JUNE 1992 Volume 17, Number 2

Tinnitus Today
THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN TINNITUS ASSOCIATION
"To carry on and support research and educational activities relating
to the treatment of tinnitus and other defects or diseases of the ear."
IN THIS ISSUE:
Introducing ATA
Monitoring Your Tinnitus
Living With Tinnitus for 48 Years: Golden Jubilee Ahead?
Tinnitus Survey
Self-Help, and So Much More ...
"COPING WITH TINNITUS"
e STRESS MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT
e TINNITUS MANAGEMENT IS OFTEN
COMPLICATED BY ANXIETY AND STRESS
e NOW A UNIQUE CASSETTE PROGRAM IS
AVAILABLE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DAILY
REINFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT FROM THE
STRESS OF TINNITUS WITHOUT COMPLEX
INSTRUMENTATION & VALUABLE OFFICE. TIME
There is a growing interest in psychological methods of tinnitus
control such as systematic relaxation procedures which help the
patient cope with the tension of tinnitus.
Subjects with tinnitus are being taught ways to relax as part of a
total tinnitus program which may include hearing aids, tinnitus
maskers and progressive muscle relaxation based on principles of
conditioning. Relaxation procedures are usually easily mastered and can be performed daily in the
patient's home environment. It has been demonstrated that the relaxation response can release muscle
tension, lower blood pressure and slow heart and breath rates.
A relaxation method has been developed entitled Metronome Conditioned Relaxation (MCR) which
has successfully treated for many years chronic pain, tension headaches, insomnia and many other
conditions.
The program consists of one cassette tape of Metronome Conditioned Relaxation and two additional
tapes of unique masking sounds which have demonstrated substantial benefit whenever the patient
feels the need of additional relief. These recordings can be used to induce sleeping or as a soothing
backdrop for activity and can be played on a simple portable cassette player.
ALL ORDeRS MUST 8 ~ ACCOMPANIID 6Y
CHOCK. V I S A . ~ . OR INSTI1UI'IOI'W. P.O.
WANTED! HEARING-AIDS
AND I OR MASKERS
IN ANY CONDITION
6796 MARKET ST., UPPeR DARBY, J>A 19082
Phone (215) 352-0600
If you have ever wondered what to do with those aids that are just sitting in the drawer, think no further.
ATA will be happy to receive them. Donations to ATA are tax deductible, and we'll provide a receipt.
Simply package them up carefully (a small padded mailing bag is fine) and send to:
A TA, PO Box 5, Portland, OR 97207. If you are using UPS or another alternate shipper-
our street address is 1618 SW First Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, telephone (503)248-9985.
What happens to the aids you turn in? In some cases they can be repaired and given to people in
underdeveloped countries. Even if they can't be re-used as is, the parts are needed for repairing other aids.
Also, the plastic can be recycled. Your old aid could give someone the gift of hearing!

tnnltus
Editorial and advertising offices:
American Tinnitus Association, P.O. Box 5
Portland, OR 972C17
Executive Director & Editor:
Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D.
Editorial Advisor:
Trudy Drucker, Ph.D.
Advertising sales: AT A-AD, P. 0. Box 5,
Portland, OR '172C17 (800-634-8978)
Tinnitus Today is published quarterly in
March, June, September and December. It
is mailed to members of American Tinnitus
Association and a selected list of tinnitus
sufferers and professionals who treat tinnitus.
Circulation is rotated to 200,000 annually.
The Publisher reserves the right to reject or
edit any manuscript received for publication
and to reject any advertising deemed un-
suitable for Tinnitus Today. Acceptance of
advertising by Tinnitus Today does not con-
stitute endorsement of the advertiser, its
products or services, nor does Tinnitus
Today make any claims or guarantees as to
the accuracy or validity of the advertiser's
offer. The opinions expressed by contributors
to Tinnitus Today are not necessarily those
of the Publisher, editors, staff, or adver-
tisers. American Tinnitus Association is a
non-profit human health and welfare agency
under 26 USC 50! (c)(3)
Copyright 1992 by American Tinnitus
Association. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys-
tem, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, wilhout lhe prior written pennission
of the Publisher. ISSN: 0897-6368
Scientific Advisory Board
Alfred Weiss, MD, Boston, MA
Abraham Shulman, MD, Brooklyn, NY
John R. Emmett, MD, Memphis, TN
Gale W. Miller, MD, Cincinnati, OH
Jack D. Clemis, MD, Chicago, IL
W. F. S. Hopmeier, St. Louis, MO
Harold G. Tabb, MD, New Orleans, LA
J. Gail Neely, MD, Oklahoma City, OK
Jerry Northern, PhD, Denver, CO
Jolm W. House, MD, Los Angeles, CA
Robert E. Sandlin, PhD, San Diego, CA
Chris B. Foster, MD, San Diego, CA
Richard L. Goode, MD, Stanford, CA
Mansfield Smith, MD, San Jose, CA
Robert M. Jolmson, PhD, Portland, OR
Honorary Board
Senator Mark 0. Hatfield
Mr. Tony Randall
Board of Directors
Robert M. Jotmson, PhD, Portland, OR,
Dan Robert Hocks, Portland, OR
Philip 0. Monon, Portland, OR
Aaron I. Osherow, St. Louis, MO
Edmund Grossberg, Chicago, IL
Thomas Wissbaum, C.P.A., Portland, OR
Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D., Portland, OR
The Journal of the American Tinnitus Association
Volume 17 Number 2 June 1992
Contents
4
7
8
9
15
16
Introducing AT A
by Gloria E. Reich
Self-Help, and So Much More ...
by Laurie H. Bauer
Monitoring Your Tinnitus
by Edwin L. Hukill
Tinnitus Survey
To be completed & returned in the enclosed envelope
Research Update
Information from University of Maryland
Living with Tinnitus for 48 Years:
Golden Jubilee Ahead?
by Sue Greer Lamie
Regular Features
6
13
18
19
Media Watch: Tinnitus in the News
Questions & Answers
Tributes, Sponsor Members, Professional Associates
New Publications List /Donation Form
The cover illustration of Chapman Point, Cannon Beach, Oregon is part of a 6
panel painting commissioned for and displayed at the Cannon Beach Chamber
of Commerce and Welcome Center. The artist is Shirley Gitzelsohn who may
be contacted directly regarding inquiries about her work. (503) 292-2049.
Introducing AT A
by Gloria E. Reich, PhD., Executive Director
Many of you are reading Tinnitus Today for
the first time. We'd like to tell you about AT A and
how we can work together to help ourselves and
promote better treatment for tinnitus.
When Dr. Charles Unice founded ATA in
1971 he hoped to raise enough money to be able to
fund research and find a cure within a short period
of time. His hopes did not materialize but he did
start people thinking about tinnitus and when he
offered his fledgling association to the Oregon
Health Sciences University Development Fund in
1973, they were glad to accept. The Association,
after moving to Oregon was held together by a
small group of dedicated volunteers who would get
together for lunch one day a week to plan their
activities. When I joined that little band at the end
of 1975, there were just over 100 members. We
answered each inquiry with a personal letter and
had very little to offer people except hope.
A picnic lunch, shared by Dr. Charles Unice
and Dr. Jack Vernon, near one of Portland's beauti-
ful fountains serendipitously provided the impetus
for the beginning of modem tinnitus masking. Dr.
