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.

In late 2016, news of the tragic suicide of Craig Gill, drummer of the influential British band Inspiral Carpets, shocked fans of alternative rock. A new report published by the BBC about the drummer’s inquest suggests that he may have been besieged by a terrible and exasperating case of tinnitus.

Craig Gill was part of the seminal 1990s Manchester scene that successfully combined English pop with electronic dance music, psychedelic rock, synthesizers, and lots of distortion. This scene borrowed from New Order and The Smiths to create a new style of music that was a mainstay of alternative rock until the late 20th century.

According to news reports, Gill and his family had planned to attend a taping of a children’s television show, but the musician skipped the session because he was not feeling well. When his wife returned home later that day, she found Gill hanging from the ceiling. Since he did not have a history of depression and did not leave a suicide note, his death was deemed to have been motivated by a completely spontaneous decision that could have been exacerbated by tinnitus.

Understanding Tinnitus

The late Inspiral Carpets drummer probably had an extreme case of tinnitus, a condition that involves hearing a constant ringtone similar to what happens to most people after a loud rock concert. Tinnitus is not always related to hearing loss, but it can trigger masked depressive episodes and severe anxiety.

People who suffer from this condition have treatment options that start with a tinnitus frequency test. The treatment involves targeting neurons that are not working the way they should be as they convert vibrations into sound waves that are brains assimilate.

What a Tinnitus Frequency Test Reveals

Pure tone tinnitus is the continuous ringing or train whistle sound that drives people crazy. The tones may be different from time to time, but they remain constant from just a few minutes to a few hours. Audiology researchers have come up with methods of matching and notching the frequency and pitch of tinnitus for therapeutic purposes.

The first step of treatment involves a tinnitus frequency test, which can be performed with web-based and mobile apps such as AudioNotch. The test helps to determine the frequency range that patients should listen to on a daily basis; once this range is established, white noise, music or nature sounds can be generated at certain pitches and frequencies that match the hearing conditions.

Sound therapy has been proven to be very effective for tinnitus patients, and more research is being published about its effectiveness.