Have you ever heard a ringing, buzzing, or humming sound in your ears that no one else can hear?
If so, you’re not alone.
This is called tinnitus, a condition that affects nearly 750 million people worldwide. In the U.S. more than 25 million adults experience this strange noise in their ears.
Sometimes, the noise comes and goes, but for some people, it never stops. It can be really annoying and even make people feel worried or stressed.
There are many reasons why someone might have tinnitus. It could be from listening to loud music, losing some hearing, or even getting sick from a virus.
The big question is: Can Technology Cure Tinnitus?
Let’s find out.
Can Tinnitus Be Cured?
Whether tinnitus can be cured depends on what’s causing it.
For example, if a person’s tinnitus is caused by a medication that harms the ears, stopping the medication can sometimes make the ringing go away.
Dr. Chandrasekhar, a doctor who specializes in ear health, explains that if you can treat the root cause of tinnitus, like hearing loss, there’s a chance that the symptoms may get better or even disappear.
But what about the cases where there isn’t a simple cause or cure? In many situations, tinnitus can’t be completely cured, but technology offers ways to help manage it.
Dr. Chandrasekhar says that in most cases, especially if the tinnitus is new, many people will see improvement or even get rid of the ringing within six months.
However, for others, it may last longer, and that’s where treatment can help.
How Is Tinnitus Diagnosed?
Diagnosing tinnitus is a bit like being a detective. Doctors have to figure out what’s causing the noise in your ears. It could be anything from loud noise exposure to an infection or even problems with your jaw.
When you visit a doctor, they will ask about your health history, check if you’ve been exposed to loud noises, and see if you’re taking any medications that might be causing the problem.
Sometimes, doctors also do physical exams of your head and neck, checking your jaw for issues that could be causing pain or strange noises when you chew.
They may even do hearing tests to see how well your ears are working. In some cases, doctors use imaging, like MRIs, to get a better look inside your head and ears. All these steps help the doctor understand what’s causing the tinnitus and how to treat it.
How Can Technology Help?
Though there isn’t a pill that can cure tinnitus, technology is helping in big ways. Recently, researchers at the University of Auckland have been testing a new therapy that uses a mobile phone app.
This app works by retraining your brain to ignore the sound of the tinnitus, making it fade into the background.
In a study with 61 people, those who used this new app saw a big improvement after 12 weeks. This could be a game-changer for many people who have struggled with tinnitus for years.
The app combines different digital tools, such as white noise and games, all based on each person’s experience with tinnitus.
It’s personalized, which means the treatment plan is designed just for you. In previous studies, therapies like white noise and counseling were found to be helpful for some people. But with this new approach, the treatment works faster and shows results within three months.
A Device for Tinnitus
One of the latest developments in tinnitus treatment is a device approved by the FDA. This device, called Lenire, uses electrical stimulation of the tongue to help with tinnitus.
Sounds strange, right?
But it’s actually helping people like Victoria Banks, a singer who developed tinnitus and found it hard to perform.
Banks tried everything from supplements to exercise, but nothing worked. Then she found out about Lenire.
The device includes a mouthpiece with small electrodes that stimulate the tongue. Surprisingly, it has shown great results.
In a clinical trial, 84% of participants who used Lenire reported a significant reduction in their tinnitus symptoms. Banks says this device has made a huge difference in her life, allowing her to enjoy music again.
How Lenire Helped Victoria Banks Cope with the Ringing
One person who knows this struggle all too well is Victoria Banks, a singer and songwriter from Nashville. About three years ago, Victoria developed tinnitus, and the sound in her head was so loud it felt like a swarm of cicadas.
She tried everything to find relief. She took supplements, and exercised more, but nothing seemed to help.
That’s when she learned about Lenire, a device that had just been approved by the FDA in 2023. This device uses a plastic mouthpiece with tiny electrodes that stimulate the tongue, along with headphones that play soothing sounds.
The idea is that this combination of sensations helps shift the brain’s focus away from the tinnitus, making it less noticeable.
First Impressions of Lenire
When Victoria first heard about Lenire, she was desperate for anything that could help, so she decided to give it a try.
She sought out an audiologist, Brian Fligor, who specialized in treating severe cases of tinnitus. Dr. Fligor had been impressed by a clinical trial showing that 84% of people who used Lenire noticed significant improvements in their tinnitus symptoms.
