Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition commonly known as "ringing in the ears". The ringing sounds are brain-induced; that is, ringing is perceived in the absence of any external auditory stimulation. In addition to ringing sounds, roaring, hissing, clicking and other non-externally generated sounds are also classified as tinnitus. Chronic tinnitus can be caused by noise exposure, disease, excessive use of aspirin or other pain relievers, and use of certain antibiotics.

According to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) it is estimated that approximately 50 million persons in the U.S. have intermittent or permanent tinnitus. Of these, approximately 10-12 million have severe and chronic tinnitus. The ATA reports that of these some two million persons are completely disabled by the condition. Severe tinnitus in some drastic cases has led to suicide.

Unfortunately, many armed forces personnel serving overseas are subjected to noise environments that can directly lead to tinnitus even when these personnel use earplugs. To make the problem worse, many of these service personnel are predisposed to not use such protective devices when in harm's way - potentially to their own detriment. Excessive noise exposure from firing weapons, and exposure to ordinance and IED's can initiate life-long tinnitus even without traumatic brain injury being a consequence. In the worst case of serious traumatic brain injury as a consequence of explosive IED's, tinnitus may also accompany the primary injury and negatively impact recovery.

For the general population, tinnitus is also associated with listening to music players (i.e. i-pods) at elevated volume levels for extended periods of time. An increased incidence of tinnitus is also observed in the elderly.

Whether we realize it or not, the incidence of tinnitus is increasing while at the same time tinnitus remains a largely unaddressed problem. Since brain pathways associated with hearing are partially common to those affecting emotions, the potential for serious debilitation to many in our socieity is compounded.

While research is ongoing, there is currently no known cure for tinnitus. This being the case, can anything be done to help those with tinnitus cope with the condition?

Tinnitus retraining therapy, hypnosis, and psychotherapy have been useful to certain individuals. These regimes can take extended periods of time (over two years) to be effective - if they become effective at all. Tinnitus masking machines and specialized hearing aids have also been useful.

Vitamins, herbal concoctions and homeopathic formulations on the other hand have not been shown in controlled studies to be - at best - any more effective than placebos - although many tinnitus-onset sufferers try them out of desperation in attempts at obtaining relief.

Some tinnitus sufferers - especially those with mild cases - habituate to the ringing, hissing or other brain-induced "sounds". For the vast majority of sufferers, however, habituation doesn't seem possible and the prescription "learn to live with it" is of little consolation to them.

Advantageously, many tinnitus sufferers experience tinnitus relief after having taken a shower or listened to running sink faucets. Being near large outdoor fountains, surf, natural waterfalls, etc. have also been reported to temporarily reduce tinnitus in some individuals. For some, the reduction in tinnitus can continue for minutes to hours to (more rarely) days. This effect is known as residual inhibition which can be defined as a short-term suppression of tinnitus after the sound stimulation is stopped.

Unfortunately, you can't take your shower or sink faucet into your living room, bedroom or work space; nor can you take Niagra Falls, the beach, or a large outdoor water fountain indoors.

Indoor water fountains have been designed almost totally for their visual effect. Auditory output of these fountains is generally a consequence of their visual designs and has not generally been a conscious part of the design process. Consequently, many indoor water fountains produce narrow spectrum "bright" sounds that over time can be distracting, annoying or overpowering.

In contrast our Sound Fountains are the first fountains that we are aware of that have been specifically designed for tinnitus relief and which generate a wide spectrum sound that is pleasing to listen to and that can offer relief to the tinnitus sufferer when placed in his/her home or work environment.

Recent research has suggested that combining visual information with specific sound fields can have positive synergistic benefits to the tinnitus sufferer. Our bubble chamber technology combines a subtly changing auditory experience in synchrony with a visual display using water as a medium. The combined effect is beautiful, unobtrusive, and forms a gestalt melding water, sound and vision.

Click to read a not so brief note on why we developed Sound Fountains^tm