Unice remarked that his tinnitus was not noticeable
when masked by the sound of the falling water. Dr.
Jack Vernon picked up on that idea and persuaded
several of the hearing-aid manufacturers to look
into the possibility of providing an external sound
source that people would accept as more pleasant
than the internal noise of tinnitus. Since that time,
thousands of tinnitus patients have embraced mask-
ing in its various forms as a method for managing
their tinnitus.
In the late 70s, ATA embarked on a series of
training workshops where physicians, audiologists,
and hearing-aid dispensers were given instruction
about the use of masking. These clinicians made up
A TA' s first referral network. Over the years the
network has been refined and now contains the
names of experts in many different specialties who
can help patients manage their tinnitus.
4 Tinnitus Today I June 1992
The early 80s saw the beginning of the tinnitus
self-help movement. Some of the earliest groups
remain our most active and serve as models for the
ever expanding program. There are many different
kinds of tinnitus support groups. Some are large,
having their own officers and advisors, and conduct
regularly scheduled meetings with formal
programs. Others have smaller, informal meetings
and sometimes are more like a group of friends
getting together to talk about something of mutual
interest. The smallest support networks are those
where people can telephone each other when they
need help, or, most recently, write to others in a
pen-pal support network. (see related story, Pg. 7)
Whichever format appeals to you is the one you
should choose. If a group does not exist in your
community we stand ready to help you form one.
Write to us for guidelines on forming a tinnitus
self-help group.
Our organization has grown in the numbers of
people who are receiving information through the
media articles that reach millions of readers.
Columnists Ann Landers and Dear Abby have
mentioned A TA several times over the last ten
years. Ann Landers' mention of ATA in 1986
brought us 125,000 replies. At that time we had
only 2 full time staff members and many volunteers
who worked day, night, and weekends to answer
all that mail in 4 months. Last fall we were excited
when Dear Abby said we were to be mentioned in
a late December column. That mention brought
over 8000 inquiries. When Ann Landers mentioned
us just a few weeks later we received another
25,000 inquiries. If that wasn't enough, Prevention
magazine and Woman's World also mentioned
ATA and the mail simply doesn't let up.
Our staff has grown, we now have five full
time employees and 1 part time employee. Our
programs have expanded too. We are providing
thousands of brochures to professionals for patient
handouts. Our tinnitus bibliography has grown to
over 2000 articles, and is utilized by researchers
and laymen alike. There are more than 200,000
VoL 17No.2
Continued
names on our database of people with tinnitus and
you can imagine the effort needed just to try to keep
track of your contributions and your address chan-
ges. Our telephone traffic was so great that we were
forced to automate the system. You '11 notice when
you telephone ATA that the answering voice gives
you a choice of requesting general information,
ordering brochures or bibliography services, or
speaking with a specific person. This has freed up
several hours a day for the staff to respond to the
many written requests for help.
ATA is grateful for the publicity it receives
because it means that we are getting information
about tinnitus to those who need it. We appreciate
your patience at times like these when the sheer
volume of mail slows down everything we do.
Also, keep in mind that our office is in the Pacific
Time Zone and our hours are 8:30 to 12:00 noon,
and 1:00 to 5:00p.m., Monday through Friday.
We're sorry that we can't personally respond to
each of your letters but we do read them and often
save them for the Question & Answer column in
Tinnitus Today.
ATA's board of directors is working on a
long-range program to support more tinnitus re-
search. We've been able to fund only a few studies
each year and recognize that more are needed.
We'll continue to publish the results of research in
future issues of Tinnitus Today. AT A's programs
and research are supported wholly through private
donations such as yours. We are not government
supported. We participate in the Combined Federal
Campaign as members of the National Voluntary
Health Agencies. If you are a federal employee, we
hope you'll designate all or part of your annual
CFC gift to ATA. We're number 514 on your donor
card.
Programs to provide education about tinnitus
are being formulated both for professionals and for
schoolchildren. ATA and other hearing related or-
ganizations continue to press for more Federal
funding for research. Sometimes we ask you to help
Vol.l7No.2
by writing to your legislators. Together our voices
can make a difference.
Noise is the number one cause of tinnitus.
Prevention is the best protection and it is very
important to make people aware of the dangers of
noise exposure before their hearing is damaged.
This issue contains a survey which we hope
you '11 complete and return in the attached en-
velope. Researchers can learn so much from what
you, the experiencer of tinnitus, tell us. We'lllet
you know in future issues of Tinnitus Today just
what the survey reveals.
Finally, we want your input. Please tell us
what you would like to see in the magazine. Let us
know if we can help you by providing information
to your community about noise prevention. You
can help AT A spread the word about tinnitus by
talking to your friends and associates. We can
sometimes help by suggesting someone to speak
about tinnitus at a community meeting. The more
people we can interest in the problem, the sooner
we'll solve it! Please know that the least wonderful
part of my job is asking you for money. I wish there
were some way to avoid it. Years ago we tried the
very soft -sell approach and those were the years
that there wasn't even enough money to buy a new
typewriter. We appreciate your patience when you
receive our requests. We also appreciate your un-
derstanding that we can't serve you or promote our
mutual cause without funds.
Most of all, we
appreciate your
contributions
because they
represent a per- _ ... ' " ' : ~ n
sonal commit-.. l $1!!
ment in the fight
to alleviate tin-
nitus. Thank
you.
T"mnitus Today I June 1992 5
Media Watch: Tinnitus in the News
by Cliff Collins, an Oregon freelance writer. Please send
clips, with name and date of newspaper, magazine or broad-
cast to Media Watch, PO Box 5, Portland, OR 97207-0005.
Progress in getting the word out about tinnitus
and other auditory difficulties can be measured in the
number of "name" media that are devoting coverage
to these topics. The tally looks better all the time.
Consider: Parade, Scientific American, the
New York Times, Newsday, Popular Science,
American Health, and the Chicago Tribune all car-
ried stories spotted by readers of this magazine. This
time around, though, Prevention magazine was the
largest-circulation publication devoting an entire
story (April, 1992) just to tinnitus. Prevention still
hawks its share of vitamins and other food supple-
ments in its ad pages, but its editorial content has
improved in recent years. As popular accounts of
tinnitus go, this one's certainly above-average. The
article opens with a description of a woman with
low-frequency ear noise, and the story lists examples
of how varied tinnitus sounds can be. It also notes
that tinnitus can occur from a single loud noise,
another significant fact rarely included in tinnitus
stories.
If Burt Reynolds had to see 30 different doctors
before finding a solution to his jaw problem, what
does that say about the state of TMJ therapy? In
Parade (March 8, 1992), the actor said he shattered
his jaw and temporomandibular joint in a movie
scene a few years back. It left him intolerant of sound
and light, not to mention unable to eat. He finally
found a surgeon (unnamed) who helped him. Bet
Reynolds got plenty of inquiries on this one.
Earmarks: A teen-ager's T-shirt reading, "If
it's t<i, ,_\, i, you're too old," makes you wince. As
the 111.e iJetroit News noted last year, much of the
severe damage young people are inflicting on their
ears won't be evident for many years to come since
acoustically induced hearing impairment often takes
years to develop. But the press (filled with folks
middle-aged and older who found out) is taking note
of noise dangers. American Health
(January/February, 1992), Good Housekeeping
6 Tmnitus Today I June 1992
(May 1991), the Chicago Tribune (last fall) and
the Associated Press (January 10, 1992 on
"monster" car stereos) all recorded noise's
hazards, not just to ears, but to overall health.
