offer any hope for sufferers.

Tinnitus is a debilitating condition that is not fully understood, which is why it’s hard on sufferers. There are no real cures to the condition, and each sufferer has a different experience with programs meant to supply relief.