Here’s a intriguing development in treating the “last mile” problems of audiophilia, the listener’s brain. Or actually, *hyperactive cells in the auditory pathway".
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I saw that article and the technology is very tempting. I’ve currently got a constant low level ringing of the same frequency in both ears. One of the reasons I listen to so much music is I don’t notice the ringing so much. But it would be great to reduce the tinnitus at least for the quiet times at night or when I’m out hiking.
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Interesting but needs pier reviewing from non profit interested experts.
I’ve had Tinnitus for a number of years now. Some days it’s so distracting, doesn’t help my sleep pattens anns often can’t listen to anything at all if it’s so sensitive.
Yes. Perhaps I should have said “intriguing”.
Thanks for posting this @Bill_Janssen
You’re slowly convincing me that I should pay for a WaPo subscription. It’s nice that they allow subscribers to share links that circumvent the paywall and I’m glad you know how to use that feature 
I have recurring tinnitus. It comes and goes. It varies from mild to moderate. I also have enough hearing loss to lead me to wear hearing aids to help improve my ability to hear conversations and TV/movie dialogues. Surprising to me is the fact that I also like listening to music with them in, though not headphones.
I’m in the population of people for whom wearing hearing aids somehow reduces my tinnitus. It’s an interesting consequence and doesn’t make a lot of sense to me - if I wear hearing aids for a while, my tinnitus decreases and that decrease persists sometimes for days after I’ve removed them. I don’t understand, but this continues to be mysterious even to the professionals.
I agree with others that the lack of peer review and control-group studies is cause for skepticism. Even so, if this were an option, I’d give it a shot, even knowing that any improvement might be attributable to placebo effect. With tinnitus, placebo effect or not, any improvement is welcome.
My 83-year-old mother has recurring tinnitus. There’s an over-the-counter pill that claims to help. The pill bottle tells you that for it to work, you have to take a sustained dosage for weeks. There is no actual scientific evidence that this stuff does anything at all. When my mom’s tinnitus acts up, she pops a few of these pills and says that it helps within 15 minutes. Then she discontinues until it acts up again when she takes a few more. Obviously, this is a placebo effect. I’m not telling her. Would you?
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When I asked an audiologist about it a number of years ago he was adamant it’s all to do with hearing loss and your brain trying and failing to fill the gaps. What worries me though is recent studies showing hearing loss can increase the risk of dementia. As my Dad got early onset Alzheimer’s not something I want to happen it’s a horrible decline.
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I’m not sure this is the prevailing theory. Might be.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I’m watching my mother-in-law’s cognitive abilities decline, and the studies you mention raised the possibility that her long-term hearing loss played a role. She has hearing aids but rarely wears them and it’s possible that her untreated hearing loss contributed.
All of this pushed me to see an audiologist, leading to hearing aids. I didn’t expect them to help with tinnitus. From what I understand, not everyone has this experience.
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Sorry to hear about your MiL, it’s not an easy thing to deal with.
The studies about bacteria working its way up various nerves is what spooks me. This is why our mothers taught us to keep our fingers out of our ears and nose, and brush after every meal.
I’m not crazy about in-ear headphones, either.
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I stopped using iems as they do inflame my ears I found. Kept getting diminished hearing in one ear from using them.
I’m not sure I could tolerate the tongue electrode, but the Duo (also mentioned in the article) looks interesting.
I’ve had reasonable severe tinnitus for several years, including in my “bad” ear, which I find odd. my BP medicine exacerbates it, as does alcohol, unfortunately.
I try and look after my hearing as best I can, if I go to a gig I wear ear plugs that are so good I can’t hear the crowd at all, but the band come across at a normal listening volume and after the gig my hearing is normal.
I’m usual front row even in my late 50’s
I have had mild tinnitus caused by medication I have to take. I wouldn’t like to truly suffer from it and I feel for people who do.
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@Grasshopper would you mind sharing the earplugs that work for you please. I have tried various but none that have allowed me to enjoy loud live performances without a strong dislike of their effects on the music. I would be grateful for any suggestions, thanks.
The only medical advice I’ve received re my tinnitus is to “never be anywhere silent.”
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Good luck, I hope they help you.
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I’m in the US. I have a pair of these:
I have all three available Etymotic filters and swap depending on what sort of music / event I’m going to. This is not a cheap route to go but I spent money and time trying non-custom options over the years. I can wear these for hours and I can accept the impact they have on sound, which is far less obnoxious than what the generics provided me.
In the US, the total cost for a pair of these, including mold making or a digital scan and all three sets of filters, is around $225 from an audiologist.
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What are you waiting for, Godot?
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My ENT made molds of my ears and had a pair of musicians earplugs made. I had a pair made for my son, who is a drummer also.
I take a daily B12 vitamin that seems to help. Don’t know if it’s a placebo or not.
We also use two of these by our bed…
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