Columnists also are mentioning tinnitus:
"Family Doctor" (Woman's World, March 1992),
Dr. Peter Gott (syndicated; several items in
columns this year), "The Body Shop" (The Miami
Herald, March 15, 1992) and the New York
Times's Jane Brody (February 26, 1992; on com-
mon drugs' hazards). Several articles, such as in
the Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, advise
denizens of a noisy society to carry earplugs
routinely to be prepared. Scientific American
(April) calls tinnitus "phantom sounds," nerve-
cell activity that is a result of "the absence of
input."
Housekeeping: I obtain my news from the
printed word, but I harbor no illusions: The
"wave" of the present, not just the future, is
television. The tube, combined with radio,
reaches far more people than do papers and
magazines, so somebody on the air must be talk-
ing about tinnitus and other ear issues. Tinnitus
Today readers have been diligent in seeping out
news coverage in the print media, but we would
love to receive more reports about what "60
Minutes" or National Public Radio had to say, as
well. Fill us in, including details, OK?
Previous items on Beethoven's tinnitus un-
covered the fact that Protestant reformer Martin
Luther also was plagued by "a tormenting buzzing
in the ears" (Maynard Solomon, "Beethoven's
Essays"). The implications tinnitus had for the
actions of such profoundly important people as
Luther and Beethoven would make fascinating
reading. This columnist is interested in hearing of
other historical figures, well-known or otherwise,
who had tinnitus and/or hyperacusis.
Vol.17No.2
Self-Help, and So Much More ...
.. How You Can Become Involved
by Laurie Bauer
As AT A has just one office representing the
entire country, the national office needs local sup-
port from people nation-wide.
Our self-help networks, although primarily
organized to do what their name implies, provide
help and support, often do so much more.
Ideally, group members become involved in
their local communities, distributing tinnitus infor-
mation, educating others about tinnitus, the impor-
tance of hearing protection, and contacting health
professionals with AT A literature.
If there is no self-help activity in your area
currently, we can help you organize a group or
begin a support network. Please contact us for
infonnation. We'd love to hear from you!
If you'd like to help in the "Fight Against
Tinnitus" without becoming involved with a local
group, many of the same options apply. Fortunate-
ly, there are many simple ways to help, most of
which require only a modest commitment of time
and effort. You can:
IQ" Tell people, including professionals, about tin-
nitus. Every time you see a doctor or any health
professional, tell them about the ATA, and ask
them to contact us for our brochures, and a free
copy of Tinnitus Today.
w Show an AT A video or play a tinnitus tape at a
school or health fair, discuss hearing protection
and tinnitus prevention.
w Call the television and/or radio stations in your
area, ask them to play the ATA public service an-
nouncements (which we are happy to send at no
charge.)
d" Contact your local newspaper, encouraging a
public interest or health page story on tinnitus
(ATA is always willing to provide information
and help with a story).
Your efforts can make a difference! For ex-
ample: Joe Smith realizes many doctors and hear-
VoL17No.2
ing profyssionals he's visited don't have a lot of
information available about tinnitus. He decides to
visit the hearing professionals in his town, provid-
ing literature about tinnitus and the association
(which ATA has supplied), and introducing that
office to any local self-help group that may be
underway. If even one of the doctors or
audiologists Joe has visited learns of AT A and
informs even one patient of us, Joe has helped. We
hear from people every day who tell us of their
relief in finding that an organization does exist to
deal with tinnitus and provide information.
We are here to help you! We want you to take
advantage of that, and contact us! We encourage
you to become involved!
Pen-Pal Network Update:
The new pen-pal support network, created by
Lorraine Cramer-Mooney in Florida, is up and
running. Lorraine reports she currently has 70
names and addresses to provide for people who are
interested in writing to others. She reports receiv-
ing "the most touching letters" from people with
tinnitus all over the country. Some live in areas
without a current support group, others simply are
unable to get to the meetings, and some just love to
write.
Due to the number of inquiries and letters
she's receiving, Lorraine cannot always take the
time to respond personally. fustead, she has com-
piled some "letter-writing" tips which she sends,
along with names and addresses of the others who
have written.
To participate in the pen-pal network, send a
self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Lorraine Cramer-Mooney
12534 Elgin Blvd.
Spring Hill FL 34609
Lorraine appreciates a $2 donation to help with
printing costs.
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 7
Monitoring Your Tinnitus
by EdwinL. Hukill, M.D., Palo Alto, California
The idea of day-to-day monitoring of one's
tinnitus and its associated hearing losses may seem
to some to present a sort of dilemma. From a
psycho1ogical standpoint, one wishes to find ways
of diverting one's attention from the disability and
focusing on things more pleasant and less
problematic. On the other hand, the person has an
interest in preventing aggravation of his tinnitus and
further damage to his or her hearing ability. My idea
of monitoring is a way to do both things.
Tinnitus and hearing acuity change from hour-
to-hour and day-to-day. And while some of the
changes are random or due to various unknown
causes, many of them are caused by traumatic noises.
Thus, it becomes important to become more aware
of the level and quality of tinnitus, to keep some sort
of record of it and, subsequently, to eliminate the
aggravating influences wherever possible. Many
people have concluded this is the only "treatment"
of tinnitus - that is to say, - prevention. The preven-
tion idea here refers not only to the original cause of
the problem, but also to ongoing damage.
Noises which aggravate tinnitus and hearing
loss are often not obvious at the time they occur, and
their effects may not be evident for hours or days.
When they are not remembered, it is difficult to make
cause-and-effect connections. It is also not always
obvious when hearing acuity returns to its "baseline"
level, if it does indeed return. Painful sound, like
sudden, high pitched or percussive sounds, are not
necessarily the most damaging. Sustained and
repetitious broadband sounds may be. Damaging
sounds, including those from seemingly harmless
machinery and sound systems, may not be immedi-
ately evident to a person with impaired hearing
ability which is restricted in frequency range as well
as acuity. A person may not even be aware of being
traumatized. He might find, for example, that a
painful door slam had no detectable after effects,
whereas a seemingly benign but noisy vacuum
cleaner did.
Vol.l7No.2
These observations lead me to believe that
monitoring is important to the well being of the
tinnitus sufferer. But it is difficult to be objective
about monitoring without some systematic ap-
proach, since psychological factors have such an
impact on awareness of both tinnitus and damaging
sounds.
The simplest thing to do, and the one I recom-
mend, is to keep a small logbook in which one makes
concise notations about level and character of tin-
nitus as well as some estimation of hearing acuity at
various frequencies. It should also include notes
about sound exposures in the preceding hours and
days. As time goes on, mental connections can be
better made between sound trauma and the changes
D
noted. I have also
made use of a com-
puter program for
more refined
monitoring and quick
and easy assessment
of response to certain
patterns of sound fre-
quencies.
Remember,
writing things down is not only a good way of saving
and retrieving information, it is also a good way of
getting something troublesome off one's mind until
a more appropriate time to deal with it arises.
As a way of objectifying, recording, and better
correlating the causes and effects around traumatic
noise, monitoring one's tinnitus and hearing loss
makes good sense. It also makes good psychological
sense in terms of feeling less victimized and more in
control of the condition.
Information about the computer program for
monitoring hearing may be obtained by writing to
Dr. Hukill at 2200 Amherst, Palo Alto, CA 94306.