Based on this, he recommended the device to Victoria, explaining that it works best for people who’ve had tinnitus for at least three months.
Victoria began using Lenire for an hour each day, over the course of 12 weeks. During her sessions, the electrodes on the tongue gave a light, tickling sensation, while the headphones played calming sounds like ocean waves. At first, it was an odd experience, but she quickly got used to it.
How Lenire Works
Dr. Fligor explained that the brain naturally focuses on important sounds, like how a spotlight shines on the main actor on stage.
When tinnitus starts, that “spotlight” gets stuck on the ringing sound. Lenire helps shift that spotlight away from the tinnitus and focuses your brain on other things.
The combined stimulation of the tongue and calming sounds helps “unstick” the brain from focusing on the noise.
Results After 12 Weeks
After 12 weeks of using Lenire, Victoria didn’t find that her tinnitus had completely disappeared, but the change was still life-changing. The noise in her head went from a loud, annoying buzz to something much quieter and easier to ignore.
She compares it to living near a waterfall. At first, you hear it all the time, but after a while, your brain tunes it out, and it becomes part of the background.
For Victoria, this was a huge relief. She could go back to doing the things she loved, like singing and writing music.
On days when the ringing came back, a quick session with the device helped bring it under control again.
What the Research Says
Victoria’s experience mirrors what the clinical trials found. In the study that Dr. Fligor mentioned, 84% of the people who used Lenire saw significant improvements in their tinnitus symptoms.
Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires before and after the 12-week treatment. The questions asked how much tinnitus affected their sleep, their mood, and their overall quality of life.
On average, participants improved by 14 points, which means their tinnitus became much less bothersome.
But there’s still a lot to learn. For example, researchers don’t yet know how long the effects of Lenire last.
The studies have only tracked people for about a year, so it’s unclear whether the relief is permanent or if people will need to continue using the device long-term.
The Cost of Lenire
One downside of Lenire is the price. The device costs about $4,000, and unfortunately, most insurance companies don’t cover it. Victoria had to pay for the device out of pocket, using a credit card and paying it off over time.
For her, the cost was worth it because it helped her regain control over her life. But this might be a barrier for others who need relief from tinnitus but can’t afford the device.
Dr. Fligor is hopeful that as more research is done and more people benefit from Lenire, insurance companies may start to cover it.
After all, 80% of people in the clinical trial said they would recommend the device to a friend. That’s a strong sign that it’s working for many people.
Is Lenire Right for You?
Lenire isn’t a cure for tinnitus, but it’s a tool that’s helping people manage their symptoms in a new way. For people like Victoria, who had tried other methods without success, Lenire has made a huge difference. It’s not for everyone, and it’s important to see a doctor first to make sure there aren’t any other underlying issues causing the tinnitus.
For those who do try it, like Bruce Freeman, a scientist who also suffers from tinnitus, Lenire can be a game-changer. Even though the ringing never fully disappears, Bruce found that the device, combined with mindfulness practices like swimming, helped reduce his symptoms to a manageable level. He compares the sound in his ears to something that “comes and goes,” but for now, it’s mostly faded into the background.
In the end, Lenire is giving hope to many people who have struggled with tinnitus for years. It may not be a cure, but for those it helps, it’s like turning down the volume on a noise that once took over their lives
The Future of Tinnitus Treatment
Tinnitus affects millions of people, and it’s been a tough problem to solve. But technology is providing new hope. Researchers are continuing to improve devices like Lenire and mobile apps designed to help people manage their symptoms.
For some, these new technologies could be life-changing.
While there may not be a magic cure for tinnitus yet, the combination of digital tools, personalized treatments, and innovative devices is helping to turn down the volume on this frustrating condition. With more research, we may get even closer to a solution that works for everyone
So, can technology cure tinnitus?
The answer is complicated.
While we may not have a cure that works for every single case, technology is making huge strides in helping people manage and reduce their symptoms.
From apps that retrain your brain to devices that stimulate the tongue, these treatments offer hope for millions of people living with tinnitus.
https://www.forbes.com/health/hearing-aids/tinnitus-cure
An FDA approved device offers a new treatment for ringing in the ears : Shots – Health News : NPR