Zebra Fish May Hold Key to Tinnitus: Aquarium Fish has Unique Hearing Abilities

Regular readers of Healthy Hearing (www.HealthyHearing.com) may recall an article about the unique ability of zebra fish to re-grow (regenerate) damaged hearing systems lines of specialized cells that run along the side of the aquarium dweller. The article revealed that researchers were examining zebra fish to determine how these pet store favorites can regain lost hearing something that humans cant do, at least for the moment.

Researchers hope to learn how the zebra fish re-grows damaged hearing mechanisms, which, in turn, may lead to improvements in certain kinds of hearing loss in humans. It sounds kinda weird, but its pretty cool, too.

Well, zebra fish are back in the hearing news, only this time its not about re-growing hearing nerve cells. Its about tinnitus.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is better known as ringing in the ears, even though the sounds may not actually be ringing. Could be whooshing, high-pitched screeches or simply noises that arent there.

The condition is prevalent, though well hidden. When we look at someone who experiences ringing in the ears, we don't see a problem. Its internal and, believe this: patients seeking treatment for tinnitus realize they have a problem one that leads to depression, lowered work productivity, isolation, stress and a host of other symptoms.

The numbers are pretty amazing, according to the American Tinnitus Association :

• 50 million U.S. citizens experience some form of tinnitus during their lives
  
  
• More than 12 million people experience the problem to such a degree that they seek medical help.
  
  
• About 2 millions patients are so debilitated by tinnitus, they can not function of a day-to-day basis.

The Causes of Tinnitus

There is no one cause of tinnitus. In fact, because the hearing mechanism is so delicate and susceptible to damage, any number of factors can lead to tinnitus including:

• Long-term exposure to loud noise (workplace noise, for example)
  
  
• Repetitive exposure to concussive (really loud noises like gun shots) sounds
  
  
• A single incident of strong, concussive sound (a grenade, IED, e.g.)
  
  
• Infections
  
  
• Intoxication
  
  
• Head trauma
  
  
• Disease
  
  
• Mental or physical stress

And again, those who experience tinnitus are more likely to experience associated conditions stress, depression, isolation, inability to sleep and so on. Its an insidious condition with no outward signs. But inwardly, many tinnitus sufferers experience a spectrum of limitations and pain.

Medication to Treat Tinnitus? Hope for the Future

Dr. Ernest Moore, who works in his Northwestern University lab, has tinnitus himself, thanks to childhood hunting expeditions and years working in the military. Dr. Moore has taken a closer look at the zebra fish and, later in 2008, plans to test his newly-developed trial drugs on tinnitus patients through the patients physicians.

In a report published in The Chicago Tribune, Dr, Moore explained his interest in these aqua-allies in the war against tinnitus. They have inner ears like ours, we know a lot about zebra fish genomes (genetics), theyre transparent and prolific egg-layers, Dr. Moore explained. What more could you ask for?

The Ringing Is Rising

According to the Tribune report, So many veterans are returning from the Middle East with tinnitus that the Department of Veterans Affairs says it is the No. 1 service-related disability among those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the vets, Baby Boomers are now adding presbycusis (gradual hearing loss resulting from aging) to damage caused by too-loud rock music, giving them an ideal recipe for tinnitus.

Unfortunately, at least for the moment, theres no cure for tinnitus. In fact, according to Dr. Alan Micco from Northwestern University, Most of the tinnitus patients I see have already been told they have to live with it. [However] there is no cure, but there are many things we can try."

Currently, the most recommended treatment is masking the tinnitus effects using sounds such as white noise a neutral sound. An electric fan, for example, produces white noise and is used by tinnitus sufferers to help them sleep through the night.

There are also white noise devices that look like hearing aids but, in fact, these units produce white noise to counter-balance and even block the ringing caused by tinnitus.

For persons with any degree of hearing loss, hearing aids actually offer great relieve. The hearing aids amplify sounds according to the patients hearing loss. This amplification not only benefits the patient in hearing better but masks the tinnitus they typically hear in silence.

The other treatment, one thats improved quality of life for many tinnitus patients, is retraining the brain to ignore the ringing in the ears. Through the use of neuromonics, patients wear an MP3-like device that delivers music and auditory stimuli customized for each patients condition. Patients wear these devices for about three hours a day and, indeed, after a while many patients report hearing past the ringing.

Patient Jon Passinis tinnitus was so bad that he was forced to withdraw from most activities. After numerous, trial-and-error solutions, Passini came upon the neuromonic approach of retraining the brain NOT to hear the sounds of tinnitus. The treatment gave him back his life.

Passinis experiences with numerous treatments have led Jon to encourage others with tinnitus to continue to explore the various options. What doesnt work for one person may work for someone else, he stated. Dont give up.

Words that have more meaning now with Dr. Moores experiments with zebra fish and the early trials of a medication that will relieve the annoying symptoms of tinnitus starting this year.