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 8
TINNITUS SURVEY
Thankyouforfilling out this questionnaire. Your answers
will provide us with a greater understanding of Tinnitus and
help us develop a more effective approach to treatment.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. AGE : ___ In years
2. SEX:
D MALE D FEMALE
3. WHAT IS YOUR MARITAL STATUS?
0 MARRIED; LIVING WITH SPOUSE
0 MARRIED; NOT LIVING WITH SPOUSE
0 DIVORCED OR LEGALLY SEPARATED
0 WIDOWED
0 NEVER MARRIED
4. WHAT IS YOUR RACE OR ETHNIC BACK-
GROUND?
D HISPANIC (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban,
Central/ South American or Other Spanish Origin)
0 BLACK (Not of Hispanic Origin)
0 AMERICAN INDIAN or ALASKAN NATIVE
ASIAN or PACIFIC ISLANDER
0 WHITE (Not of Hispanic Origin)
D OTHER:.________ __,_.ESCRIBE
5. WHAT EDUCATIONAL LEVEL DID YOU
COMPLETE?
0 GRADE SCHOOL (Grades 1 - 8 )
0 HIGH SCHOOL (Grades 9 - 12)
0 COLLEGE ( 1 to 4 Years)
0 POSTGRADUATE ( 5 +Years)
0 VOCATIONAL OR TRADE SCHOOL
6. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
STATUS?
0 FULL TIME
0 PART-TIME
0 DISABLED
0 RETIRED
0 UNEMPLOYED
0 NOT EMPLOYED OUTSIDE HOME
0 OTHER: ESCRIBE
VoL 17No.2
All of the information you provide us will be kept confiden-
tial. Please mail the completed questionnaire in the enclosed
envelope to: ATA, PO Box 5, Portland, OR 97207
7. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MAJOR OCCUPA-
TION THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE?:
8. PLEASE INDICATE THE CATEGORY THAT
BEST DESCRIBES YOUR CURRENT ANNUAL
FAMILY INCOME:
D UNDER $1 0,000 D $10,000 - $14,999
D $15,ooo- $24,999 D $25,ooo- $49,999
0 $50,000+
9. WHERE IS YOUR RESIDENCE LOCATED?
STATE. _____ ZIPCODE. ___ _
10. HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR GENERAL
HEALTH LEVEL?
D EXCELLENT D GOOD
D FAIR D POOR
11. HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR GENERAL
ENERGY LEVEL?
D HIGH D MODERATE
D LOW
II. TINNITUS DESCRIPTION (Please check
the appropriate response for each of the follow-
ing questions.)
12. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AWARE OF
YOUR TINNITUS ( NoisesorSoundsinyourearsorhead)?
0 LESS THAN 1 YEAR
0 1 YEAR UP TO 2 YEARS
0 2 YEARS UP TO 5 YEARS
0 5 YEARS UP TO 10 YEARS
0 10 YEARS UP TO 20 YEARS
0 20+ YEARS
13. DID THE TINNITUS COME ON GRADUALLY
OR SUDDENLY?
D GRADUALLy D UNSURE
0 SUDDENLY
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 9
TINNITUS SURVEY, page 2
14. WHERE DOES YOUR TINNITUS APPEAR
TO BE LOCATED?
.0 IN THE LEFT EAR ONLY
0 IN THE RIGHT EAR ONLY
0 IN BOTH EARS
0 IN THE HEAD
0 NOTSURE
0 OTHER: ESCRIBE
15. AT PRESENT, IS YOUR TINNITUS CON-
STANTLYTHERE OR DO YOU HEAR IT ONLY
PART OF THE TIME?
0 HEAR IT ONLY PART OF THE TIME
0 CONSTANTLYTHERE
16. WHAT DOES YOUR TINNITUS USUALLY
SOUND Ll KE? {Please check the one that best describes
your tinnitus. If you have more than one sound, please indicate
only the sound that is most bothersome to you. )
0 RINGING D TRANSFORMER NOISE
0 CLEAR TONE D HUM
0 SIZZLING
D WHISTLE
0 BUZZING
D HIGH TENSION WIRE
0 HISSING
D CRICKETS
0 OCEAN ROAR
D PULSATING
0 OTHER:
ESCRIBE
17. ON THE SCALE BELOW, PLEASE INDICATE
THE LOUDNESS OF YOUR USUAL TINNITUS.
(circle number)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
very quiet intermediate loudness very loud
18.1STHEREANYTHINGTHATYOU KNOWOF
WHICH MAYHAVECAUSEDYOURTINNITUS?
0 INFECTION OF EAR I SINUS
0 WHIPLASH I CERVICAL TRAUMA
0 BRIEF EXPOSURE TO INTENSE NOISE
0 HEAD INJURY I BLOW TO HEAD
0 NOISE EXPOSURE OVER LONG PERIOD OF TIME
0 ILLNESS: ESCRlBE
Vol.l7No.2
0 OTHER:. _ _ _____ ___J,JESCRIBE
0 DRUGS: _____ _ _ __yESCRlBE
0 NOTHING KNOWN
19.1NADDITIONTOYOURTINNITUS, DO YOU
HAVE A HEARING LOSS?
0 NO
D UNSURE
0 YES
20. IF YES: DO YOU CURRENTLY WEAR A
HEARING AID?
0 NO
0 YES, IN RIGHT EAR ONLY
0 YES, IN LEFT EAR ONLY
0 YES, IN BOTH EARS
21. WHICH IS MORE OF A PROBLEM FOR
YOU, THE HEARING LOSS OR THE TINNITUS?
0 HEARING LOSS 0 TINNITUS
0 EQUALLy BOTHERSOME D UNSURE
ill. TINNITUS AND HEALTH CARE (Please
check the appropriate response for each of the
following questions. )
22. DO YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE?
0 NO
0 YES: ____ ----;-:--------
name of insurer
23. HOW MANY DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS HAVE YOU SEEN
REGARDING YOUR TINNITUS? (Check all that
apply from the list below )
0 NONE
0 EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SPECIALIST
0 GENERAL PRACTITIONER
0 PSYCHIATRIST I PSYCHOLOGIST
0 NEUROLOGIST I OTHER NERVE SPECIALIST
0 AUDIOLOGIST
0 CHIROPRACTOR
0 DENTIST (includes Orthodondist I other specialist)
0 HEARING AID SPECIALIST
0 OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFES-
SIONAL: ESCRIBE
T'mnitus Today I June 1992 10
TINNITUS SURVEY, page3
IF YOU HAVE SEEN HEALTH CARE PROFES-
SIONALS REGARDING YOUR TINNITUS, PLEASE
ANSWER THE FOUOWING:
24. HOW MANY VISITS REGARDING YOUR
TINNITUS HAVE YOU MADE TO HEALTH
CARE PROFESSIONALS?
NUMBER IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS: ___ _
TOTAL NUMBER SINCE BECOMING AWARE OF
YOUR TINNITUS:. ___ _
25. WERE THE COSTS OF YOUR TINNITUS
VISITS COVERED BY HEALTH INSURANCE?
