Tinnitus can be frustrating for patients, hard to treat,researchers say. By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- One in five people suffersfrom tinnitus, the annoying and sometimes severely debilitatingcondition often referred to as "ringing in the ears," and newresearch may offer some hope for relief for these patients. Although the condition currently has no cure, researchers in theNetherlands found that combining two existing therapies may helpmore than either single therapy alone. Their report is published in the May 26 issue of The Lancet. The strategies used in the study aren't new, noted Dr. Eric Smouha,an associate professor of otolaryngology and director of otologyand neurotology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City,who was not involved with the study. However, the finding "showshope for these people," he said. Tinnitus can be incredibly frustrating for doctors and patientsalike, added another expert, Dr. Michael Seidman, director ofotologic/neurotologic surgery at the Henry Ford Health System inDetroit, because there is no cure for the condition and even goodtreatments are elusive. Smouha also pointed out that doctors look for an underlying causebut usually can't find one. Finding a remedy -- if there is one -- is very much atrial-and-error adventure, Seidman said. Dietary modifications(such as cutting out caffeine or alcohol, herbs including Ginkgobiloba), therapy, and even some drugs (such as anti-anxietymedications to facilitate sleep) may help some patients. Right now, clinicians often rely on one of two main treatments fortinnitus. One, called "tinnitus retraining therapy," involvesexposing the patient to another, more neutral sound to mask thetinnitus, along with counseling. The second is "cognitive behavioral therapy," which includescorrecting distorted thought patterns, relaxation techniques andmindfulness instruction. To date, though, no one has investigated how the two work together,said study authors Rilana Cima and colleagues, from MaastrichtUniversity in the Netherlands. For this study, about 500 adults with tinnitus were assigned to thecombination therapy group, or to "usual" care, which itself wasvery intensive, involving more than two hours of initial testingfollowed by multiple visits with a social worker. Those assigned to the combination therapy, referred to as"specialized care," showed more improvement in health-relatedquality of life over the course of a year, a reduction in theseverity of the tinnitus, as well as less impairment from thecondition, the investigators found. Specialized care included the same initial testing period as usualcare, followed by assessment by a clinical psychologist and groupsessions with movement therapists, physical therapists, speechtherapists and social workers. In the end, it was the uber-intensive specialized care thatbenefited people with both mild and severe tinnitus the most, thestudy found. This specialized combination care really was not a dramaticdeparture from the tinnitus retraining therapy and cognitivebehavioral therapy used individually in the United States, Seidmansaid. And it's unclear if this intensive combination approach, whichrelies on the expertise of many different specialists, could beimplemented in the United States with its different population andvastly different health care system, Smouha said. "What they did is very intensive, consisting of hours and hours ofcounseling and coming back for sessions," Smouha pointed out. Andthe combination therapy used in the study really "doesn't differmuch from what we refer to as tinnitus retraining therapy," headded. In the United States, retraining therapy can cost $3,000 to $5,000and require a commitment of two years, Seidman noted. More information The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other CommunicationDisorders has more on tinnitus . SOURCES: Michael Seidman, M.D., director, division ofotologic/neurotologic surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit;Eric Smouha, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology anddirector of otology and neurotology, Mount Sinai School ofMedicine, New York City; May 26, 2012, The Lancet Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Dimmable Led Light Bulbs Manufacturer , Indoor Led Light Bulbs for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits E27 Led Light Bulbs.
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