Tinnitus 'Ear-Ringing' Syndrome Treatment & Cure: Magnets Can Ease Ringing

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Tinnitus is a strange condition that causes people to hear a ringing or buzzing in the ears with no discernable external source. People who suffer from this may be relieved from the "phantom" noises they hear through electromagnetic pulses (EMP), according to a new study. 

The research published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, revealed that more than half of the participants in the study responded well upon receiving Transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS).

Science World reports that for the study, 64 people who have had tinnitus for more than a year were enlisted by the researchers to measure the effectiveness of TMS pulses. Half of the group received 2,000 TMS pulses over a period of 10 days and the other half were given a "fake" treatment.

The researchers found that nearly 60 percent of the first half participants who received TMS experienced relief from tinnitus symptoms after 10 days, while 22 percent from the other half experienced relief. After six months, 66 percent of the group who received TMS improved significantly while in the other group, only 38 percent experienced improvement.

"For some study participants, this was the first time in years that they experienced any relief in symptoms. These promising results bring us closer to developing a long-sought treatment for this condition that affects an enormous number of Americans, including many men and women who have served in our armed forces," said Robert L. Folmer, Ph.D., lead researcher of the study and associate professor at OHSU School of Medicine, via Eureka Alert.

Tinnitus isn't actually a condition in itself, but a symptom of another condition, according to Mayo Clinic. It could be due to an ear injury or hearing-related conditions; for some people, it can worsen over the years.

Current treatment for tinnitus includes curing an underlying health condition, suppressing the noise using certain devices such as white noise machines or masking devices, and medications that can manage the symptoms of tinnitus.

Despite the promise of TMS among tinnitus sufferers, researchers say that the method is not a suitable replacement for current tinnitus management strategies. Instead, it could be used as an alternative for those who do not respond well to other treatments.

Additionally, more research, studies and clinical trials need to be conducted to find out about the efficacy of TMS for tinnitus.

"I don't see TMS replacing all that, but I see it as another option for helping some patients," Folmer said in the report by Diabetes Insider.