D NO D YES, PARTIALLY COVERED
Use number to indicate amount of relief: 1 )No relief, 2)slight
relief, 3)moderate relief, 4)a great deal of relief
0 TINNITUS MASKERS
0 HEARING AIDS
0 BIOFEEDBACK
0 PRESCRIBED MEDICATION
0 TMJ TREATMENT
0 ANY OTHER FORM OF TREATMENT
_ ________ DESCRIBE
31. HAVE YOU TRIED ANYTHING ELSE THAT
HELPS TO RELIEVE YOUR TINNITUS?
0 NO DYES
0 YES, COMPLETELY COVERED
IF YES, PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY AND
PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU NUMBER THE AMOUNT OF RELIEF YOU
AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOL- RECEIVED FROM EACH:
LOWING STATEMENTS:
26. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL(S) WERE
HELPFUL AND SYMPATHETIC ABOUT MY
TINNITUS PROBLEM.
D agree
D disagree
27. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL(S) OF-
FERED TREATMENT THAT SUCCESSFULLY
REDUCED OR ELIMINATED MY TINNITUS.
0 agree
D disagree
28. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL(S) OF-
FERED TREATMENT BUT IT WAS INEFFEC-
TIVE IN REDUCING OR ELIMINATING MY
TINNITUS.
D agree
D disagree
29. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL(S) OF-
FERED NO TREATMENT OTHER THAN BEING
TOLD "LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT".
D agree
D disagree
30. HAVE YOU TRIED ANY FORM OF TREAT-
MENT FOR YOUR TINNITUS?
D NO DYES
IF YES, PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY AND
NUMBER THE AMOUNT OF RELIEF YOU
RECEIVED FROM EACH:
11 Tinnitus Today I June 1992
Use number to indicate amount of relief: 1 )No relief, 2)slight
relief, 3)moderate relief, 4}a great deal of relief
0 BEDSIDE MASKERS
0 AUDIOTAPES
0 DIET CONTROL
0 OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS __
0 ANY OTHER FORM OF TREATMENT
________ _v<:SCRIBE
IV. TINNITUS AND QUALITY OF LIFE
(Please check the appropriate response for each
of the following questions.)
32. HOW MUCH OF AN EFFORT IS IT FOR
YOU TO IGNORE YOUR TINNITUS WHEN IT IS
PRESENT?
0 EASILY IGNORED
0 CAN IGNORE WITH SOME EFFORT
0 IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO IGNORE
0 CAN NEVER IGNORE
33. HOW MUCH DISCOMFORT DO YOU
USUALLY EXPERIENCE WHEN YOUR TIN-
NITUS IS PRESENT?
D NONE
0 MILD DISCOMFORT
0 MODERATE DISCOMFORT
0 A GREAT DEAL OF DISCOMFORT
Vol.l7No.2
TINNITUS SURVEY, page4
34. DO YOU EVER FEEL IRRITABLE BECAUSE
OF YOUR TINNITUS?
0 NEVER D SOMETIMES
0 OFTEN D ALWAYS
35. DO YOU HAVE SLEEP PROBLEMS BE-
CAUSE OF YOUR TINNITUS?
0 NEVER
D SOMETIMES
0 OFTEN D ALWAYS
36. HAVE YOU EVER CHANGED JOBS OR
TRANSFERRED FROM ONE JOB TO
ANOTHER BECAUSE OF YOUR TINNITUS?
0 NO D YES _____ -JJESCRIBE
37. HAVE YOU EVER QUIT WORKING BE-
CAUSE OF YOUR TINNITUS?
0 NO
D YES, TEMPORARILy
0 YES, PERMANENTLY
38. HOW MUCH INTERFERENCE DOES TIN-
NITUS CAUSE IN YOUR WORK ACTIVITIES?
0 none
0 slight amount
0 moderate amount
0 a great amount
39. HOW MUCH INTERFERENCE DOES TIN-
NITUS CAUSE IN YOUR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES?
0 none
0 slight amount
0 moderate amount
0 a great amount
40. HOW MUCH INTERFERENCE DOES TIN-
NITUS CAUSE IN YOUR OVERALL ENJOY-
MENT OF LIFE ?
0 none
0 slight amount
0 moderate amount
0 a great amount
41. DO YOU EVER FEEL DEPRESSED BE-
CAUSE OF YOUR TINNITUS?
VoL 17No.2
0 NEVER D SOMETIMES
0 OFTEN D ALWAYS
42. OVERALL, HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU
WITH YOUR CURRENT LIFESTYLE?
0 VERY SATISFIED
0 SOMEWHAT SATISFIED
0 SOMEWHAT DISSATISFIED
0 VERY DISSATISFIED
43. IF YOU ARE SOMEWHAT OR VERY DIS-
SATISFIED WITH YOUR CURRENT LIFE-
STYLE, IS IT BECAUSE OF YOUR TINNITUS
OR BECAUSE OF OTHER FACTORS?
0 MAINLY DUE TO TINNITUS
0 MAINLY DUE TO OTHER FACTORS
0 PARTLYDUETOTINNITUS
0 UNSURE
44. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TROUBLED WITH
HYPERACUSIS - A CONDITION WHERE ALL
SOUNDS ARE PAINFUL, EVEN THOSE THAT
ARE IGNORED BY MOST PEOPLE?
0 NO DYES
45. IF YES: HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU
WEAR EAR PLUGS, EAR MUFFS, OR BOTH?
0 RARELy D SOMETIMES
0 OFTEN D ALWAYS
46. HAVE YOU EVER ATIENDED A TINNITUS
SUPPORT GROUP MEETING?
0 NO DYES
47. IF YES: DID YOU FIND THE SUPPORT
GROUP INFORMATIVE AND/OR HELPFUL?
0 NO DYES
Thank you again for taking the time to fill
out this questionnaire. Please mail the com-
pleted questionnaire in the enclosed envelope
to:
ATA, P.O. BOX 5 ,PORTLAND, OR 97207
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 12
Questions and Answers
by JackA. Vernon, Ph.D. Director, Oregon
Hearing Research Center. Please send questions
to Dr. Vernon, c/o ATA, PO Box 5, Portland, OR
97207. Questions of broad general interest will be
answered as space permits.
Q uestion: I have a high frequency hearing loss and
lazy eustachian tubes. I am on a decongestant to
prevent fluid build-up in the middle ears. Should I
go off the decongestant and if so what other
decongestant should I use? Mrs. 0. from Nebraska.
A nswer: Dear Mrs. 0: You are on a prescription
medicine and one should never change a prescription
without the consent of the prescribing physician.
Moreover I assume that you think the decongestant
is causing your tinnitus when in fact it may be doing
just the opposite. For example a build-up of fluid in
your middle ears will reduce your hearing ability
even more and the lower one's hearing ability, the
louder tinnitus becomes. If I may, I would recom-
mend two things, first and foremost discuss with
your physician the decongestant you are taking and
why you think it may be contributing to your tin-
nitus. Secondly I would suggest that you look into
the matter of your high frequency hearing loss. It is
possible that high frequency emphasis hearing aids
(two aids if the heng loss is in both ears) could
relieve the tinnitus, at the least it should be tried. If
hearing aids alone do not relieve your tinnitus then
next you should try the combination units which
contain both hearing aids and tinnitus maskers. If
you will have your hearing aid dispenser contact me
(503-494-8032) perhaps I can help him help you ... at
least I would like to try to be of help.
Q uestion: I developed tinnitus after a back injury
for which I took Ibuprofen for two days. I notice that
my ears are really sensitive to changes in the weather
and they snap and crackle when I swallow. Any
comments would be appreciated. Mr. M. from il-
linois.
