There is new research going on in an effort to help people with the problem of noise in their heads. As always, it is a good idea to consult with someone who has an interest or specialty in this area. Up to fifty percent of people with tinnitus may have a specific diagnosis that will allow for more focused treatment. For those without a known cause, the issue for now is how to live with it.

You're right that tinnitus, whether it is a humming, a pulsating sound, or a shrill shriek, may be experienced as a minor irritation, or as a devastating disability that makes daily life impossible and sleep even worse. And if the noise isn't bad enough, there is typically an associated hearing loss.

Research is being conducted with varied approaches including biofeedback, acupuncture, behavioral therapies, hypnosis, antidepressants, tranquilizers, anesthetic agents, prostaglandins (fatty acids that regulate functioning of the ear), and surgery (cutting the cochlea nerve, inserting electric stimulating devices, or placing so-called cochlea implants).

With such a variety of therapies under investigation, it is clear that tinnitus is a serious problem for many people, but one with no good solution at present. You should also know that an absence of concrete answers creates the perfect setting for the practice of, for lack of a better word, quackery. Beware of anybody who claims to have the "perfect solution."

Check out the Alice archives for Noise in ears, a recent answer that gives suggestions and resources for people with tinnitus and other hearing and ear-related ailments.

Alice