13 Tinnitus Today f June 1992
Answer: Dear Mr. M: I think it unlikely that the
Ibuprofen produced your tinnitus, most likely the
two events were just coincidence. There is a group
of tinnitus patients which can predict weather chan-
ges by the alteration in their tinnitus. It is probably
the pressure change which does it. We have tested
some of these patients with deliberate pressure al-
teration in the external ear canal and all experienced
a decrease in the tinnitus, as pressure was altered in
either direction. The popping and crackling you hear
upon swallowing is the eustachian tube opening and
closing, which is nature's way of equalizing the
pressure in the middle ear space with that outside the
ear. It is nothing to be concerned about. May I ask if
your tinnitus is severe enough to require attention
and, if so, what can I do to be of help? I should
remind all readers that about 80% of all people who
have tinnitus have it in a mild or minor form which
usually does not require any treatment. (Mr. V. from
Colorado wrote describing the same pressure effect
upon his tinnitus).
Q uestion: I have written to two companies who
make ear muffs asking them to provide more sound
protection. They say they make the muffs as they are
so that one can hear warning signals and voices. Can
you get them to make special protectors for those of
us who find the present products inadequate? Mr. 0.
from Washington.
A nswer: Dear Mr. 0: I am to learn that
those companies would lie to you, but they did. The
limitation for ear plugs or ear muffs is a physical one
and not that they have reduced the protection
capability. They are providing as much sound at-
tenuation as is possible. I tis true, however, that some
products are better than others. For example, I fmd
that the "Thunder 29" ear muff is the best I have ever
used. It can be obtained from Safety & Supply Co.,
595 North Columbia Blvd., Portland, Or. 97217
(503-283-9500). The cost in Portland is $17.95. For
shipping to any location standard U.P.S. charges
apply. Ear plugs are another matter. The Sealrite
silicone ear plug is well named for they do seal
Vo1.17No.2
Questions and Answers, Continued
properly and one can extend the seal out onto the
outer ear. Silicone ear plugs are also marketed under
the name "Ear Putty", and are widely obtainable.
When using ear plugs it is important to realize that
chewing or talking movements of the jaw can loosen
the ear plug so as to break the seal and that one should
periodically reinsert the plugs. The E.A.R. foam ear
plug is also a good ear plug, as it can be made to fit
almost any size ear canal. Yes, ear canals do vary in
both size and degree of turn. The E.A.R. plugs are
available from your local hearing aid dispenser or
drug store. Ed. Note: A future issue of Tinnitus
Today will be devoted to Hearing Protection
Devices.
Q uestion: Recently I became aware of a process
called active noise cancellation. This is a procedure
whereby sounds can be canceled by reversing the
phase of the sound and playing it back against itself
thereby canceling the sound altogether. Can this
technique have applications for tinnitus? Mr. D.
from Maine
A nswer: Dear Mr. D: The technique you describe
is a very effective way to reduce physical sound and
this technique is commercially available for situa-
tions where the noise is relatively constant. They
simply sample the noise, reverse its phase and play
it back against itself for cancellation. If tinnitus was
an actual physical sound we could do the same thing
with it. Unfortunately tinnitus is not a physical
sound, it just sounds that way. You might be inter-
ested to know that if two tones can be arranged so as
to cancel each other it is also possible to slightly alter
the arrangement and produce a beating sensation
between the two tones. We have tried forever to see
if we could produce beats between an external tone
and tinnitus but without any success. Noise cancel-
lation is a very useful concept and works in many
situations but unfortunately it does not work for
tinnitus. Now having said this, let me confess that
every time I say what I have just said I have the
nagging suspicion that if only we knew the precise
parameters to use we could do phase cancellation
Vol.l7No.2
with tinnitus. Does this leave you with an uneasy
feeling? It does me.
Q uestion: If noise cancellation has been used to
eliminate loud sounds do the hazardous sounds still
exist even though we cannot hear them? Ms. L. from
Oregon.
Answer: Dear Ms L: The answer is no. The actual
sound waves have been canceled so that they no
longer exist.
Q uestion: I read somewhere about a product called
Tinnitus Relief and I enclose the advertisement. Also
enclosed are advertisements for Bio-Ear and Ginkgo
Biloba, which are claimed to relieve tinnitus. I had
used Ginkgo Biloba before I developed tinnitus but
stopped. Will the Tinnitus Relief make tinnitus
worse and should I take larger doses of the Ginkgo
Biloba? Mr. S. from New York.
A nswer: Dear Mr. S: Since you have had tinnitus
for only two months it may simply go away as
mysteriously as it came. I do not think Tinnitus
Relief will do anything to or for your tinnitus.
Ginkgo Biloba has had a lot of publicity but in this
country it has only recently been tested specifically
for tinnitus, and the results of those studies are not
yet available. Mr. M. from New Jersey wrote to say
that Ginkgo Biloba helped him, but, on the other
hand, Mr. H. from Oregon says Ginkgo Biloba has
not been helpful. Do you begin to see why carefully
controlled studies are needed for things like this?
Anytime there is a medical problem for which
there is no cure it becomes fair game for charlatans
whose advertisements list products and offer
dramatic testimonials and claims. Often, not only
have these products not been approved by the Food
and Drug Administration but they have not been
properly tested. One thing is certain; desperate
people will try almost anything in an effort to gain
relief and I do not blame them for that attitude. But
I do condemn the charlatans who try to take ad-
vantage of such situations.
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 14
Q. & A. , Continued
Q uestion: I have tried Ginkgo Biloba because my
ear doctor told me that my tinnitus was caused by a
decrease in blood flow to the ear and Ginkgo Biloba
claims to increase the ear's blood flow. The Ginkgo
Biloba has not made any difference. Does alcohol
make any difference? I notice that two or three drinks
help temporarily. Also, I notice that exercise can
make the tinnitus temporarily worse. Should I stop
the exercise? Mrs. M. from Canada.
A nswer: Dear Mrs. M: The question on alcohol is
a good one because many patients comment that
after a few drinks the tinnitus is not so noticeable.
What that means is that after a few (whatever that
means) drinks one does not notice anything very
well. I have always told patients that I see nothing
wrong with a drink if it relaxes and helps, but do not
overdo it because a hang-over will include exacer-
bated tinnitus. Almost all tinnitus patients tell us that
exercise temporarily increases their tinnitus but that
it always returns to its normal level. I think that is
merely the price for exercise and that no permanent
increase will result. See also comments to Mr. Me of
New York below.
Research Information
University of Maryland
A number of readers have asked for information about a
measurement system utilizing the otoacoustic emission dis-
tortion product. We have asked Dr. Jastreboff. Director of
the Tinnitus Center at University of Maryland at Baltimore.
for his comments.
Dr. Jastreboff theorizes that when the inner ear
is damaged by noise, drugs, or aging, some destruc-
tion of both inner and outer hair cells results. The
hair cells are the structures by which mechanical
energy of sound is translated to electrical energy and
carried by the auditory nerve to the brain. The as-
sumption is that the basis for tinnitus is the different
extent of damage between the outer and inner hair
cells.
Traditional methods for measuring hearing
thresholds provide information mainly about the
function of the inner hair cells. An audiogram will
not reveal even relatively large, but diffuse damage
of outer hair cells.
The otoacoustic emission distortion product
provides an evaluation of outer hair cell function
which does not depend on the function of the inner
hair cells or the auditory nerve. It is further thought
that the comparison of these measurements with the
Q uestion: After arthroscopic surgery, rehab exer- audiogram, perception of tinnitus pitch, loudness
cise has made my tinnitus worse. All exercise and maskability, may allow a more precise diagnosis
bothers it. If I don't exercise my tinnitus is better but of what is happening in the inner ear.
Ilove to exercise. Have you heard of such a problem? Ed. note: The fact remains thaJ science knows tittle about the
Mr. Me from New york. auditory efferent system and even less about its relationship to
A
tinnitus. The method referred to above is a research tool which
nswer: Dear Mr. Me: We have often heard of may provide valuable information. It is not yet a clinical method.
such a problem. The main point which you did not
address is whether or not the tinnitus gradually
returns to normal after the exercise stops. All the
patients we see find that the tinnitus does return to
normal after the exacerbation from exercise and if
that is the case I see no reason for them to stop
exercising. Indeed, Mrs. C from Georgia finds that
the exacerbation of her tinnitus produced by sleep
can be eliminated if she exercises immediately upon
awakening. Ed.note: Exercise has never exacer-
bated my tinnitus!
15 Tinnitus Today I June 1992
American Tinnitus Association
is a participant in the
Combined Federal Campaign
#0514 in the CFC Brochure
Thank You For Helping
To Fight Tinnitus
Vol. 17No.2
Living With Tinnitus for 48 Years:
by Sue Greer Lamie, Illinois
It was autumn of 1985. My husband of two
months waited with me for my Ear Nose & Throat
specialist at the University of Chicago Hospital. I
had been attacked by a virus: Sudden Hearing Loss
Syndrome.
For over forty years I had suffered from increas-
ingly severe tinnitus in my right ear. At age fourteen,
for no reason apparent either in my family history or
my own experience, the hearing began to diminish
in that ear. I was conscious only of the whistling
noise in my head, feeling the pull of it on my energy
and occasionally using it as an excuse to get extra
rest or attention.
Little did I dream that this little whistling noise
which seemed to be coming from somewhere "north-
east" of my head would be joined over the years by
big whistling noises (like a referee's), low drumming
sounds around the back of my skull, and a parking-
lot-full of automobile horns just outside my ear.
I told my husband I could understand why
people might not believe me when I described my
tinnitus sounds. In the few weeks since I had sud-
denly lost hearing in both ears, I felt imprisoned in
a soundproof tent that held in all the old noises plus
new ones that gave the over-all effect of a buzz saw
being fed fresh wood. If anyone had told me two
months before that I would be experiencing this new
level of noise, I would have found it beyond belief.
Most of the sound was still coming from the right
ear. I asked myself how nearly deaf people with this
kind of noise in both ears could sanely survive.
After we had exchanged introductions with the
doctor, he continued to study my file with a knowing
smile. "You had tinnitus way back when they
thought radiation would help," he observed. That
was in 1947. In 1949, another doctor had tried
radium. In 1956 as a Benedictine Sister I had been
herded into a bus with every other sister in the
community who had ear problems to see "this new
specialist in Oklahoma City." He simply shook his
head, told me I had a "bum nose," treated me with a
Vol.l7No.2
one-time only spray, which by the followi&1g morn-
ing had closed my nose completely.
In 1961 I had a stapedectomy on the chance
that, if my otosclerosis were taken care of, the hear-
ing nerve might show some sign of life. Not so. A
couple of years later my internist apologized to me
for not understanding the stress I was under because
of the tinnitus. He had had it for six months, thought
he was going crazy, had a stapedectomy which
returned his hearing and relieved his tinnitus. This
new experience added another dimension to his al-
ready great concern for his patients.
In 1969 I had left the convent and was living in
Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic had been successful
with so many physical ailments, it seemed worth a
try. I was placed in a sound-proof testing room to
wait for thirty minutes by a doctor who had no notion
of the trauma this would cause a person with my
level of tinnitus. Afterwards he "comforted" me with
"You '11 get used to those little sounds, dear. Some
of my patients tell me they don't know what they
would do without theirs." After 46 years, I should
know!
I was hearing an increasing number of tinnitus
sufferers of my acquaintance saying "No one under-
stands. Not even my doctor!" In 1970 I wrote a
brochure on tinnitus management which I thought
would be helpful to tinnitus sufferers and the people
they live with. I sent it to my doctor back in Ok-
lahoma to see if he thought this brochure would be
appropriate to make available in his waiting room.
"Oh, no," he wrote back, "why draw so much atten-
tion to it?" I was so angry I found myself wishing
that my family history and my disposition would
allow me the use of a few "damns" and "hells," but
that gift was to come later with four years of
psychotherapy.
What the ENT specialist didn't find in my
history was the real story of how I had managed
living with tinnitus for over forty years: the relaxa-
tion exercises I learned from a crippled music
teacher; developing a high degree of body con-
Tinnitus Today I June 1992 16
Golden Jubilee Ahead?
sciousness that helped me, through massage and
imaging, to open my stopped-up ears and taut Eus-
tachian tubes; chiropractic treatments; acupuncture,
both the traditional varieties and those developed by
an ingenious chiropodist; avoiding foods and pollens
I was allergic to; extra rest and patience, patience,
patience.
Fortunately my doctor was able to save the
hearing in my still nearly perfect left ear through
treatments with steroids. But the increased inner
sound levels and varieties remained. I began to un-
derstand the significance of "disabling tinnitus."
Since that time I have added to my tinnitus manage-
ment skills: biofeedback (which has much in com-
mon with forms of meditation I was already using),
equalized breathing, more specific acupressuring,
and creative imaging which is now birthing a book
I call "The Sacred Sound: Songs and Stories of
Tinnitus."
By "equalized breathing," I mean taking five or
six slow deep breaths to clear the lungs of stale air,
then breathing quietly in and out without stopping
between breaths for four or five minutes. I find it
helps to count in and out with each breath, up to
eighty. Doing this a second time sometimes puts me
to sleep.
The acupressure points I find likely to release
pressures in the ear area are 1) on the palm of the
hand between the bones that connect to the fourth
and fifth fingers; 2) on the corresponding spot on
either foot; 3) around the ankle, particularly in back.
Just find a sensitive spot; apply pressure with your
finger(s) and thumb(s) as long as you can tolerate it,
and let go. These exercises may work for you; they
may not
Next to saving my hearing, the greatest thing
my doctor did for me was to ask a simple question:
"Tell me about the quality of the sounds you hear."
I burst into tears. I had been waiting for over forty
years for an otolaryngologist to ask me that question.
Three or four years before, I had told my
psychotherapist to ask that question of any other
17 Tinnitus Today I June 1992
client he might have who experienced tinnitus. That
simple question tells me that the one who asks it
really believes me when I tell him or her about my
experience of the inner noises.
Comparably, the greatest thing the American
Tinnitus Association has done for me is to publish
first-person stories by people who have tinnitus.
After all these years, I still need to be assured that "I
am not exaggerating" or "being a sissy." What com-
passion our experience should give us for all who
suffer from "invisible diseases" even while looking
the very picture of good health.
Because I am an enthusiastic person who loves
people, who has more songs to sing and books to
write than one lifetime may allow, and who is
blessed with great powers of concentration, there are
hours, sometimes days, when I do not consciously
avert my attention to the noises. But I am aware that,
even though I am not paying attention to those
noises, they are still taking a toll of energy from me.
(Only recently have I read articles that affirm this
both scientifically and experientally.) I often com-
pare the noises to a twenty-five pound sack of flour
carried constantly on my shoulder. However many
creative or routine things I may be able to do with
that sack on my shoulder, at the end of the day I still
suffer the accumulated weariness of carrying the
bag.
Ed.Note: Space constraints have forced us to
condense Sue's article, but we have provided a more
detailed account of her coping suggestions to our
Self-help group leaders. Coping methods, along
with information on the use of custom high-fidelity
ear plugs in noisy tinnitus exacerbating situations
will be discussed more fully in a future issue.
If you do not need a contribution receipt,
please let us know. It will mean that about
50 cents more of your donation can go
towards research and education. Thank you
Voll7No.2
Tributes, Sponsors, Professional Associates
The A TA tribute fund is designated 100% for research. Thank you to all those people listed below for
sharing memorable occasions in this helpful way. Contributions are tax deductible and are promptly ac-
knowledged with an appropriate card. The gift amount is never disclosed.
IN MEMORY OF
AAnlxt
J RAnixt
Tony Buckmeler
MIM Arlo Nash
Benny DeKinder
JoAnn DeKinder
Samuel Hayward
Rudand High School
Class of 1942
Richard Allen Markley
David F Williams
Ida Plevlnsky
Larry & Barbara Brown
Daniel P Buckley
Leon D Dembo
Bea & AI Lowenthal
Betty Salol
Mrs. Tony Randall
The ATA Staff
Philip Silverman
Bernard Silverman
IN HONOR OF
Julia A A lam-Birthday
Joseph Alam/Trudy Drucker
Bergen County Tinnitus Self
Help Group-10th Anniversary
Joseph Alam
Joseph Paul Cline-Birthday
Rose Eisenberg
Edward Decker
Ezra & Madelyn Lorber
Morae Emen
Joseph Alam/Trudy Drucker
Classified
Richard A Gardner
Bergen Tinnitus Group
Jordan Graham
Harold & Donna Graham
Mark Graham-Birthday
Harold & Donna Graham
VIrginia Hotla
Mustard Seed Preschool
Jean Novlch-Birthday
Joseph Alam/Trudy Drucker
Rappahannock Comm College
Ann Revere
Sam Splvak-Birthday
Joseph Alam/Trudy Drucker
Mary Tully
Joseph Alam/Trudy Drucker
Marvin Weinberger
Carolyn Weinberger
Paul W Zerbst
CPC International
SPONSOR MEMBERS
FEBRUARY TO APRIL 1992
Mary & Frank Anderton
Bob Baldi
Mr DC Bay
Dr & Mrs Daniel Beattie
MIM Arnold Ballowe
Mark C Blacker
Ronald R Bowden
Charles T Brown
William E Brown
Kenneth P Brundage
A Paul Camerino
Barry Christensen
SPECIAL Pll..LOW CAN RELIEVE EAR
NOISES AND AID SLEEP
Your sleeping habit may be robbing you of a proper
night's sleep. The Ear Relaxer can change your life. Austin
Skaggs, the inventor of the Ear Relaxer Pillow, reports that
it has helped him and many other people who have tried it.
It is comfortable for those who wear their hearing aids or
maskers to bed. Testimonials are available on request from
Mr. Skaggs.
To order, send $17.95 (postpaid) , outside U.S. send
$20.95 (U.S. funds), for postage paid shipment to:
EAR RELAXER
POBOX90
VICTOR, WV 25938
liS l'lnruiUS TO<Iay I June l ~ Y . t
Arlene Clark
Mary Ann Cooley
CPC International
Henry G largey
Sondra Limeburner
Jeff J Derossette
Kenneth K Dupper
Katherine A Elberfeld
Jerry S Fagerness
Donna & James Fijolek
David E Flatow
Norman Frankel PhD
Alex Gibbs
W Thomas McGuirk Ill
Mustard Seed Preschool
Edward Palin
Thomas J Patrician
Bobby R & Erika T Payne
Anthony Raia
Mirka Ray
Linda & Alfred Ronaldson
Jack Salerno
Nathan Gibson
Janet M Gleason
Dr & Mrs Arthur Gleb
Donna Graham
Harold Graham
Rod Granberry
William E Groman
Gail Gudmundsen
John Hafer
William R Hale
Joyce Hecht-Miller
Scott Hindes
Ted Hofmeister
Gulielma T Hooper
Jonathan S Horwitz
Andrew Hrivnak Ill
June Ivins
Ruth M Johnston
Jack A Jossen
DrKA Kawai
Laura P Kleppick
David J Kovacic
Joseph Kubat
Jack E. Sassone
Arthur Schoenstadt
LeoW Seal Jr
Daniel & Lisa Segal
Frank & Sharon Sell
Earll Small
Norma Steele
Margaret B Steadman PhD
Karen Swensrud
Daniel K Tarkington
James C Totten
Sylvia Truskowski
Scott Turner
Robert J Weiss MD
Harold E Wells
Adelaide w Zabriskie
Paul W Zerbst
J A Zinser
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATES
FEBRUARY TO APRIL 1992
Barbara Goldstein, Ph.D.
John Risey, M.C.D.
Abraham Shulman, M. D.
Calendar: 1992 Tinnitus Related Meetings
Date Place , Ora=ani7..ation. Activity
Sept 8-12 Dallas, TX, National Hearing Aid
Society, Informational display.
Sept 12-17
Nov 19-22
Washington, DC, American
Academy of Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck Surgery. Advisory Board
meeting, International Tinnitus
Study Group, Public Forum.
San Antonio, TX, American
Speech Language
Hearing Association,
Informational display,
Tinnitus Public Forum.
4. Describes
Hyperacusls,
the problem of
super-sensitive
ears and how
those who have
it are affected.
Urges protection
from noise.
!J"p;,, u ;i/i rk
IIIYII!flll_lllltm/1
RICHARD >W.LAM
LIVING WITH TINNITUS
1. Information
is given in the
form of
questions and
answers about
tinnitus.
Covers causes,
treatments,
and effects.
5. AT A Patient
Survey presents
Results
describing
statistical
information
on 30 tinnitus
topics.
LEARNING
TO UVE WITH IT
LESLE
Md
AUDREY HAWKRIDGE

2. Presents
coping tips
tor reducing
stress. Lists
ways for self-
control of
tinnitus, and
how to seek
help.
The
American
Tinnitus
Association
TINNITUS
PATIENT
SURVEY
,.
-
.
-
.
3. Describes
how no1se can
cause tinnitus
and how to
avoid it.
Presents levels
of permissible
noise exposure.

THE SElF-HELP
PROGRAM
John Thddey, D.D.S.
Sc'-'".., ..._.. oa""'
TINNITUS - LEARNING TO
LIVE WITH IT
TMJ THE SELF-HELP PROGRAM
Dealing with the ringing How to recognize a TMJ
in your ears through better Suggestions and advice problem, relieve pain and restore
understanding and changing from authors who overcame health. When to seek profes-
beliefs. much of their misery. sional help.
SEE INSIDE BACK COVER FOR FULL PUBLICATION LIST AND ORDERING INFORMATION.
AMERICAN TINNITUS ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX 5, PORTLAND. OR 97207
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
American Tinnitus
Association